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Biography
Edward III Plantagenet, King of England, was born 13 November 1312 in Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom to Edward II of England (1284-1327) and Isabella Capet (c1295-1358) and died 21 June 1377 Sheen Palace, Surrey, England, United Kingdom of stroke. He married Philippa of Hainaut (1311-1369) 1 January 1328 JL in York Minster, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom.
Edward III Plantagenet became King of England, etc., upon his father's abdication in January 1327. In 1337 he also claimed the title of King of France, although he was never able to make good on the claim. He reigned until his death.
Edward III is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II of England (1284-1327). Edward III transformed the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe; his reign also saw vital developments in legislation and government—in particular the evolution of the English parliament—as well as the ravages of the Black Death. He is one of only five British monarchs to have ruled England or its successor kingdoms for more than fifty years.
Edward was crowned at age fourteen after his father was deposed by his mother and her consort Roger Mortimer. At age seventeen he led a successful coup against Mortimer, the de facto ruler of the country, and began his personal reign. After a successful campaign in Scotland he declared himself rightful heir to the French throne in 1337, starting what would become known as the Hundred Years' War.
He ordered his uncle to be beheaded; he usurped his father's throne; he started a war which lasted for more than a hundred years, and taxed his people more than any other previous king. Yet for centuries Edward III was celebrated as the most brilliant king England had ever had, and three hundred years after his death it was said that his kingship was perhaps the greatest that the world had ever known.
Marriage and Family
Edward III as he was depicted in the late 16th century
He seems to have been unusually devoted to his wife, Queen Philippa. Much has been made of Edward's sexual licentiousness, but there is no evidence of any infidelity on his part before Alice Perrers became his lover, and by that time the queen was already terminally ill.[1] This devotion extended to the rest of the family as well; in contrast to so many of his predecessors, Edward never experienced opposition from any of his five adult sons.[2]
Sons
His eldest son, Edward the Black Prince, died before him, and so the throne passed to his grandson, Richard II of England (1367-1400). Two other sons became patriarchs of the House of Lancaster and the House of York whose descendants would battle for control of the throne in the War of the Roses.
- Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales (1330-1376) AKA: Edward the Black Prince, eldest son and heir apparent, born at Woodstock Palace, Oxfordshire. He predeceased his father, having in 1361 married his cousin Joan, Countess of Kent, by whom he had issue: King [[King Richard II of England|RichardTemplate:NbsII]].
- William of Hatfield (1337-1337), second son, born at Hatfield, South Yorkshire, died shortly after birth and was buried in York Minster.
- Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence (1338-1368) third son (second surviving son), born at Antwerp in the Duchy of Brabant, where his father was based during his negotiations with Jacob van Artevelde.[3] In 1352 he married firstly Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster, without male issue, but his female issue was the senior royal ancestor of the Yorkist King EdwardTemplate:NbsIV: Philippa, 5th Countess of Ulster. Descent from Lionel was the basis of the Yorkist claim to the throne, not direct paternal descent from the 1st Duke of York, a more junior line. Secondly, in 1368, Lionel married Violante Visconti, without issue.
- John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (1340-1399), fourth son (third surviving son), born at "Gaunt" (Ghent) in the County of Flanders, which city was an important buyer of English wool, then the foundation of English prosperity. In 1359, he married firstly his distant cousin the great heiress Blanche of Lancaster, descended from the 1st Earl of Lancaster, a younger son of King HenryTemplate:NbsIII. By Blanche he had issue: Henry of Bolingbroke, who became King [[Henry IV of England|HenryTemplate:NbsIV]], having seized the throne from his first cousin King RichardTemplate:NbsII. In 1371, he married secondly the Infanta Constance of Castile, by whom he had issue. In 1396, he married thirdly his mistress Katherine Swynford, by whom he had illegitimate issue, later legitimised as the House of Beaufort. His great-granddaughter Margaret Beaufort was the mother of Henry VII, who claimed the throne as the representative of the Lancastrian line. See also House of Lancaster.
- Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York (1341-1402), fifth son (fourth surviving son), born at Kings Langley Palace, Hertfordshire. He married firstly the Infanta Isabella of Castile, by whom he had issue, sister of the Infanta Constance of Castile, second wife of his elder brother John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster. Secondly in 1392 he married his second cousin Joan Holland, without issue. His great-grandson (the 4th Duke of York) became King [[Edward IV of England|EdwardTemplate:NbsIV]] in 1461, having deposed his half-second cousin the Lancastrian King HenryTemplate:NbsVI. EdwardTemplate:NbsIV's daughter Elizabeth of York was mother of King HenryTemplate:NbsVIII. See also House of York
- Thomas of Windsor (1347-1348)[4] (1347–1348), sixth son, born at Windsor Castle, died in infancy of the plague and was buried at King's Langley Priory, Hertfordshire.
- William of Windsor (1348-1348) - died young.
- Thomas of Woodstock (1355-1397), eighth son (fifth surviving son), born at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire; in 1376 he married Eleanor de Bohun, by whom he had issue. His eventual heir was the Bourchier family, Earls of Bath, of Tawstock in Devon, today represented by the Wrey baronets, who quarter the arms of Thomas of Woodstock[lower-alpha 1] and continue as lords of the manor of Tawstock.
Daughters
- Isabella de Coucy (1332-1382), Countess of Bedford , born at Woodstock Palace, Oxfordshire, in 1365 married Enguerrand VII de Coucy, 1st Earl of Bedford, by whom she had issue.
- Joan of England (1335-1348), born in the Tower of London; she was betrothed to Peter of Castile but died of the black death en route to Castile before the marriage could take place. Peter's two daughters from his union with María de Padilla married Joan's younger brothers John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York.
- Blanche of England (1342-1342), born in the Tower of London, died shortly after birth and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
- Mary of England (1344-1362), born at Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire; in 1361 she married John IV, Duke of Brittany, without issue.
- Margaret of England (1346-1361), Countess of Pembroke, born at Windsor Castle; in 1359 she married John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, without issue.
Children
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Edward III of England (1312-1377) | 13 November 1312 Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom | 21 June 1377 Sheen Palace, Surrey, England, United Kingdom | Philippa of Hainaut (1311-1369) |
| John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall (1316-1336) | 15 August 1316 Eltham Palace, Kent, England, United Kingdom | 13 September 1336 Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom | |
| Eleanor of England (1318-1355) | 18 June 1318 | 22 April 1355 | Reinoud II van Gelre (c1295-1343) |
| Joan of England (1321-1362) | 5 July 1321 Tower of London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom | 7 September 1362 Hertford Castle, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom | David II of Scotland (1324-1371) |
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Adam FitzRoy (c1307-1322) | 1307 England, United Kingdom | 19 August 1322 England, United Kingdom | |
See Also
Bibliography
- The Plantagenet Ancestry - Being Tables of over 7000 ancestors of Princess Elizabeth by Lt Col Turton, - Google Books
- The Perfect King - The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation - by Ian Mortimer, Publ 2010 by Random House
External Links
- wikipedia:en:Edward III of England
- Edward III of England at thePeerage
- Edward III of England - Geni.com
- Edward III of England at Find A Grave
- English Kings 1066-1603 - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
- Edward III at the official website of the British Monarchy
- Edward III at BBC History
- The Medieval Sourcebook has some sources relating to the reign of EdwardTemplate:NbsIII:
Ancestry Trees
- Charlemagne Family Ancestry
- Rurik Family Ancestry
- Rollo Family Ancestry
- Alfred the Great Family Ancestry
- House of Normandy
- Plantagenet Family Line
- Capetian dynasty
Contemporary References
There are several excellent contemporary references on the life of King Edward III of England, including:
- "The Chronicles of Froissart" - This is a detailed account of the Hundred Years' War, including Edward III's campaigns in France, written by the French historian Jean Froissart. Froissart was a contemporary of Edward III and had access to many of the primary sources, including eyewitness accounts of the battles.
- "The Life and Times of Edward III" by Paul Johnson - This is a modern biography of Edward III, which provides an in-depth look at his life, reign, and legacy. Johnson is a respected historian who has written extensively on English history.
- "Edward III and the Triumph of England" by Richard Barber - This is another modern biography of Edward III, which focuses on his military campaigns and their impact on English history. Barber is a noted medieval historian and provides a fresh perspective on Edward III's reign.
- "The Wars of Edward III: Sources and Interpretations" edited by Clifford Rogers - This is a collection of primary sources on the Hundred Years' War, including letters, chronicles, and other documents related to Edward III's campaigns in France. Rogers is a respected military historian and provides valuable insights into the sources and interpretations of this period of English history.
Royal Succession Chart
Edward III of England (1312-1377) Born: 13 November 1312 Died: 21 June 1377
| ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward II |
Duke of Aquitaine 1325–1360 |
Treaty of Brétigny |
| Count of Ponthieu 1325–1369 |
Succeeded by James | |
| King of England Lord of Ireland 1327–1377 |
Succeeded by Richard II | |
| Preceded by Edward the Black Prince |
Duke of Aquitaine 1372–1377 | |
| Treaty of Brétigny | Lord of Aquitaine 1360–1362 |
Edward the Black Prince |
| Pretenders to the title | ||
| Preceded by Charles IV of France as undisputed king |
— TITULAR — King of France 1340–1360 1369–1377 * Reason for succession failure * Capetian dynastic turmoil |
Succeeded by Richard II of England |
References
- ^ Mortimer (2006), pp. 400–401; Prestwich (1980), p. 241.
- ^ Prestwich (2005), p. 290.
- ^
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. "Antwerp (city)". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2. Cambridge University Press. pp. 155–156.
- ^ Cawley, Charles. "Medieval Lands Project: Kings of England, 1066–1603". Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. http://www.fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLAND,%20Kings%201066-1603.htm#_Toc283485377.
Footnotes (including sources)
John Kenney, MainTour, Robin Patterson, AMK152, Phlox, Rtol, Thurstan, Afil, Pmalish
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