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Edward III, King of England
1327-1377, (1312-1377),
son of Edward II, King of England 1307-1327 and Isabelle de France
Born 13 November 1312 Windsor Castle, Berkshire
Died 21 June 1377 Sheen Palace, Surrey
Married 24 January 1328 York Minster
Philippa of Holland & Hainault
Born circa 1314
Died 15 August 1369 Windsor
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Aged only fourteen he was used by his mother to displace his father,
the unfortunate King Edward II. Having been declared King and crowned in
his father's lifetime, he did not dare challenge his mother and her lover
when his father was murdered until a few years later.
On 24 January 1328 he married Philippa of Hainault, a very happy union
from which twelve children were born. Also in 1328, his uncle King Charles
IV of France died. Leaving no immediate male heir, the French crown went
to a cousin, Philippe, from the junior Valois line, who became King Philippe
VI. Edward III was to dispute Philippe VI's right and to claim the throne
for himself, thus starting the hundred years' war with France.
At first Edward III paid homage to Philippe VI for his French fiefs
in 1329 and 1331; but in 1338 Flemish weavers persuaded him to claim the
French throne. Philippe VI forfeited Edward III's French territories and
invaded Guienne. The naval battle of Sluys in 1340
allowed England to control the Channel; and the battle of Crecy in
1346 also gave England the advantage on land. In 1347 Calais was taken
and soon his eldest son, Edward, Prince of Wales, was regarded the hero
of these wars. In 1348 Edward III created the Order of the
Garter.
However, from 1348 until 1350 Europe was ravaged by the Black Death
(Bubonic plague) and this apparently not only halved England's population
but also reduced its army. At the treaty of Br‚tigny in 1360, Edward III
renounced his claim and for a while peace was
restored. The imprisoned French King Jean II, son and heir of Philippe
VI, was released and returned to France.
Nevertheless, in 1369 Edward III renewed his claims and returned to
France to take Poitou by force, but England lost its control over the Channel
as the French were supported by Castile. In 1376 his son, "The Black Prince",
died of dysentery and at this time England had
control over only a very small portion of France.
During his many years as King of England, many changes had taken place.
French was no longer the official language, having been replaced by English.
Parliament was divided into two houses and the office of Justice of the
Peace created.
He had been married happily for over forty years to Philippa of Hainault
and only after her death did he have a mistress, Alice Perrers. Edward
III slept together with Alice and her daughter Isabella and it seems that
either one could have infected him with gonorrhoea. He became seriously
ill in September 1376, recovered slightly in the spring of 1377, but died
21 June 1377 at Sheen Palace. The voracious Alice Perrers survived with
her ill-gotten gains until she too died in 1400.
Source: Leo van de Pas
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