Events from the Reign of King Edward III
- 1327-1377
 Mortimer seized by the King's Men |
 Battle off Sluys |
 The English wait for the French at Crécy |
 King Edward refuses succour to his son at Crécy |
 The Relief of Calais |
 The Black prince serves King John of France at table |
 King Edward vows that he will make peace |
 The Black Prince extorts an amnesty from King Pedro the Cruel of Castile |
King Edward III, the son of King Edward II, was crowned soon after his unpopular father was deposed. Government was dominated by his mother and her lover, Mortimer, until the King was able to expel them at the age of seventeen. Like his predecessors, Edward continued to militarily interfere in Scottish politics; but he was really more interested in the Continent. Through his mother, he claimed to be heir to the French throne and so began the ‘Hundred Years War’. Chivalry reached the height of its popularity at this time, with the founding of the Order of the Garter. With the help of his son, the Black Prince, Edward won many victorious battles, such as Crécy and Poitiers. These led to King John of France joining the King of Scots as Edward’s prisoner, but were, ultimately, unsuccessful in their aims. Trade prospered during Edward’s reign but life throughout the country was devastated by the Black Death.
The pictures on this page are examples of images in our high resolution photo library. Please e-mail us for details of these or similar image availability at our very reasonable reproduction rates.