When most people think of medieval kings, they picture someone like Arthur or a generic guy in a crown. Edward III King of England wasn't that. He was something much louder. He was the teenager who staged a literal coup against his own mother to take back his throne. He was the strategist who decided that being King of England just wasn't enough and claimed the French crown too. Basically, he’s the reason the Hundred Years' War exists. If you've ever felt like your family drama was a bit much, Edward’s life makes yours look like a quiet Sunday afternoon.
He ruled for fifty years. Fifty! That’s almost unheard of for the 1300s. Think about the physical toll of that. He lived through the Black Death, which wiped out a third of his subjects. He won battles that everyone said he’d lose. He turned England from a backwater island into a European superpower. But honestly, the most interesting part isn't just the war; it's how he changed what it meant to be English. Before him, the nobles all spoke French. By the time he was done, they were starting to realize they were something different entirely.
Taking the Reins (and Arresting His Mom)
Edward III King of England didn't start with a silver spoon. Well, he did, but the spoon was being held by his mother, Queen Isabella, and her lover, Roger Mortimer. They had deposed Edward’s father, Edward II, who likely met a pretty gruesome end in Berkeley Castle. For three years, young Edward was a puppet. He was the face on the coin, but Mortimer was the guy making the calls.
Mortimer was arrogant. He acted like a king, and that was a mistake. In October 1330, a group of Edward’s buddies snuck through a secret underground passage into Nottingham Castle. They burst into the Queen’s chamber. Imagine the chaos. Isabella supposedly screamed, "Fair son, have pity on the gentle Mortimer!" It didn't work. Edward had Mortimer hanged at Tyburn like a common criminal. At eighteen, Edward was finally in charge.
He didn't execute his mom, though. He just sent her to a nice house in the country with a massive allowance. Kind of a "thanks for the life, but stay out of my business" move. This wasn't just a personal spat; it was a total reset of the English monarchy. He needed to prove he wasn't weak like his father. He needed a brand.
The Hundred Years' War: Why Edward III King of England Couldn't Let Go of France
You can't talk about this guy without talking about the war. It’s the big one. Why did it start? Well, Edward’s mother was a French princess. When the French king died without a direct male heir, Edward basically said, "Hey, that’s my throne." The French, understandably, were not thrilled about an English kid running their country. They pulled out some old law called the Salic Law to say women couldn't pass on the right to rule. Edward’s response was essentially a shrug and a declaration of war.
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He wasn't just being a jerk. There were massive economic reasons. England produced the best wool in Europe. Flanders (modern-day Belgium) processed that wool. France was trying to mess with that trade. If Edward lost control of the wool trade, England would go broke.
- Battle of Crécy (1346): This is where everything changed. Edward was outnumbered. The French had the famous Genoese crossbowmen. Edward had farmers with longbows. The longbow could fire faster and further. It was like bringing a machine gun to a knife fight.
- The Black Prince: Edward’s son, also named Edward, became a legend here. He wore black armor and was a absolute terror on the battlefield.
- The Order of the Garter: Edward created this elite club for his best knights. It was based on the Round Table. He wanted his nobles to feel like they were part of a brotherhood, not just employees.
The war lasted 116 years in total, though obviously Edward didn't see the end of it. He won huge swaths of France. He captured the French King John II at the Battle of Poitiers and held him for a massive ransom. It was the peak of his power.
The Black Death: The Plague That Changed Everything
In 1348, something happened that no amount of longbows could fix. The plague arrived. It wasn't a gradual thing. It was a sledgehammer. People would be fine at breakfast and dead by dinner. Edward III King of England lost his own daughter, Joan, to the plague while she was on her way to get married.
The social impact was wild. So many peasants died that the ones who were left realized they were suddenly very valuable. They started demanding higher wages. The government tried to pass laws to keep wages low—the Statute of Labourers—but you can't really fight supply and demand with a piece of parchment. This was the beginning of the end for the old feudal system. Edward had to navigate a country that was literally dying around him. He stayed in England, moved his court around to avoid the "miasma," and somehow kept the wheels of government turning.
Chivalry, Courtly Love, and the "English" Shift
If you look at the architecture from this period, it’s all "Perpendicular Gothic." It’s grand, it’s vertical, and it’s very English. Edward rebuilt Windsor Castle into a palace that was meant to rival anything in Europe. He spent money like it was going out of style, mostly because he believed that a King had to look like a King.
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He was also a bit of a romantic. The story goes that he was dancing with the Countess of Salisbury when her garter fell off. To save her from embarrassment, he picked it up, tied it to his own leg, and said, "Honi soit qui mal y pense" (Shame be to him who thinks evil of it). This became the motto of the Order of the Garter. Is it true? Who knows. But it fits the image he wanted to project: the chivalrous protector.
Crucially, English started to replace French in the law courts and in Parliament during his reign. In 1362, the Pleading in English Act was passed. It’s hard to overstate how big this was. It meant that the average person could finally understand what was happening in a courtroom. Edward realized that to rule England effectively, the government had to speak the language of the people.
The Sad End of a Golden Age
History is rarely kind to aging rulers. The last decade of Edward’s life was... messy. His wife, Philippa of Hainault, died. She had been his rock and his political advisor. After she passed, Edward fell under the influence of a woman named Alice Perrers. She was widely hated. People thought she was stealing the crown jewels and manipulating an old man who was losing his grip.
His eldest son, the Black Prince, died of dysentery before he could take the throne. This was a disaster. It meant the crown would go to a ten-year-old boy (Richard II) instead of a seasoned warrior. Edward himself suffered a series of strokes. The man who had once charged across the fields of France was now confined to a bed, while his courtiers reportedly stripped the rings off his fingers before he was even dead.
Why We Still Talk About Him
Edward III King of England wasn't perfect. He was a warmonger. He bankrupted the country more than once. He was stubborn. But he defined the "middle" of the Middle Ages. He took a fractured, humiliated country and gave it a sense of pride and a distinct language.
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When you look at the House of Commons today, you're looking at a system that Edward helped formalize. He needed money for his wars, so he had to negotiate with the "Commons." They gave him taxes; he gave them a voice in how the country was run. It wasn't democracy—not even close—but it was the seed.
Actionable Insights for History Buffs and Travelers
If you want to actually "see" Edward’s reign today, you shouldn't just read a book. You should look at the physical footprints he left behind.
- Visit Windsor Castle: Much of the core "royal" feel of the place stems from Edward’s massive renovations. Look for the Garter symbols; they are everywhere.
- Read Froissart’s Chronicles: If you want the "tabloid" version of the 14th century, Jean Froissart is your guy. He wrote about Edward’s court with the kind of detail you usually only get from modern celebrity journalists. He’s biased, he’s dramatic, and he’s incredibly fun to read.
- Check out Westminster Abbey: Edward’s tomb is there. It features a bronze effigy that is actually quite realistic. You can see the face of the man who started the longest war in European history.
- Understand the Longbow: If you’re ever at a museum with medieval weaponry, look at the size of a genuine English longbow. It requires roughly 100-150 pounds of "draw weight." It takes years of training to use. Edward’s success wasn't just luck; it was a result of a society that practiced archery every Sunday by law.
The reign of Edward III shows that leadership isn't just about winning battles. It's about branding, economic management (even if you mess it up), and understanding the cultural tide of your people. He stopped being a French-speaking duke living in England and became an English King. That distinction changed the course of the world.
The transition from the medieval to the modern started with the crises of the 14th century. Edward didn't just survive those crises; he used them to forge a national identity that still exists 700 years later. Whether you see him as a hero or a tyrant, you can't deny that he was one of the most effective "CEOs" the English monarchy ever had.