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  3. Edward III - The Hundred Years War
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Edward III - The Hundred Years War

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Edward III and his claim to the French throne

fter the three sons of King Philip IV of France died without producing an heir, King Edward III of England believed he had a claim to the French throne. This was because he was the son of Philip's daughter Isabella of France. But under French law (Salic Law) a female was not allowed to inherit the throne ruling out Edward's claim. Instead, the French chose Philip of Valois, a nephew of the King Philip. In 1328 Philip of Valois became King Philip VI of France. It would be nine years later, in 1337, when Edward renewed his claim to the French throne.

The term Hundred Years War is misleadnig as although the conflict covered the period from 1337 to 1453 the actual periods of fighting were short and spaced out. Armies were expensive to maintain.

This simplified family tree hopefully illustrates the line of succession.

                                                                    
 
 
 
 Philippe (III, King of France 1270-1285)
d.1285
   Isabella (of Aragon)
d.1271
 
   
   
 
                                      
 
 Philippe (IV, The Fair, King of France 1285-1314)
d.1314
   Joan (of Champagne) Charles (Count of Valois, Anjou and Maine)   Margaret (of Anjou, m. Charles Valois) 
     
     
 
                                             
 
Isabella (of France, Wife of Edward II)
d.1358
   Edward (II, King of England 1307-1327)
b.1284
d.1327
 Louis (X, The Headstrong, King of France 1314-1316)
d.1316
 Philippe (V, the Tall, King of France 1316-1322)
d.1322
 Charles (IV, the Fair, King of France 1322-1328)
d.1328
 Philippe (VI, King of France 1328-1350)
d.1350
 
      
      
 
   
 
Edward (III, King of England 1327-1377)
b.1312
d.1377
 
 
 
 

See the timeline below or this graphical version for more detailed information.

Episode Events
Episode Events

1337

Oct
Start of the Hundred Years' War
Relations between England and France were not good. Philippe VI the French King had sent ships to help the Scots who were attacking English merchant shipping and ports. There was the threat that the French would invade England. King Edward III then laid a claim to the French throne. The claim centred on the fact that Isabella, his mother, was the daughter of Philippe IV of France. All of Philippe's sons John I, Philippe V and Charles IV had died without passing the French throne onto a son. On his death-bed Charles IV designated Philippe of Valois, his first cousin, as regent. Charles' wife was expecting a child and it was hoped that the child would be a boy. The child was a girl and Philippe of Valois claimed the throne for himself. Edward's claim to the throne was disputed because in French law it was stated that the line of succession could not pass through the female line. Philippe VI then declared that all of the English held lands in France were forfeit. These events were the start of conflict between England and France that would last on and off for more than one hundred years. ¹
Nov
Battle of Cadsand
King Edward III sent an expedition to the island of Cadsand, a few miles up the coast from Calais, where ships belonging to Louis of Flanders were being used to attack English ships. The English, led by Sir Walter Manny, took the island.

1338

Qtr 1
French attack English ports
Philippe used Genoese troops to attack ports on the south coast of England including Southampton, Plymouth, Hastings and Rye. The attacks reached right around the coast as far as Bristol. ¹
Jul
Edward invades France
Edward crossed to Antwerp and attempted an invasion of France. ¹

1339

Mar 12
French attack Jersey
The French attacked Gorey Castle on the island of Jersey but the castle's garrison held out and fought off the invaders.
Mar 23
French plan invasion
Philippe VI of France and the Normandy elite planned an invasion of England. Their invasion force consisted of around 20,000 to 25,000 men.
Jul
French attack Dover
A French fleet attacked Dover, Folkestone and Sandwich but they were driven back to France. Boulogne was attacked in revenge. ¹
Sep
Edward in Northern France
With the promised help of the counts of Hainault and Namur Edward took his army into northern France. The Counts changed their minds as they had lands to lose if they fought against Philippe. Edward continued without their help and the English confronted the French at La Fremengerie. The French refused to fight and the English, short of supplies, turned back. ¹

1340

Jan 25
Edward declares himself King
In Ghent (Flanders) Edward declared himself as the true King of France. When he left Flanders for England Philippa remained as assurance that money Edward owed would be paid. ¹
Mar 29
Edward raises taxes
Parliament agreed to raise taxes so that Edward could fund an army to invade France. ¹
Jun 24
Battle of Sluys
A naval battle between the English and French. The French tried to prevent the English ships landing at Flanders. The French were defeated by Edward's forces. Edward did not follow up with the advantage.
Sep 25
Treaty of Esplechin
The Treaty of Esplechin was a peace treaty between King Edward III of England and Philippe VI of France. Edward had large debts and further campaigning was not possible so he accepted that the truce between the two kings was the best course of action. This treaty marked the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years War.

1341

Spring
Edward raises funds
To raise funds for further French expeditions Edward had to confront Parliament. Parliament insisted that Edward reconfirmed various ancient charters. ¹

1342

Oct
Edward and Brittany
Edward sailed to Brittany to assist English troops already there. They were supporting Jean de Montfort's claim to be the Duke of Brittany. Philippe, king of France, disputed this claim and supported his own contender to the title. Edward left his eldest son in charge of England while he was away. ¹
Dec
Siege of Vannes
Edward had to control Vannes if he was to hold Brittany and he laid siege to the city. The city did not fall to the English. ¹

1343

Jan
Treaty of Malstroit
After a hard winter without any new gains in France Edward signed a new peace treaty with the French and returned to England. ¹

1346

Jan 1
Edward III orders an invasion fleet
King Edward III gave the order that an invasion fleet should be assembled at Portsmouth harbour. ¹
Jul 5
Edward departs from Southampton
King Edward III's invasion fleet finally left Southampton harbour, delayed by bad weather earlier in the year. Estimates of the number of men Edward took with him vary but could have been around 20,000. This would have required hundreds of ships to transport them all. ¹
Jul 12
Edward III lands in Normandy
King Edward III's invasion fleet landed on the north west coast of Normandy at Saint-Vaast de la Hougue on the Cotentin Peninsula (also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula). Edward stayed there for several days while the large army came ashore. ¹
Jul 17
Devastation of Normandy
King Edward III's army began their march east across Normandy attacking and destroying French towns as they went. Those towns that did not surrender were shown no mercy and when they fell to the English many of the inhabitants were killed. Other towns surrendered to avoid bloodshed. Many hostages were taken and shipped back to England so that ransom money could be demanded. The English fleet sailed along the coast at the same time destroying French ships and attacking ports as they went.
Aug
Edward III crosses the Seine
King Philippe VI of France had ordered bridges across the Seine to be destroyed so that King Edward III could not cross the river. Edward marched south towards Paris but at Poissy his engineers managed to repair the bridge. His army crossed the river and turned north.
Aug 26
Battle of Crecy
Under King Edward III, the English forces defeated a superior French army at Crecy. Estimates give the English numbers at around 12,000 and a French contingent at 36,000. The English longbow made its mark in the battle against the armour of the French knights.
Sep 4
Siege of Calais
King Edward III began the siege of Calais that would last for almost a year. The governor of the town was man called Jean de Vienne. Edward demanded that the town should surrender but de Vienne refused, hoping that the town walls would hold the English out until King Philippe VI could come to their rescue. The English set up camp around the town and arranged for supplies to be brought from England. Wooden houses were also built to house the soldiers while they waited. Edward's wife Philippa even joined her husband at the camp.

1347

Aug
Calais captured by the English
Philippe VI finally arrived at Calais and challenged King Edward III to a fight. Edward agreed but instead Philippe withdrew abandoning the town to the English. The governor, Jean de Vienne, had no other option other than to surrender the town to Edward. The town's leaders should have been executed according to siege rules because they refused to surrender when first asked, but Edward spared their lives and they were taken as hostages. The town of Calais was emptied of all its citizens and all their property was confiscated. Edward then made Calais English territory and sent word to England that anyone who wanted to live in Calais was welcome as long as they could get there quickly.
Sep
Edward accepts truce
King Edward III accepted a truce with France as the efforts abroad had been exhausting and he returned to England. Edward's popularity was high as he had beaten the French at Crecy and in his absence the Scots had been defeated at Neville's Cross.

1350

...
John II becomes King of France
John became king of France after the death of his father Philippe. ¹

1356

Sep 19
Battle of Poitiers
On Monday the 19th of September the battle of Poitiers took place. Even though the English army was outnumbered the Black Prince used superior tactics in the battle and defeated the French without suffering many losses. John, the French King, was captured along with many other French nobles and taken to Bordeaux.
Oct
King John at St. Albans
King John of France was held prisoner at St. Alban's monastery after being captured at Poitiers. ¹

1358

May
The First Treaty of London
This treaty attempted to agree peace between England and France and the release of the French King, John, from captivity. The terms the King Edward III wanted, were a large ransom and the surrender of several French states. The French did not raise the money required so the treaty was not concluded.
May
A French uprising
Known as the Jacquerie, the French peasants revolt started in the area of Beauvais. It was led by Guillaume Calle.The cause is unknown but this was a terrible time for the poor of the country. With no King, demands for taxes to pay for ransoms and groups of outlaws pillaging the villages it is not surprising that a revolt started. Charles the Bad of Navarre, an enemy of the Dauphin, took it upon himself to deal with the uprising. At Mello, just to the north of Paris, Charles defeated the rebels and set about massacring hundreds of peasants in the area in revenge. An army of several hundred peasants from Paris, under the leadership of Etienne Marcel, advanced on Meaux. The gates of Meaux were opened for them but were attacked by knights from the local fort who killed many and set fire to the town. ¹

1359

Mar
The Second Treaty of London
This treaty signed by King Edward and King John of France who was still a captive was agreed but later rejected by those back in France. In the treaty Edward agreed to drop his claim to the French thone in return for large amounts of French land. The French rejected the treaty because of the amount of land that would have been lost. King Edward's anger led to his invasion of France later in the year.
Oct 28
Edward III lands in Calais
Edward and his eldest sons departed from England and arrived in Calais the same day. They met no resistance as they marched to Reims. But the town was too well fortified to be captured so the English troops spent their time attacking the local towns and villages and taking supplies.

1360

May
Treaty of Bretigny
The Treaty of Bretigny brought a period of peace for nine years during the Hundred Years War. The treaty was arranged between the Black Prince and the dauphin the future King Charles V of France before being approved by King Edward III of England and King John of France. As part of the treaty Edward was given control of the areas of Gascony, Calais and Ponthieu as long as he agreed to give up his claim for the French throne. King John of France, currently being held hostage in England, was to be released on condition of a payment of 3 million gold crowns to be paid in instalments.
Oct
Treaty agreed
At Calais King Edward III of England and King John of France, who had be released from captivity, signed the Treaty of Bretigny.

1362

Jul
The Black Prince is given Gascony
King King Edward III transferred control of Gascony to his eldest son, the Black Prince. Edward the Black Prince had just married Joan of Kent at Windsor and together they created a magnificent court in Bordeaux.

1364

Apr
Charles V becomes King of France
King John of France was still in captivity after his capture at the Battle of Poitiers and livng in a certain amount of luxury at the Savoy in London. But a mysterious illness became serious and his died. His body was transported to France for burial. His son Charles became king of France and was crowned at Reims Cathedral. ¹

1367

Apr 3
Battle of Nájera in Spain
Edward the Black Prince went to assist Peter the Cruel, King of Castile, who had been driven from his throne by Henry Trastamara. With a combined army of English, Gascons, Navarrese and Castilians the Black Prince won a battle to put Peter back on the thrown. The victory at Nájera also brought the Castilian fleet under control which had been fighting on the side of the French when Trastamara was in power. Peter was later overthrown and the fleet again started fighting on the French side.

1369

Jun 3
Edward III restates claim for French throne
The English Parliament freed King Edward III from the Treaty of Bretigny that was signed in 1360. When Edward signed the treaty he had agreed to give up the claim for the French throne. Now that Edward was free from the treaty he was able to restate and pursue his claim to be the French King. ¹

1372

Jun 22
Battle of La Rochelle
The Battle of La Rochelle was a Castilian-English naval battle fought at the entrance of the harbour of La Rochelle on the French coast in the Bay of Biscay. Commanded by John Hastings, the English fleet had been sent to rescue the town that was being besieged by the French. Both fleets sides were equally matched but after two days of fighting the English fleet was totally destroyed and many of the English sailors and knights had been killed or captured.

1377

Jun 21
Edward III Dies
King Edward III of England died in June 1377. One year earlier Edward's eldest son and heir to the throne, Edward the Black Prince died. Richard, the son of the Black Prince, was proclaimed heir to the throne. King Edward was ill for some time before his death, and John of Gaunt, another of Edward's sons, took the affairs of the nation under his control. Edward was buried in Westminster Abbey in a tomb designed by Henry Yevele. ¹

Event Participants and Locations

  • Edward (III, King of England 1327-1377)
  • Philippe (VI, King of France 1328-1350)
  • Philippa (of Hainault)
  • Edward (The Black Prince)
  • John (II, King of France 1350-1364)
  • Charles (V, King of France 1364 - 1380)
  • Joan (of Kent)
  • John (of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster)
  • Richard (II, King of England 1377-1399)
  • Yevele, Henry
  • Henry (IV, King of England 1399-1413)
  • Hastings Castle
  • Chateau de Caen
  • St. Albans Cathedral
  • Reims Cathedral
  • Windsor Castle
  • Westminster Abbey
  • Plymouth
  • Normandy
  • Dover
  • Boulogne
  • Parliament
  • Calais
  • London

Related Information

Edward III

Reign From
January 25, 1327

Reign To
June 23, 1377

Succeeded
Edward II

Preceded
Richard II

Royal House
Plantagenet

Kingdom Banner

Kingdom Banner

Edward changed the design of his shield to incorporate the lilies or fleur-de-lis of the French flag. Quarterly France and England

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Event Participants and Locations

  • Edward (III, King of England 1327-1377)
  • Philippe (VI, King of France 1328-1350)
  • Philippa (of Hainault)
  • Edward (The Black Prince)
  • John (II, King of France 1350-1364)
  • Charles (V, King of France 1364 - 1380)
  • Joan (of Kent)
  • John (of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster)
  • Richard (II, King of England 1377-1399)
  • Yevele, Henry
  • Henry (IV, King of England 1399-1413)
  • Hastings Castle
  • Chateau de Caen
  • St. Albans Cathedral
  • Reims Cathedral
  • Windsor Castle
  • Westminster Abbey
  • Plymouth
  • Normandy
  • Dover
  • Boulogne
  • Parliament
  • Calais
  • London

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