After the death of Charles IV the next rightful claimant to the French throne was not clear-cut as there was no male heir. Isabella, the sister of Charles, had married Edward II and their son Edward III had just taken on the rule of England. Isabella put in a claim for her son although in French law it was not possible to inherit the throne through the female line. ¹

When Charles IV died he left a wife expecting a child. She gave birth to a daughter so the first cousin of Charles was chosen as the next King of France. He was Philippe of Valois the grandson of Philippe III of France.

King Philippe VI of France was crowned at Rheims Cathedral. In England, Isabella, the mother of King Edward III, declared that her son should be the French King as she, as the elder sister of the late King of France, Charles IV, had a better claim.

Philippe of Valois summoned Edward to travel to France and do him homage for lands that Edward held in south western and northern France. ¹

King Edward III agreed to do homage to Philippe of Valois for the lands he held in Aquitaine. Edward did not place his hands between Philippe's, a sign of total loyalty which would have been hard to reverse, as Edward was unhappy about Philippe's claim to the French throne. Edward was hoping diplomatic endeavours would help his position and wanted Philippe's daughter Joan to marry his first son Edward the Black Prince.  ¹

In disguise Edward travelled to France to meet Philippe VI. At the meeting it was agreed that Edward did not have to do homage for Aquitaine.

The young King of Scotland, David II, along with his young wife Joan of England, fled to France and the court of the French King Philippe VI. They landed at Boulogne.

King Edward III, assisted by Balliol, moved up through Scotland. There was a chance that the French would invade while the King was in the North as Philippe VI had sent ships to help the Scottish cause. ¹

Two cardinals, Peter Gomez and Bertrand of Montfavence, were sent by Pope Benedict XII to Europe to try and prevent King Edward III of England and Philipe VI of France going to war. ¹

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

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

Towns at Dover, Folkestone, Harwich, Hastings, Portsmouth, Rye, and the Isle of Wight were attacked and many merchant ships were destroyed. The attackers even sailed into Portsmouth harbour pretending to be English by raising English flags and sacked the town.

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.

A French fleet attacked Dover, Folkestone and Sandwich but they were driven back to France. Boulogne was attacked in revenge. ¹

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

King Edward III besieged the important French town of Tournai. The town proved impossible to break and when King Philippe VI arrived nearby with an army a truce was agreed. The truce with mediated by Philippe's sister who was also Edward's mother-in-law. The truce lasted until June of 1341. ¹

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.

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

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.

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.

During the absence of King Edward III while he was on campaign in France the Scottish king David II was approached by the French King Philippe VI to invade England. David II did so and advanced south. On the way to Corbridge the army captured Aydon Castle, allowing the inhabitants to leave safely if they handed the castle over. At Neville's Cross the Scottish were defeated by a band of monks, priests and land workers led by the archbishop of York, William Zouche. David II was captured and sent to London to be held at the Tower. ¹

The steady progress of the Plague westwards could not be stopped. The French king left the city for the relative safety of the countryside.But several of the royal family died including the King's niece Queen Jeanne of Navarre who had tended to the sick and had caught the illness herself.

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