EDWARD, Prince of Wales, surnamed the Black Prince, English prince: b. Woodstock, 15 June 1330; d. Westminster, 8June 1376. He was the eldest son of Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, and at the age of 15 accompanied his father in his invasion of France, and received from him the honor of knighthood. The victory of Crecy, 26 Aug. 1346, which King Edward left principally to the exertions of the force under his son's command, to use that warlike king's language, "showed that he merited his spurs?' It was on this occasion that he assumed the motto of Ich dien (I serve), used by all succeed ing princes of Wales, and derived, it is said, from the crest of the King of Bohemia, slain in that battle, which tradition, however, later anti quaries seem disposed to discredit. In 1335 he commanded the army which invaded France from Gascony, and the next year fought the great battle of Poitiers, and distinguished him self by the courtesy with which he treated his prisoner, King John. By the Peace of Bretigny his father had obtained the provinces of Poitou, Saintonge, Perigord, Limousin, etc., which he annexed to Guienne and formed into a sover eignty for his son, under the title of the Princi pality of Aquitaine. There the prince took up his residence; and at his court Pedro the Cruel, the deposed king of Castile, sought refuge, when driven from his throne by his natural brother, Henry of Trastamare. Edward un
dertook the re-establishment of this tyrant, which he accomplished. Disappointed by the perfidy of Pedro, of the stipulated reimburse ments, the taxes he was obliged to levy on his new subjects rendered his government unpopu lar; and an appeal was made to the king of France, as his liege lord, who summoned him as his vassal to appear at Paris.
will come," replied the angry prince. "but it shall be at the head of 60,000 men?' His health, however, was too far declined to enable him to take the field, when the king of France invaded his dominions; and having suffered the mortification of seeing his generals defeated, he withdrew into Eng land, and after lingering some time died in his 46th year, leaving an only son, afterward
ard II. He was buried in Cantbithiri Cathe dral, where portions of his armor are still sus pended above his tomb. Consult Dunit-Patti son, 'The Black Prince' (London 1910)4; Vick ers,