EDWARD III. (1312-77). King of England from 1327 to 1377. He was the son of Edward II., and was born at Windsor. November 13. 1312. He was chosen King by Parliament on January 14, 1327, six days before a formal resignation was extorted from the unhappy Edward 11. (q.v.). During his minority the country was governed nominally by a council, but in reality by the Queen-mother. Isabella. and her lover, Mortimer. On January 26, 1328, Edward mar ried Philippa, daughter of the Earl of Hainault. Two years later. resolving to take the power in his own bands, he seized Mortimer. put hill] to death, November 29, 1330, and banished his mother to her house at Rising, where she was kept until her death. In 1333 Edward. claiming that the Scots had violated the truce between the two countries, invaded Scotland. A bloody battle was fought at Halidon Hill, near Berwick. July 19, 1333, in which the Scots were completely de feated. Edward Baliol was restored to the throne, and surrendered part of his kingdom to Edward. In the course of three year, Edward thrice invaded Scotland; but though he laid the country waste and brought armies with him that effectually crushed all opposition, he could not break the spirit of the people. The scene of Edward's great exploits, however, was France.
all the sons of Philip the Fair had died with out male heirs, Isabella, his daughter, claimed the of Fralle• for her son Edward. Most French authorities, however, held that the crown could descend only in the male line, and ac co•dingly Philip VI. (q.v.). the nephew of Philip the Fair, was recognized as King. For several years hostilities were averted; but when France. in 13:37, interfered to aid Scotland, Edward declared war against France. This AV:Is the be glinting of the Hundred Years' War. The early conflicts were of little importance; but in 13-16 Edward, accompanied by his eldest son. the flack Prince, made a now invasion of France, con quered a great part of Normandy, marched to within a few miles of Paris, arid on August 26 of that veal' inflicted a tremendous defeat on the French at Cri.ey (q.v.). Here Edward, the Black Prince, though only sixteen, exhibited the courage and prowess of a veteran. After some further suc cesses, such as the reduction of Calais, a truce was concluded between the two nations for nine months. Meanwhile the Scots had sustained a
severe defeat at Neville's Cross, near Durham October 17. 1346. their King, David II., being taken prisoner. On September 19, 18313, the Black Prince obtained a brilliant victory at Poitiers, King John of France falling into his hands. The Scotch monarch was released for a ransom of 100,000 in 1357, and King John for a ransom of 3.000.000 crowns in 1360. On November 27, 1363, David, King of Scotland, entered into a secret agreement with Edward. in virtue of which his kingdom, if lie died without male issue, was to pass to the English sovereign. Meanwhile the Black Prince. who had married Joan, daugh ter of the Earl of Kent, had received from his father Aquitaine and Gascony. and ruled there for some time prosperously. War with France broke out ag,ain in 1369; the English were un successful, and in 1375 a truce was concluded on account of the exhaustion of both parties. Edward waged war no more. In spite of his brilliant victories, and in spite of the dazzling valor of his sou, he failed to achieve lasting suc cess. Neither in Scotland nor in France did he realize his ambitions. Affairs at home were no less unsatisfactory during the last years of his life. He quarreled with his Parliaments, and the Black Prince sided with the opposition. The aged King fell completely under the control of his mistress, Alice Per•ers, and of a small coterie of unscrupulous courtiers, headed by the King's son, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Edward died on June 21, 1377. By his wife, Philippa, he had seven sons and five daughters. seven of whom died young. Edward was fond of all knightly amusements. and throughout his reign acted the part of a knight rather than that of a king. lie was hard-hearted and and never won the love of his people. 11e died deserted by all. Ilis private life was immoral, and his publie actions al I \wiled only by his own illt crests. Among the laws of Edward's reign were several which at tacked Papal claims to religious taxes. Con sult : Longman, Life and Times of Edward III.
London, 1q69 ; Stubbs. Constitutional History of England, vol. ii. (Oxford, 1874) ; green, His to•y of the English People, vol. i. (London, and New York. I87S) : Mackinnon, History of Edward Ills (London, 1900). See II t•N YEA Its' WA R ":c0TLAND.