Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377) was King of England from 25
January 1327 until his death; he is noted for his military success and for
restoring royal authority after the disastrous and unorthodox reign of his
father, Edward II. Edward III transformed the Kingdom of England into one of
the most formidable military powers in Europe. His long reign of fifty years
was the second longest in medieval England and saw vital developments in
legislation and government—in particular the evolution of the English
parliament—as well as the ravages of the Black Death.
Edward was crowned at age fourteen after his father was deposed by his
mother, Isabella of France, and her lover Roger Mortimer. At age seventeen he
led a successful coup against Mortimer, the de facto ruler of the country, and
began his personal reign. After a successful campaign in Scotland he declared
himself rightful heir to the French throne in 1337 but his claim was denied.
This started what would become known as the Hundred Years' War.Following some
initial setbacks the war went exceptionally well for England; victories at
Crécy and Poitiers led to the highly favourable Treaty of Brétigny. Edward's
later years, however, were marked by international failure and domestic strife,
largely as a result of his inactivity and poor health.
Edward III was a temperamental man but capable of unusual clemency. He was
in many ways a conventional king whose main interest was warfare. Admired in
his own time and for centuries after, Edward was denounced as an irresponsible
adventurer by later Whig historians such as William Stubbs. This view has been
challenged recently and modern historians credit him with some significant
achievements.
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