Kings and Queens 

Edward III 

Born in 1312 
Ascended in 1327 
Died in 1377, aged 65 
Reigned for 50 years
Married to Philippa of Hainault bearing 6 sons and 5 daughters.

Edward came to the throne in 1327 when he was fourteen. His mother, Isabella, ignored the Regency Council and acted as regent with her lover, Mortimer. It was not long before Edward proved what a strong king he was to be and he took control in 1330, forcing his mother into retirement and executing Mortimer for his crimes.

Edward married young, at the age of 16, and his wife, Philippa of Hainault, was only 14. It would have been a very prosperous time for England if Edward had not resumed hostilities with France: the start of the Hundred Years War. He had many great victories including Crecy and Poitiers, where the famous Black Prince, Edwards's son Edward, fought. 

The Black Prince was Edwards's heir to the throne. He fought in both France and Spain but was mortally wounded in battle while he was campaigning in France.

Edward III had an affair with Alice Perrers, Lady of the Sun. She was said to have robbed the corpse after his death and some claim she gained influence over the king by witchcraft. Edward III's reign was impressively long for the time and only ended when he died of senile dementia at Sheen Palace in 1377. The crown was left to Edward's grandson, Richard II.