Edward of Woodstock | |
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Prince of Wales; Prince of Aquitaine | |
Edward, Prince of Wales as Knight of the order of the Garter, 1453, illustration from the Bruges Garter Book
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Born |
, Oxfordshire |
15 June 1330
Died | 8 June 1376 Palace of Westminster |
(aged 45)
Burial | Canterbury Cathedral, Kent |
Spouse | Joan, 4th Countess of Kent |
Issue more... |
Edward of Angoulême Richard II of England |
House | House of Plantagenet |
Father | Edward III of England |
Mother | Philippa of Hainault |
Edward of Woodstock KG (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), called the Black Prince, was the eldest son of King Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, and the father of King Richard II of England. He was the first Duke of Cornwall (from 1337), the Prince of Wales (from 1343) and the Prince of Aquitaine (1362–72).
He was called "Edward of Woodstock" in his early life, after his birthplace, and since the 16th century has been popularly known as the Black Prince. He was an exceptional military leader, and his victories over the French at the Battles of Crécy and Poitiers made him very popular during his lifetime. In 1348 he was made a Founding Knight of the Garter.
Edward died one year before his father, becoming the first English Prince of Wales not to become King of England. The throne passed instead to his son Richard II, a minor, upon the death of Edward III.
Richard Barber comments that Edward "has attracted relatively little attention from serious historians, but figures largely in popular history."
Edward was born on 15 June 1330 at in Oxfordshire. He was created Earl of Chester on 18 May 1333, Duke of Cornwall on 17 March 1337 (the first creation of an English duke) and finally invested as Prince of Wales on 12 May 1343 when he was almost thirteen years old. In England, Edward served as a symbolic regent for periods in 1339, 1340, and 1342 while Edward III was on campaign. He was expected to attend all council meetings, and he performed the negotiations with the papacy about the war in 1337. He also served as High Sheriff of Cornwall from 1340–1341, 1343, 1358 and 1360–1374.