King Edward III Family Tree: Edward III was the son of Edward II and his wife, Isabella of France. His birth took place within Windsor Castle on November 13th, 1312. At only four days old he became the Earl of Chester.
He was fourteen years old when his father abdicated and was later murdered at Berkeley Castle. While technically this made the young Edward King, it was his mother and her lover, Roger Mortimer that ruled the country through him as regent.
King Edward III Family Tree: Wife and Children
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Who was Edward III’s wife?
Edward was married to Phillipa of Hainault, his cousin. She was the granddaughter of King Philip III of France. His mother had begun the negotiations for the marriage in 1326. In the summer of 1327, Phillipa arrived in England. Their marriage took place at York Minster in January 1328. They were a good match and were looked upon as being happy.
Together they had fourteen children. Edward the ‘Black Prince’ was their eldest son, born in June 1330 when Edward III was just eighteen. He was followed by a daughter in 1332 named Isabella after Edward’s mother. Another daughter Joan, named for her other grandmother was born in 1333.
Edward III is reportedly the 17th great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth. Edward III had very strong genes since he presumably had around twenty-thousand descendants.
John of Gaunt
Another son, William arrived in 1337 but lived for only a few months. Their son Lionel, later to become the Duke of Clarence was born in November 1338. He was followed by another son John of Gaunt in 1340, he would later become the Duke of Lancaster.
This was soon followed by another son, Edmund in 1341 who would become the Duke of York. In 1343 Phillipa gave birth to a daughter named Blanche who died shortly after. Another daughter Mary arrived in 1346. their last child Thomas was born in 1355.
The Black Death during King Edward III’s Rule
It was during the reign of Edward III that the Black Death, otherwise known as the bubonic plague swept through the country as well as through Europe. Around one-third of the population of England are thought to have died as a result of the disease.
The royal King Edward III Family was not immune to the ravages of the disease either as Edward and Phillipa lost three children to the effects of the plague, Joan, William, and Thomas.
Queen Phillipa died in 1369, and Edward who had long been regarded as charismatic and debonair was now a shadow of his former self. He showered his mistress, Alice Perrers with expensive gifts, including some of his late wife’s jewels.
Edward and Alice, who had been the lady in waiting to Queen Phillipa had three children together. All three were declared illegitimate and would have no claim to the throne. These children were Sir John de Southeray and daughters Jane and Joan.
The Black Prince, Edward III’s heir
Edward’s heir the ‘Black Prince’, so-called for the colour of his armour died before his father in 1376. Edward himself died in June 1377 and it is recorded that his mistress Alice Perrers stripped all the jewels from his body before it was even cold.
The throne was then Taken by Edwards grandson, the eldest son of the ‘Black Prince’ who was crowned Richard II.
Edward III Daughter
Edward III’s daughter Joan of England died at the tender age of fourteen of plague. She is considered to be one of the first English victims of the black death, who faded into oblivion because of the early death. She was engaged to the son of Roman Emperor Louise IV.
Despite being the daughter of one of the most powerful men in history, Joan was unfortunate to be one of the first victims of the plague that was sweeping across Europe at that time.
Famous Descendants of Edward III
Some of the most famous descendants of Edward III were:
- Henry the navigator who was the descendant of Edward III through his mother.
- Catherine Parr, Queen of England by Ed Mann.
- Walter Devereux who was the First Earl of Sussex. He was also related to Edward III through Ed Mann.
- Robert Devereux, the 2nd Earl of Sussex who was also a close courtier of Queen Elizabeth I.
- Sir John Hotham, a famous Parliamentarian.
- Robert Boyle, the famous scientist.
- Horace Walpole, famous English writer and politician.
How did Edward III die?
King Edward III died of a stroke at the age of 64 in 1377. Although, it was a time when determining the cause of one’s death was extremely difficult, physicians later concluded it from various pieces of evidence.
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