Edward III Coins

King Edward III History

Edward III was born in 1312 and became King at the age of 14 when his father, Edward II, was deposed by his mother and her lover, who went on to be the de facto ruler of the country. Three years later he led a successful coup d'état and began his personal reign.

The grandson of King Edward I - Longshanks, Edward III also had a keen mind for military matters. Following successful military campaigns in Scotland, Edward went on to lay claim to the French throne, beginning what would come to be known as the Hundred Years' War. By 1360 Edward controlled over a quarter of France, but in his later years he failed to maintain the successes he had enjoyed and the support of his nobles.

During King Edward's reign the English Parliament split into two distinct chambers; the House of Commons and House of Lords, as is still seen today.

Edward relied heavily on subordinates and by 1376 his health had deteriorated significantly, before dying of a stroke in 1377. Edward's son, the ‘Black Prince' Edward of Woodstock, died the year previous and as such the crown passed on to his ten-year-old grandson, Richard II.