Famous lefthander birthday, Nov. 13

King Edward III.  Image Credit: Wikipedia

King of England Edward III

Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), was King of England from 1327 until his death. He is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe.

King Edward’s reign 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 the age of fourteen, following the deposition of his father. When he was only seventeen years old, he led a coup against the de facto ruler of the country, his mother’s consort Roger Mortimer, and began his personal reign. After a successful campaign in Scotland in 1333, he declared himself rightful heir to the French throne in 1337, starting what would become known as the Hundred Years’ War. Following some initial setbacks, the war went exceptionally well for England. His later years, however, were marked by international failure and domestic strife, largely from is poor health.

Edward III was  in many ways a conventional king, whose main interest was warfare. Admired in his own time and for centuries after, he was denounced as an irresponsible adventurer by later Whig historians. However, modern historiography credits him with some significant achievements.

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