Edward III of England

Edward III was one of the greatest English medieval kings. Born in 1312 at Windsor, he was the son of King Edward II of England and Isabella of France. Unfortunately, Edward II was a weak king, and aroused ill-feeling by his dependence on favourites. The neglected queen, Isabella, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, imprisoned and murdered Edward II, taking on the reins of government themselves in the minority of the heir.

As soon as Edward III reached the age of eighteen, he overthrew Mortimer and removed Isabella. He married Philippa of Hainault, and their eldest son, Edward, known as the "Black Prince", was an outstanding military leader. The reign of Edward III was marked by several important victories over France, including the battles of Crecy and Poitiers.

Despite having an unusually happy marriage, Edward was a notorious womaniser. He founded an order of knighthood, the Order of the Garter, allegedly as a result of an incident when a lady, with whom he was dancing at a court ball, lost her garter. Edward picked it up, put it on his own leg, and remarked "Honi soit qui mal y pense" (Evil be to him who thinks evil of it), which became the motto of the Order of the Garter.

Edward died in 1377 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. His son, the Black Prince, had pre-deceased him, and he was succeeded by his young grandson, King Richard II of England.