Our common ancestors - English Royal family - Contents

Edward III

Edward III, effigy in Westminster Abbey.
Public domain image from here.

Edward III,
born 13 Nov 1312.
See wikipedia and genealogics.
He reigned 1327 to 1377.
He mar 1328 to Philippa of Hainault.
He re-founded King's Hall, Cambridge, in 1337 (originally founded by his father Edward II in 1317).
King's Hall later became part of Trinity College, which is why the arms of Edward III are on The Great Gate.
Philippa's chaplain founded Queen's College, Oxford, in 1341.
Edward III founded the Order of the Garter 1348 (the senior order of chivalry).
See the play Edward III by anonymous (generally considered to be co-authored by Shakespeare).
Philippa died 1369.
She was bur Westminster Abbey.
Edward III died 21 June 1377, age 64 yrs.
He was bur Westminster Abbey.
Edward III and Philippa had issue:

1. Edward, The Black Prince, born 1330.
   He mar Joan Plantagenet, "The Fair Maid of Kent".
   He died 1376.
   He was bur Canterbury cathedral. Effigy in gold armour.
   They had issue:

   
   

   1. Richard II.
      Reigned 1377-1399.
      Alleged to have been the gay lover of Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland (9th Earl of Oxford, see here).
      The play Richard II by Shakespeare, spans 1398-1400.

   
   

2. Lionel Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, born 1338.
   He mar Elizabeth (Isabella) de Burgh, Countess of Ulster [descendant of Edward I and of Aoife Mac Murrough].
   Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland 1361-1367.
   The Statutes of Kilkenny 1366 forbade English settlers to adopt Irish culture.
   They had issue:

   
   

   1. Philippa Plantagenet, born 1355,
      mar Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March and had issue.

   
   

3. John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.
   Ancestor of Houses of Lancaster and Tudor.
   He was born Mar 1340, Saint Bavo's Abbey, Ghent, in what is now Belgium (hence his name, of "Gaunt").

   
   

4. Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York,
   born 5 June 1341, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire.
   Ancestor of House of York.

   
   

5. Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester,
   born 7 January 1355.
   He mar Eleanor de Bohun [descendant of Edward I].
   They had issue:

   
   

   1. Anne of Gloucester,
      mar Edmund de Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford and had issue.

   
   

14th century manuscript depicting Edward III (seated) and his son the Black Prince (kneeling).
From here and here.

Edward III.
Painting made in late 1500s. Based on the effigy on his tomb at Westminster Abbey.
See full size. From Royal Collection.

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Edward III's sons

Ones we have descents from are highlighted in bold.

On Edward III's tomb, Westminster Abbey, are these figures of his children.
Photo 2013. See full size.

• Page 101 of [Brayley, vol.2, 1823] gives these as, left to right: Edward, Joan, Lionel, Edmund, Mary, William.
• Photos in 1924 survey, however, are labelled, left to right: Lionel, Joan, Edward, Edmund (?), Mary, William (?).
• Figures of Edward III's other children were on the other (inner) side of the tomb, but vanished even before the time of [Brayley, 1823].

The LHS three. From Part 2 of The monumental effigies of Great Britain, Thomas Hollis and George Hollis, 1840-41.

The RHS three. From above.

Two of the figures.
From A Student's History of England by Samuel Rawson Gardiner (1916). See here.
Based on Hollis's Monumental Effigies.

The centre two.
Photo 2013. See full size.
From Phoebe Seward. Used with permission.
See also here.

The Great Gate, at Trinity College, Cambridge.
Showing the arms of Edward III and his sons.
See full size. From here.
Left to Right: Edmund, Lionel, Edward, William, John, Thomas.

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Tombs of Edward III and Philippa of Hainault

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• Summary chart of ancestors of Edward III and Philippa of Hainault