Edward the Black Prince - illustration from Cassell's History of England circa 1902

Effigy on the Black Prince's tomb in Canterbury Cathedral

Edward, Prince of Wales, known as the Black Prince (June 15, 1330 - June 8, 1376) was the eldest son of King Edward III of England. Born at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, he was crowned Duke of Cornwall in 1337 and Prince of Wales in 1343, and proved to have a prodigious military talent, as shown by his bravery at the Battle of Crecy when he was only sixteen. He followed this up ten years later with victory at the Battle of Poitiers.

It was largely thanks to him that Welsh archers were imported into the English army, and the English owed much of their subsequent military success to the supremacy of the longbow over the continental crossbow. He was also one of the first military leaders to introduce a uniform; he did so for his Welsh contingent, because, speaking a different language, they might have been mistaken for the enemy by the English forces.

The emblem of the Prince of Wales's feathers and its accompanying motto, "Ich dien" (German for: I serve), are said to have been inherited by the prince from King John of Bohemia, against he fought in the Battle of Crécy. However, this emblem and motto were not exclusively used by the Black Prince, but also by his brothers.

After the battle of Crecy, the prince walked over to the king of Bohemia's dead body. The King was blind, and Edward admired his bravery. He picked up the King's helmet, lined with ostrich feathers, and took the King's motto, 'Ich dien', which means, I Serve.

Iconic image of the Black Prince

Edward had been brought up with his cousin, Joan "The Fair Maid of Kent". After marrying her in October, 1361 (a controversial match), Edward was sent to rule the province of Aquitaine on behalf of his father. In this period, he had two sons, Edward (who died in infancy) and Richard, who would later rule as Richard II of England. He was elected Lord of Biscay.

Further military campaigning on behalf of Pedro the Cruel, King of Castile ruined Edward's health as well as his finances, and he was forced to give up the administration of Aquitaine and return to England. Whilst making an attempt to involve himself in the government of England, he soon had to give up any hope of resuming military activity, and he died on June 8, 1376, leaving his young son as heir to the throne. He is buried at Canterbury Cathedral.

Edward is always now called "The Black Prince" but he was never known as such during his lifetime. This epithet was coined at least two hundred years after his death, and it is believed to derive either from the colour of his armour or his foul temper.

In the movie A Knight's Tale, Edward is portrayed as a rather sympathetic man as opposed to a spiteful one.

Further reading

• Richard Barber, The Life and Campaigns of the Black Prince, ISBN 0851154697