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A picturesque view of the Eilien Donan Castle: western Highlands of Scotland.

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EDWARD THE BLACK PRINCE OF WALES

Also known as ‘Edward of Woodstock’, Edward the Black Prince was the eldest son of King III of England and Philippa of Hainault. Although he never became the king, he was the heir apparent to the English throne. His limited years did not limit his power and he made a name for himself through his military brilliance and achievements. Of all the battles he fought, his victories against the French in the Battle of Crécy and the Battle of Poitiers are notorious.

There is no clear evidence as to why he became to be known as Edward The Black Prince Of Wales but some historians suggest that it was referred to his black shield and body armour while others argued that it referred to his cruelty to the French people. Moreover, he was given this name after about one hundred and fifty years after his death. In his life, he was only known as ‘Edward of Woodstock’.

Early Life

Born on the 15th of June 1330 at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, Edward of Woodstock was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and was the heir to the English throne. Since he died a year before his father at the age of 45, his son Richard II succeeded the throne. Edward was given the following titles:

Earl of Chester

Duke of Cornwell

Prince of Wales

Prince of Aquitaine

Knight of the Garter

Marriage

The negotiations for Edward began when he was only 7 years old. He was married to his father’s cousin who was the divorced and widowed countess of Kent in October 1361 at Windsor castle. They had two sons, Edward and Richard. The eldest son Edward died of plague at the mere age of six, whereas the younger son Richard grew up to inherit the throne after his Grandfather and become to be known as King Richard II.

He also became the step-father to his wife Joan’s children from her previous marriage which included Thomas and John Holland. Apart from his two legitimate sons, he also had several illegitimate children which were not considered unusual at that time. His illegitimate children included Sir Roger Clarendon whom he had with Edith de Willesford and three other sons called Edward, Sir Charles FitzEdward, and Sir John Sounder.

Titles and achievements

He received his first suit of armour at the age of seven. Soon afterward he was granted revenue from the newly created Duchy of Cornwell by his father King Edward. However, if the future monarch did not have a son then the revenue from the Duchy would be reverted to the crown. Hence, eventually, Prince Edward was made theDuke of Cornwell.

At the age of 13, Edward was made the Prince of Wales and he proved his position 3 years later at the Battle of Crécy in North-Eastern France in August 1346. The English had a total victory over the French. During the Hundred Years’ War, Edward often fought with the French. Another major achievement for him came from the Battle of Poitiers when he defeated the French and even captured the French King as a prisoner.

After his achievements in the Hundred Years’ War against the French, Edward’s reputation got stained in September 1370 due to the French town of Limoges. A friend of Edward and the godfather to his son, Johan De dross who was also the Bishop of Limoges betrayed Edward and defected to the french by welcoming a garrison into a part of the town.

A massacre followed upon Edward hearing the news where he put 3,000 men, women, and children to death. Despite them pleading for mercy, Edward listened to none and almost destroyed the entire population of Limoges. This cruelty shown by him is also suggested to be one of the reasons he is termed as the Black Prince of Wales.

After his military success in France, he turned towards Spain where he helped the deposed King Pedro the Cruel of Castile defeat his illegitimate brother known as the henry of Trastamara. He was defeated at Najera in Castile and hence Edward was awarded the Black Prince’s Ruby by the Spanish King. Moreover, Edward was also among the 25 founding knights of the Order of the Garter.

Hundred Years’ War

In 1337 CE, King Edward decided to expand his lands in France. Moreover, the King’s mother Isabella being from France (the daughter of Philip IV of France) gave him an excuse to have a right to claim the French throne. However, the king of France at the time, Philip VI refused to step down from his throne. Hence, the Hundred Years’ War between France and England began in which Prince Edward played a major role starting from the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

Battle Of Crécy

Edward was known to use the strategy chevauchée which was a common part of medieval warfare and is known to be used as far as back in 1066 CE by William the Conqueror. The strategy aimed to perform multiple functions such as instilling fear and terror in the locals, provide free food for an invading army, get booty and ransom for noble prisoners, and to ensure that the opposite army had a weak economic base.

Moreover, ordinary troops also caused mayhem and executed raids on the opponent’s army whenever they could get a chance. The potential outcome of this strategy was brutal economic warfare and provoking the enemy to attack. This is exactly what happened with the King of France and hence on the 26th of August, the two armies met when King Phillip of France decided to invade England’s army.

Prince Edward who was only 16 at the time led the English army with his right-wing and Sir Godfrey Harcourt. Although the prince fought with great bravery there came a point when the French seemed to be winning. Sir Godfrey called for reinforcements however the King upon hearing the news stated that if his son could extricate himself from the battle then he would win his spurs which was a sign of knighthood and were awarded in a full knighting ceremony.

Eventually, Edward the Black Prince’s army overcame their numerical disadvantage by taking a defensive position on the River Maie. The French army retracted after getting into a muddle. King Edward won the battle with only 300 casualties whereas the French had a great number of casualties of around 14,000. Not only that but the battle also resulted in their fallen reputation. The King John of Bohemia, the Count of Blois, and the Count of Flanders were also eliminated in the Battle of Crécy. Afterward, Prince Edward adopted the emblem and motto of the fallen king of Bohemia.

After the success at the battle of Crécy, England’s success continued when Edward the Black Prince backed an army of around 26,000 men and captured Calais after a year-long siege in July 1347 CE. The Black Prince’s reputation further grew when after three years, in January 1350 CE, along with his selected unit of knights, he protected the city against a French plot that Involved Italian mercenaries.

Chivalry and Garters

To celebrate the Prince’s medieval tournaments, he and his father participated in the great 15-day tournament in 1344 CE at Windsor Castle. The prince’s father, Edward III found the exclusive Knights club and epitome of medieval Chivalry of which the prince was also the founding member and was given the Order of the Garter in 1348 CE.

This order is known to be one of England’s most oldest and prestigious and included only 24 chosen knights, the King, and the Black Prince. The chosen knights had all fought in the battle of Crécy. The symbol of the order was a garter and its motto read, “evil on him who thinks it” referring to anyone who had doubted the king’s right to rule France. Moreover, The garter on the order had the royal colours of France; blue and gold.

Battle of Poitiers

The new King of France, John II was not any different from the previous one. He continued to war with England. Hence, in 1355 CE Gascony was raided and Bordeaux was captured by Edward the Black Prince which he used as his base. The Prince used the same strategy he used in the Battle of Crécy and torched cities and farmlands.

Again just as the previous king, this strategy also provoked the new French King to take the same steps, and hence, the French surprised the English army on the 18th of September 1356 CE. A mighty battle started the next day 4 miles from Poitiers. Once again the French army outnumbered the English army (35,000 vs 7,000). However, they could not handle the power and accuracy of the English longbow. Eventually, England won and the King John of France himself was captured along with 2,000 other French knights.

Edward gained further reputation because of the chivalrous behavior he showed to the King of France after capturing him as a prisoner and while escorting him back to England. Moreover, he also distributed gold and titles to his commanders and donated huge sums to churches such as the Canterbury Cathedral.

Although King Edward marched to Rheims and made himself the King of France, the harsh winters there reduced his army. Hence, he signed a peace treaty in 1360 CE between England and France which is called the Treaty of Bretigny. In 1362 CE, King Edward III, who was the Lord of Aquitaine, made his son, the Black Prince, the Prince of Aquitaine.

Castile and Najera

After the treaty of peace, the Black Prince turned to Castile in Spain. The fallen king of Spain Pedro wanted to reclaim the throne from his half-brother HenryII of Castile who had the support of the French. On 3rd April 1367 CE, Prince Edward won the Battle of Najera against the French at the Najerilla river. He even managed to sell one of the prisoners for a massive ransom.

Hence, he was titled the greatest knight ever, Bertrand du Guesclin, the ‘Eagle of Brittany’. He also received a memento from Pedro that became to be known as Black Prince’s Ruby. Although the Battle of Najera was a great military feat, it also proved to be a financial disaster for the Black Prince.

Death

Due to his ill health, the Prince returned to England in 1371. He resigned from his principality next year and started taking a more active part in England’s internal politics where he was known for the constitutional policy of the commons against the corrupt court and the party of Lancastrians.

Edward the Balck Prince of Wales died at the age of 46 on 8th June 1376 CE. The exact cause of his death is unknown but it is said that he suffered from many illnesses from dysentery to old war wounds and even cancer. Although the cause of his death might never be known, it is known that he died before ascending the throne.

A year after his death, his father, King Edward III also passed away and Edward the black prince’s son Richard inherited the throne. Moreover, due to his death, his work in the parliament remained undone and the year following his death, the parliament itself was resolved.

He is buried in Canterbury Cathedral where his black helmet, shield, and gauntlets are hung above. The space beside him was kept for his wife. However, she was buried next to her first husband. According to some theories, the prince chose Canterbury Cathedral as his burial place as his confession of his sins. This was because the Canterbury Cathedral was considered a place of penance and repentance. Moreover, The black prince also ordered the following French poem to be Inscribed around his tomb at Canterbury:

Such as you are, Sometimes was I.

Such as I am, So you shall be.

I thought little of Death

So long as I enjoyed life.

On earth, I had great riches…

Land, houses, great treasure, horses, money, gold…

But now I am a poor captive,

Deep in the ground, I lie…

My great beauty is all gone,

My flesh is wasted to the bone…

#The Black Prince of Wales #Knight #Castle #Castles #History #Historic #Military

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THE PICTURESQUE RUINS OF CRICCIETH CASTLE

Criccieth Castle, also known as Castell Criccieth, is an extraordinary castle that truly captures the hearts of all who visit. It sits high above Tremalog Bay and is a timely reminder of all that transpired between the Welsh and English to define medieval times. While it may seem serene and beautiful sitting up there, it has a controversial and intriguing past that has been full of mishaps and detrimental instances.

The history of Criccieth Castle

There are a lot of inconsistencies surrounding Criccieth Castle and while we may never know the whole truth, what we do know is particularly daunting. A tale of trial, error, sieges, and plenty of speculation surrounds Criccieth Castle and all of it happened in only a small amount of time. On the surface, we have astonishing views and a beloved castle, but below the surface, it becomes so much more.

The early history of Criccieth Castle

This wonderful and rustic stone castle is said to have been started in the 1230s and is suspected to have been built by Llewelyn the Great. Llewelyn the Great was a Welsh prince who held plenty of power over the castle and many other things. He built the original structures of Criccieth Castle himself, however, in 1240, Llewelyn the Great died which in turn created a large amount of disaster.

When Llewelyn the Great died, it meant that there was room to replace him as a strong ruler. This caused King Henry III of England to fight for supreme power and overrule everyone much as Llewelyn the Great once did. He then proceeded to cause a further ruckus by depriving Gwynedd of control over all of the land’s east of Conwy.

Portrait of Llywelyn The Great

Incarceration at the castle

Once Llewelyn the Great had passed, his sons began to resent each other and started to fight. Dafydd ap Llewelyn proceeded to hold his brother Gruffydd as a prisoner at Criccieth Castle. Though we aren’t sure if that is the first instance that the castle has held a prisoner, it certainly wasn’t the last time. Two decades later, Llewelyn ap Gruffudd (son of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn 1200–1244) incarcerated prince Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg.

Gaining control

It was a whole decade later when Gruffydd ap Llewelyn’s son, Gruffudd, gained control and began to fight for Gwynedds domination once again and fought ruthlessly with the English ally, Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg who was later imprisoned in the castle. After all was said and done, Gruffudd won the battle and by virtue of the Treaty of Montgomery from 1267, the Welsh and English both readily accepted him.

Though this success didn’t last very long, because soon after, more disaster arose. Gruffudd could not resist entering into more conflict but this time his arrow was aimed at the new king of England, Edward I which then resulted in a war that sent Criccieth Castle to the sidelines.  

The First War of Welsh Independence

The First War of Welsh Independence (1277 – 1283) begun when Edward I declared Gruffudd a rebel and sought to destroy him. It was then that the English started to invade Wales. English armies swarmed from all over to defeat the princes and gain power and it ended in the defeat and annexation of the remaining Principality of Wales.

Afterwards, Gwynedd was the leading principality and all of the princes had gained control over most of the country. This resulted in the remaining Welsh Princes their vassals and gained the title of the Prince of Wales.

Edward I of England

The Battle of Llandeilo Fawr

Once again, war erupted between England and Wales in to an explosive extent. Edward I had essentially planned to send his large armies into Wales in the fronts to surround Llewelyn ap Gruffudd’s army and destroy them. The English army, led by Gilbert de Clare, was then sent to subdue and hold down the southern areas while the other armies were sent elsewhere.

Gilbert de Clare and his large army had easily captured Carreg Cennen Castle from the Welsh and soon after, the men sacked the castle and later headed back to Dinefwr Castle. Though on the way misfortune struck and they were ambushed by Welsh troops. This resulted in much of the army being destroyed.

Although this was a great victory for the Welsh, the tides of war soon turned in Edwards favour when suddenly Llywelyn marched his army south. Llywelyn was killed at the Battle of Orewin Bridge on 11th December 1282.

Edward raised a new army and in 1283, the rest of the Gwynedd castles were captured, including Criccieth Castle.

The siege of 1294

The castle, which by now is no stranger to controversy now becomes victim to a siege. In the siege of 1294, Madoc ap Llewelyn who was distantly related to Gruffudd, decided to start an uprising against English rule that quickly made its way throughout Wales. The mighty castle readily withstood this siege, however, it eventually did meet its maker in 1404, when it fell into the hands of Owain Glyndwr who had the castle walls torn down and after Criccieth Castle soon became ash when he burned it.

It stayed that way until 1933 when Lord Harlech had it granted to the government.

The construction of Criccieth Castle

There were three building phases and a plethora of different periods strictly for remodelling. It is said that the 13th century was a rather late point in time for initiating a castle and that it was particularly odd in that part of Wales. It is also fairly unusual that there isn’t much to be said about Criccieth Castle.

The earliest part of the castle is said to be the inner ward which was personally started by Llewelyn the Great himself. Unlike other Welsh Native strongholds, the inner ward at the castle was beautifully protected by a gatehouse with two D-shaped towers. Those towers were then heavily protected by big gates with murder holes in the passage and arrow slits in each tower that faced outwards.

There is a possibility that some of these features are replicated from specific English castles such as Beeston Castle and Montgomery Castle. Then we take a look at the two towers of the gatehouse that have gained significant popularity as a staple piece of the castle. They provided accommodation for a while and then were raised significantly in height in the Edwardian period.

5 Criccieth Castle facts

Criccieth Castle was built and destroyed by powerful Welsh Princes.

Criccieth Castle is said to have been built in the early 13th century, though no actual confirmation has ever been found as to when the castle was actually built, and which parts were built in which century at what time.

The steep, inaccessible, and rugged cliffs surrounding the castle particularly on the eastern and southern sides offered the castle a great amount of protection and there are plenty of terrifying areas you could fall so only the bravest would dare to conquer the castle.

The inner ward is said to be the oldest Welsh part of the castle built by Llewelyn the Great.

These days, the castle has been preserved as a magnificent ruin and has a particularly significant layout of all the defensive elements although plenty has been lost.  The ruins of Criccieth Castle are able to be seen by visitors, and you can find prices and tickets here.

#Criccieth Castle #Wales #History #Castles #Medieval

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A CASTLE IN THE RYE? THE BEAUTIFUL HISTORY OF YPRES TOWER AND RYE CASTLE

Rye Castle, a three storied monument to the ascendancy of the Angevin monarchs stands in East Sussex. Built from iron-stained sandstone, the castle has the iconic square plan with rounded corner towers that was the typical design of the 13th century. Also known as Ypres Tower, it is defended on its North side by a portcullis, a staple of medieval castle design, whilst towering over old Cinque Port of Rye. The Castle itself sits around 15 miles from the historic Battle of Hastings site, and is testament to the transformative regime that the Anglo-Norman Era ushered into Britain.

The History of Rye Castle

The tower itself is subject to historical discussion and debate around its exact construction, with the town being mentioned as a potential castle site in documents in both 1226 and 1249 – though it is accepted to have been constructed in the late 1240s. Rye was to play a small but crucial role in the history of Britain, involved in both defence against, and trade with, the neighbouring French.

The Early History of Rye and Rye Castle

The town of Rye was granted a charter as a Cinque Port in 1189, allowing the town to flourish commercially, before defying John Lackland in 1216, opening its gates to Prince Louis of France in his advance across the realm. This made Rye a strategic port, which necessitated greater protection because of this threat from continental Europe, but also due to the ire that piracy and smuggling was bringing upon the town – as pirates plundered French ships without hesitation, and throughout the 1230s, as they plundered French coastal towns.

The town itself was a part of the French domain until 1247, as a part of the endowment of the Franco-Norman Abbey of Fécamp. The pious king Henry III took the town into the English domain, recompensing the Abbey for lands lost with lands in less strategic locations, away from the coast. In true Angevin style, Henry almost immediately gave permission for the building of a castle in Rye. ‘Baddings Tower’ was built in 1249 in order to defend the town from the French, though was later renamed after its owner, John de Iprys, creating Ypres Tower.

The port continued to flourish with this newfound protection, the Portsmen supporting Simon De Montfort in his rebellion in the Second ‘Barons War’ (1264-67) – sending twenty-eight men to serve in his parliament. Portsmen continued to play a role in England, in the conquests of Edward I into Scotland, continuing piracy against France and Flanders, patrolling the Channel, and helping incite Civil War and the murder of King Edward II in 1327, by virtue of carrying the Queen and her Court to France.

The Hundred Years’ War

Rye’s burgeoning Portsmen population played a significant role in the Hundred Years’ War, taking the fight to France whilst being influential in a number of crucial battles – to tip the war in England’s favour.

Rye’s port and castle were attacked by the newly improved French Fleet in the early stages of the war, 1337-39, though little damage was sustained. A year later, the Portsmen assembled a small fleet of 21 ships to retaliate, beating off further French attacks against Rye, before joining the action in the Battle of Sluys.

Rye’s Portsmen continued, supplying men, horses and supplies for the Battle of Crécy – the hero of which, The Black Prince who ‘earned his spurs,’ would go on to defeat the Spanish within Rye Bay itself, with 50 small ships against significantly larger and better equipped Spaniards. Fourteen of the forty Spanish ships were sunk.

Despite this heroism, the town was sacked and burnt in 1377 by the French, with only the four stone buildings of the town – the Monastery, the Church, the Friars of the Sack and of course, Rye Castle left standing. The French ruthlessly stole the Church bells and pillaged the town to its knees. After all was said and done, Rye continued to be a thorn in the French side, continuously ferrying troops and supplies to English armies fighting on the continent, including to those at that most famous of English victories, at Agincourt in 1415.

Redundancy and Reuse

As the town’s proud pirating history was in its swansong at the beginning of the 15th century, with Henry V’s declaration of piracy against France and French territories as an illegal act, the town’s maritime industry faltered. Furthermore, by 1430, after numerous high-profile failures to provide protection to the town, Rye Castle was deemed surplus to requirements, and sold to John de Iprys, who converted it into a private home, simultaneously granting its other alias, Ypres Tower.

The Tower remained firmly in private hands until 1494, when it was re-leased to the town and repurposed as a prison. This arrangement was made permanent in 1518, after the Rye Corporation acquired it, being used as dual prison and courthouse, complete with a full-time gaoler by 1796 – continuing the Castle’s heritage as a prison well into the 19th century.

The infamous case of John Breads’ murder of Allen Grebell on March 16th 1743 was concluded at Rye Castle. Breads had intended to murder James Lamb, the then-mayor of the town, at a dinner to celebrate his son’s appointment to the customs service. Lamb asked his brother-in-law to attend in his place, and on his return home, Grebell was attacked and stabbed by Breads in the churchyard – though he staggered home mortally wounded, he later died in his home.

When Breads was arrested, the best defence he could come up with was that he had intended to kill Lamb, rather than Grebell! As mayor, Lamb’s substantial influence kept Breads’ trial firmly within Rye, as he simultaneously acted as prosecutor and judge in a grand jury trial. Therefore ultimately, despite Breads’ plea of insanity, he was sentenced to death by hanging after a short incarceration in Rye Castle. Breads was brutally hung on the gallows within a gibbet, his body allowed to rot for 20 years.

Even though an exercise yard was added to the North West of the tower in 1819 (partially converted to soup kitchens in the mid-19th century) and a women’s prison was added by 1837 alongside a further exercise yard, the prison was to succumb to higher standards than that of the lock-up prison it had become. It was discontinued in 1891, despite the attempts of local corporations to improve prison provisions, as the exercise yard’s were converted into gardens.

War and Legacy

After its disuse as a prison, Rye Castle and Ypres Tower were used by the town as morgue, Rye castle was badly damaged during a German air raid in 1942, which obliterated the roof of the Ypres Tower and that of the Women’s Tower. Repair works took place on Ypres Tower in the 1950s so that by 1954 Rye Castle Museum was able to take over the first and ground floors, adding a basement in 1959.

Rye Castle Museum is open to this day and tells the history of Rye from pre-roman history up until the modern day. The Museum is open 7 days a week throughout the year and is a hub of tourist activity. The Tower underwent structural work in 1996-7 and had further repairs and alterations in 2005-7 – to maintain the character and resplendence of this iconic piece of English Heritage so that it can be enjoyed and understood by future generations. You can find more information on the Castle, and the surrounding area’s history from the Museum’s website.

#RyeCastle #England #history #middle ages