Explaining the popularity of Edward III

 On social media recently, I have been pondering the kingship of Edward III. Today, Edward remains one of England's most popular kings but the point that I have been making to anyone that would listen is that his reign has been overly glamorised and, in reality, not all that romantic at all. Through his wars in France and his great victories in battle to his founding of the Order of the Garter, Edward firmly established himself as a king of chivalry which modern readers still find themselves attracted to. But the reality of his reign was very different. Campaigning in medieval times was an extremely burdensome thing; it took a serious toll on a kingdom's man power through deaths in battle and inevitable outbreaks of disease that followed a medieval army. A life of campaigning could take a terrible toll on a man's health as evidenced by the long years of illness experienced by Edward's son, The Black Prince, which ultimately denied him the chance of succeeding his father.

Edward III's war, which became known as The Hundred Years War and continued on and off long after his death in 1377, also burdened England as a nation. A medieval army had to be financed and supported. In 1339, during one of his campaigns, Edward wrote to England, complaining of the lack of financial support he was being provided with.  Over the coming decades, this war would become increasingly expensive and, by the end of Edward's reign, England would have little to show for their efforts in the early stages of the Hundred Years War.. The crown was impoverished and poll taxes were levied which created tremendous resentment against an already seething peasantry class who eventually showed their anger during the Peasants Revolt of 1381 during the reign of Richard II.

When you consider the question, why is Edward III so popular, you soon realise that it has little to do with the realities of his reign and more to do with the mythology of his kingship that he added to with the Order of the Garter. In real terms, Edward declared war on France based on a false claim to the French crown, lost most of what he had won and left the nation vulnerable to a potential invasion. He angered the Peasants by suppressing their wages during the Black Death and, by the end of his reign, he couldn't even guarantee their safety from the French, Edward III's war created social disorder at home shortly after his reign and even after the Hundred Years War with the Wars of the Roses another direct consequence of Edward's decision.

In short, people like the idea of Edward III more than what he actually was. Historians continue to spread the idea that he was the "Perfect King"; he wasn't anything of the sort, During his reign, Edward held two foreign kings as prisoner in England, David II of Scotland and John II of France, the stories of both men, John in particular, contributing to Edward's reputation as a chivalrous king. I may sound miserly in my assessment of Edward III but I do think it is worth guarding against a king who helped to create real social disorder in England during the 14th and 15th centuries.