Episode Details

Edward III overthrew his mother's regency at seventeen, launched the Hundred Years War, and presided over the devastating Black Death that killed a third of his subjects. He built a cult of chivalry around the Order of the Garter, won spectacular victories at Crecy and Poitiers, and then lived long enough to see his achievements crumble as his mind declined.

This episode traces Edward from his teenage coup through the great victories in France, the plague years, and the accidental legacy of a reign that shaped England for centuries.

• He founded the Order of the Garter, the oldest and most prestigious order of chivalry in England
• His reign saw the devastating Black Death arrive in England, killing roughly a third of the population
• The English victories at Crecy and Poitiers established England as a major military power in Europe
• His claim to the French throne launched the Hundred Years War, which lasted well beyond his reign