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The Black Prince at Crecy

© Phyllis Agronsky

Few of the legendary names to be found in English history resound as does the "The Black Prince." His distant uncle (several times removed), Richard the Lionhearted, or his great-nephew, Henry V, attained the same level of chivalry, heroism and warrior reputation as this Prince of Wales. This Edward was one of the first twenty-five Knights of the Garter, the order established by his father to emulate the ideals of the Round Table. His personal bravery was unmatched in his day, and English (and French) chronicles are replete with praise of him. His victories at Crecy and Poitiers, a decade apart, established English supremacy over the French for almost a century.

Edward, Prince of Wales was born in June, 1330 at the royal palace at Woodstock. In keeping with medieval traditions, the eldest son was groomed to be a soldier and as well as a leader and future king. At age seven, Edward was formally invested as Duke of Cornwall, and at thirteen as Prince of Wales.

He showed an early aptitude for martial pursuits, and by age fifteen was already a seasoned fighter. He'd have a chance to prove his mettle in 1346, two months past his 16th birthday. His father's war with France had heated up again, and Edward, resplendent in the black armor that became first his hallmark, and then his sobriquet, was going to be leading troops.

By all accounts, the French should have destroyed the English in a pitched battle. After Edward III invaded France in the summer of 1346, he attacked and sacked the city of Caen, and proceeded almost to the gates of Paris. From there, Phillip VI's forces pushed him into retreat to the coast. Finally brought to bay, he arranged his forces in three groups, one under the command of his son, the Black Prince, the second under the command of the Earl of Northampton, and the king commanded the third.

The French forces numbered at least 36,000 of all arms. To oppose them, Edward had approximately 12,000. Of those, 7,000 were archers. It was in this battle, outnumbered three-to-one, that the supremacy of the English longbow was established beyond doubt.

Edward III was an excellent tactician. He chose his ground carefully, dismounted the knights to fight on foot, dispersed his archers throughout the three battle groups, and waited. So great was the personal animosity between Phillip VI and Edward III, the English king knew the French would attack. Due to Edward's foresight, the French were forced to attack across a narrow front. There was no way to mount a concerted attack, where their numerical superiority would help them most.