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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 15 general entries.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Edward, the Black Prince
King Edward III of England. The Black Prince was the son of Edward III, and heir to the throne of England, and was the eldest of twelve legitimate children. Edward III was the son of Edward II and Isabella, daughter of Philip IV of France. Accompanied by his sixteen year old son, Edward III led the English forces at the Battle of Crecy in 1346. In spite of greatly superior numbers, the French were resoundingly defeated, mainly due to the firepower of the English archers.
1343. The Black Prince was the second English prince to be invested as Prince of Wales, the first being his grandfather, Edward II. Although the title, Prince of Wales, was traditionally supposed to go to the king's eldest son, the Black Prince's father, Edward III, did not receive it. This was because Edward II was deposed in favour of his son, Edward III, before he was invested as Prince of Wales.
| What was the motto adopted by the Black Prince, and used thereafter by succeeding Princes of Wales? | The Black Prince
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Ich Dien. The meaning of "Ich Dien" is "I serve". The motto was originally used by the King of Bohemia, and it is unclear as to precisely why the Black Prince adopted it as his own. "Amor Patriae" means "love of my country" and is the motto of various military and other organisations. "Nec Sorte Nec Fato" is the motto of the Scottish clan Rutherford, and means "neither by chance nor fate". The Fleur de Lis is the emblem of the Princes of Wales, and records their traditional association with France.
| There are various opinions on why the Black Prince was so called. What is the most widely accepted reason for this title? | The Black Prince
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His armour was black.. Although known to history as "the Black Prince" this title was not recorded in England until the 16th century. It is believed that it was the French who first called him by this name due to the black armour he was known to have worn. In England he was known either as Prince Edward of Woodstock or Edward, Prince of Wales.
| By what affectionate nickname was the Black Prince's wife known? | The Black Prince
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The fair maid of Kent. Joan Plantagenet, the fair maid of Kent, had a complex series of marriages. She was secretly married to her first husband, Thomas Holand, when she was only twelve years of age. Some years later while Holand was doing military service in Europe, Joan underwent another arranged marriage to William Montacute, Earl of Salisbury. in 1349 Holand had this marriage annulled by Pope Clement VI, and when Holand died in 1360 Joan married the Black Prince. She already had five children by Holand, and gave birth to another two by the Black Prince. One of these later became Richard II, King of England. It is widely believed that Joan was the lady who lost her garter while dancing with King Edward III, which resulted in the creation of the Order of the Garter.
| A gemstone, known as 'The Black Prince's Ruby', is presently set in one of the Royal jewels used during the coronation. In which of the Crown Jewels is this gemstone set? | The Black Prince
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The Imperial Crown of State. The gemstone is actually a spinel weighing over 170 carats (34 grams). The earliest recorded owner was Abu Said, Moorish ruler of Granada, from whom, in the mid fourteenth century, it was taken by Don Pedro of Castile. Pedro was deposed by his brother Henry, who in turn was defeated by the Black Prince at the Battle of Najera in 1367. Pedro then presented the Black Prince with the 'ruby'. Later, Henry V wore it at Agincourt, and it was worn by various British monarchs including Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. The Imperial Crown of State is normally worn at all State occasions except the coronation of the new monarch, although Queen Victoria did wear it for her coronation as she felt the Coronation Crown was far too heavy. Rubies are normally of greater value than spinels, but the Black Prince's Ruby has enormous historic value. Rubies are a rare variety of corundum, and spinels are a rare variety of magnesium aluminium oxide, but all red gemstones used to be referred to as rubies. There is an excellent picture of much of the Coronation Regalia, including all the above items, at http://www.british-towns.net/britain/jubilee/archive/regalia.htm.
| During the lifetime of the Black Prince, one of Britain's most ancient honours was established. What was this honour? | The Black Prince
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Most Noble Order of the Garter. The Order of the Garter is one of Europe's oldest surviving honours. It was established in 1348 by the Black Prince's father, Edward III. Tradition has it that Edward established the Order as the highest rank of chivalry after he had picked up the slipped garter of the lady with whom he was dancing. He is said to have remarked "Honi soit qui mal y pense" which loosely translates "Evil to him who thinks ill of it". This became the motto of the Order. The Order of the Thistle was established in 1687 by King James II, although it had existed in Scotland for many years prior to this. The motto of the Order is "Nerno me impune lacessit" which means "No-one provokes me with impunity". The Most Honourable Order of the Bath was established in 1725 by George I. Its motto is "Tria juncta in Uno" meaning "Three joined in one", a reference to the unity of England, Scotland and Ireland. Two former presidents of the U.S.A. have been awarded honorary knighthoods of this Order. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were both appointed Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in recognition of their good relationship with Britain. The Most illustrious Order of St. Patrick was established in 1783 by George III, but fell into disuse after Southern Ireland became independent. The last person to be appointed to the Order was Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester in 1934, and the last surviving holder of a knighthood was Eamonn de Valera, former Prime Minister and President of the Republic of Ireland, who died in 1975. Although in disuse, the Order still officially exists, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II still holds the title of "Sovereign of the Order of St. Patrick".
He never became King of England. Although he was heir to the throne of England, the Black Prince never became king. This was because he pre-deceased his father Edward III by one year. On the death of King Edward III, the Black Prince's son Richard succeeded to the throne at the age of ten, becoming King Richard II.
He died from disease caught while on campaign.. During his campaign in Spain to restore the throne of Castille to Dom Pedro, the Black Prince caught some sort of wasting disease. His condition gradually deteriorated, but in 1370 he was still campaigning. He was carried on a litter to Limoges to put down a revolt, and though the citizens pleaded for mercy he had most of them put to death. This became known as the massacre of Limoges. Eventually the Black Prince returned to England where his condition continued to deteriorate, and he died a very sick man on 8th June 1376.
Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, England. After his death on 8th June 1376, the Black Prince lay in state in Westminster Hall, London until 29th September when his body was transferred to Canterbury Cathedral. His tomb is in the cathedral's Trinity Chapel, and on top of it the Prince's lifesize effigy is displayed in full armour. The Prince's original jacket (jupon), gauntlets, helmet, shield and scabbard used to be suspended above his tomb, but replicas have now replaced the originals. The original items are however on secure display elsewhere in Canterbury Cathedral.
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