Famous Men of the Middle Ages · Ch. XXV · Unit 8: Freedom fighters and far travelers
33. Edward the Black Prince
Goal: Your child can tell why Edward III claimed France, and what the Black Prince did at Crécy and Poitiers.
You'll need
- The book, open to this chapter
- A map of Europe and the Mediterranean (a free online map or a globe)
- Paper and colored pencils
- Your timeline strip (see the tips at the top)
What's in the book
Chapter XXV (1330-1376): Edward III, son of a French princess, claims the throne of France, though the Salic Law forbids a claim through a woman. At sixteen his son, the Black Prince, commands a division at Crécy in 1346; his father refuses to send help so the boy can "win his spurs," and the French are beaten. The prince takes the three white feathers of the blind king of Bohemia. Calais is taken. In 1356 at Poitiers the prince's small army defeats the French and captures their king, whom the English treat kindly.
The lesson, step by step
Set the scene
Find Crécy and Calais in the north of France, near the English Channel, then Poitiers farther south. Say: This war began in this chapter and went on, on and off, for more than a hundred years. It is called the Hundred Years' War.
Read the chapter
Read Chapter XXV aloud. It begins:
One of the most famous warriors of the Middle Ages was Edward the Black Prince.
Tell it back
Prompts:
- Why did Edward III think he should be king of France, and what law stood in his way?
- Why would King Edward not send help to his son at Crécy?
- What did the prince take from the blind king of Bohemia?
- How was the captured French king treated?
Talk it over
Read the king's words:
Let the boy prove himself a true knight and win his spurs.
Ask: Was the king being hard on his son, or showing trust in him? Have you ever wanted to do something without help to show you could?
Then and now
SayThe Prince of Wales, the heir to the British throne, still has three white feathers as his badge.
Remember it
Add to the timeline: "1346 Crécy" and "1356 Poitiers." Say: Poitiers again: the same place where Charles Martel fought six hundred years earlier.
Afterwards
Ask your child what "win your spurs" means and where the saying comes from.
Tip
Rollo appears again here: the book compares Edward's dislike of kneeling to the French king with Rollo refusing to kiss the king's foot. Point it out.
Answers to the book's problems
His mother was the sister of the late French king; the Salic Law said daughters could not inherit, so a claim through a mother did not count. He wanted the boy to prove himself a true knight. He took the three white feathers from the blind king's helmet and wore them ever after. He was sent to England and treated with great kindness, and rode on a white horse in the London procession beside the prince on a pony.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.