Edward III claims the French throne, Hundred Years' War begins
1337
The English king, grandson of Philip IV through his mother Isabella, declared himself rightful king of France and quartered the French lilies on his arms. What began as a feudal dispute over Aquitaine would metastasize into 116 years of intermittent warfare that reshaped both kingdoms and birthed modern national consciousness.
In context
Also in 1337 (3 other events on record)
- Philip VI confiscates Aquitaine · Europe · Politics
- Mansa Musa commissions the Djinguereber Mosque in Timbuktu · Africa · Culture
- Benedict XII begins the Palais des Papes at Avignon · Europe · Culture
Before and after in Europe
Before and after in War
Era
Late Middle Ages (1301–1500), one of 874 events from that era on Saeculum.
Sources