The Black Prince smashes his enemies at Poitiers

Edward, Prince of Wales, captures the French king and emerges victorious

The summer of 1356 found Edward, Prince of Wales, in typically warlike form. At the age of 26, the Black Prince was in his prime, adored by his fellow Englishmen, but dreaded by his French enemies.

A year earlier, Edward had ravaged much of modern-day Languedoc. Now he set out once again, burning and pillaging, with the vague intention of reaching Normandy, where he hoped to rendezvous with another English army. By earNy 5eptember, his offensiXe had ground to a halt and he had decided to turn back to Bordeaux. Then, not far from Poitiers, he heard the news that the French king, John II, was just a few miles away with an army of his own, hot on his heels.

Historians still disagree as to whether Edward always meant to confront the French army head-on. In any case, after various manoeuvrings, he drew up his men (numbering, by some estimates, as many as 12,000) behind a long, thick hedge. The French army, which was at least twice as large, planned to attack in three waXes, confident that their superior numbers would win the day. But they hadn’t accounted for the English bowmen, whose arrows rained down mercilessly from the sky. The first (rench diXision was soon routed the second, which fought fierceNy, was pushed bacM after two hours of brutaN fighting. #t that, the third diXision turned and fled. Once again, the Black Prince had carried the day.

Amid the chaos, at least one Frenchman meant to fight on. This was ,ohn ++ himseNf, surrounded by his royal bodyguard. At last, seeing all was lost, he surrendered to a Frenchborn knight, who promised to lead him to the Black Prince. Edward treated his royal prisoner with great gallantry. “The prince made lowly reverence to the king and caused wine and spices to be brought forth,” wrote the chronicler Jean Froissart, “and himself served the king in sign of great love.”