Editing Battle of Evesham (section)

==Background==
Simon de Montfort, 6th [[Earl of Leicester]], had gained a dominant position in the government of the [[Kingdom of England]] after his victory at the [[Battle of Lewes]] a year earlier. He also held the King, Prince Edward, and the King's brother [[Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall|Richard of Cornwall]] in his custody.<ref>Prestwich (1988), p. 46.</ref> However, his sphere of influence began to shrink rapidly, owing to loss of key allies. In February, [[Robert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby|Robert de Ferrers]], [[Earl of Derby]] was arrested and imprisoned in the [[Tower of London|Tower]].<ref>Powicke, p. 199.</ref> An even more important collaborator, [[Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford|Gilbert de Clare]], the Earl of Gloucester, deserted to the side of the King in May of the same year.<ref>Maddicott, pp. 327–9.</ref> With Gloucester's assistance, Prince Edward escaped from de Montfort's captivity.<ref>Prestwich (1988), pp. 48–9.</ref>

With the Lords of the [[Welsh Marches]] now in rebellion, de Montfort solicited the aid of [[Llywelyn ap Gruffudd]], the [[Prince of Wales]]. Llywelyn agreed to help, in return for full recognition of his title and the promise that he could keep all military gains. Whatever benefits this alliance might have brought de Montfort, the large concessions cost him popularity at home.<ref>Maddicott, pp. 337–8.</ref> Meanwhile, Edward laid siege to the town of [[Gloucester]], which fell on 29 June.<ref>Maddicott, p. 335.</ref> De Montfort's goal now became to unite with the forces of his son [[Simon de Montfort the Younger|Simon the Younger]], and engage with the royal army, but the younger Simon moved much too slowly westwards from [[London]]. Eventually Simon the Younger reached the baronial stronghold of [[Kenilworth]], but Edward managed to inflict great losses on his forces, many of whom were quartered outside the castle walls.<ref>Maddicott, pp. 339–40.</ref> From there the prince moved south, where on 4 August, using many banners captured at Kenilworth to deceive de Montfort into thinking his reinforcements were arriving, he managed to trap the older de Montfort in a loop of the [[River Avon, Warwickshire|Avon]], blocking off the only bridge and thereby forcing de Montfort to fight without his son's reinforcements.<ref name="Maddicott, p. 340">Maddicott, p. 340.</ref> When de Montfort realised this, he allegedly commented: "How skilfully they are advancing. Our bodies are theirs, our souls are God's."<ref>Translation of the original Anglo-Norman text in O. De Laborderie in J. Maddicott and D. Carpenter (ed. and trans.), 'The Last Hours of Simon de Montfort: A New Account', English Historical Review, 115 (2000), pp. 378–412</ref>