Editing Edward the Black Prince (section)

===Prince of Aquitaine and Gascony===
[[File:Edward III Black Prince 14thc.jpg|thumb|Edward is granted Aquitaine by his father King Edward III. Initial letter "E" of miniature, 1390; [[British Library]], [[shelfmark]]: Cotton MS Nero D VI, f.31]]
[[File:Signet-ring Black Prince Louvre OA9597.jpg|thumb|Edward's [[signet ring]], found in [[Montpensier]], France in 1866. Now in the [[Louvre]], Paris.]]
On 19 July 1362 Edward III granted Prince Edward all his dominions in Aquitaine and Gascony, to be held as a principality by liege homage on payment of an ounce of gold each year, together with the title of Prince of Aquitaine and Gascony.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=96}} cites ''Fœdera'', iii. 667.</ref> During the rest of the year he was occupied in preparing for his departure to his new principality, and after Christmas he received the king and his court at Berkhamsted, took leave of his father and mother, and in the following February sailed with Joan and all his household for Gascony, landing at [[La Rochelle]].{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=96}}

At La Rochelle the prince was met by John Chandos, the king's lieutenant, and proceeded with him to Poitiers, where he received the homage of the lords of Poitou and [[County of Saintonge|Saintonge]]; he then rode to various cities and at last came to Bordeaux, where from 9 to 30 July he received the homage of the lords of Gascony. He received all graciously and kept a splendid court, residing sometimes at Bordeaux and sometimes at [[Angoulême]].{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=96}}

The prince appointed Chandos constable of [[Guyenne]] and provided the knights of his household with profitable offices. They kept much state, and their extravagance displeased the people.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=96}} cites ''Froissart'', vi. 82.</ref> Many of the Gascon lords were dissatisfied at being handed over to the dominion of the English, and the favour the prince showed to his own countrymen, and the ostentatious magnificence they exhibited, increased this feeling of dissatisfaction. [[Arnaud Amanieu, Lord of Albret]], and many more were always ready to give what help they could to the French cause, and [[Gaston III, Count of Foix|Gaston, Count of Foix]], though he visited the prince on his first arrival, was thoroughly French at heart and gave some trouble in 1365 by refusing to do homage for Bearn.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=96}} cites ''Fœdera'', iii. 779.</ref> Charles V, who succeeded to the throne of France in April 1364, was careful to encourage the malcontents, and the prince's position was by no means easy.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=96}}

In April 1363 Edward mediated between the Counts of Foix and Armagnac, who had for a long time been at war with each other. He also attempted in February 1364 to mediate between [[Charles, Duke of Brittany|Charles of Blois]] and John of Montfort, the rival competitors for the [[Duchy of Brittany]]. Both appeared before him at Poitiers, but his mediation was unsuccessful.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=96}}

In May 1363 the prince entertained [[Peter I of Cyprus|Peter, King of Cyprus]], at Angoulême and held a tournament there. At the same time he and his lords excused themselves from assuming the cross—that is, they declined to join Peter's proposed [[Crusades|crusade]]. During the summer the lord of Albret was at Paris, and his forces and several other Gascon lords held the French cause in Normandy against the party of Navarre. Meanwhile, war was renewed in Brittany; the prince allowed Chandos to raise and lead a force to succour the party of Montfort, and Chandos won the [[Battle of Auray]] (29 September 1364) against the French.{{sfn|Hunt|1889|p=96}}

As the leaders of the free companies which desolated France were for the most part Englishmen or Gascons, they did not ravage Aquitaine, and the prince was suspected, probably not without cause, of encouraging or at least of taking no pains to discourage their proceedings.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=96}} cites ''Froissart'', vi. 183.</ref> Accordingly on 14 November 1364 Edward III called upon him to restrain their ravages.<ref>{{harvnb|Hunt|1889|p=96}} cites ''Fœdera,'' iii. 754.</ref>