Edward of Woodstock, The Black Prince (1312 - 1376)

Biography

Edward was the son of King Edward III and spent much of his life on military campaigns with his father, beginning with the Crecy campaign 1346-1347. He was actively involved in founding the Order of the Garter with his father, which brought together the king’s military commanders in France.

Notable events:

• Expedition to Aquitaine 1355
• Battle of Poitiers, 1356, following the Rheims campaign 1359-1360.
• Edward made Prince of Aquitaine as it became an English sovereign
• Spanish campaign in 1367.
• Edward had two sons: Edward and Richard (later Richard II).

Context

Edward was known as a powerful figure and was lauded as a hero in Victorian popular culture. He was portrayed this way in children’s books. The unveiling of his statue brought hundreds of people to City Square. Being unveiled in Leeds shows that the city wanted to be seen as such, strong, important, and powerful. He held the rights of the people.

Edward III, his father, started the woollen trade in West Riding, which is another possible reason for the building of the statue - a tribute to Leeds’ great success in the industry.

The statue was seen as a compliment to Edward VII from T W Harding, for his contribution to Leeds. As the Prince of Wales, he had opened the new Leeds General Infirmary buildings in 1867, and the new Yorkshire College buildings in 1885.

The statue

Date Erected:
1903

Artist:
Thomas Brock (1847 - 1922)

Commissioned / funded by:
Commissioned by Thomas Walter Harding, Lord Mayor of Leeds (1898 - 1899). The statue was commissioned in 1894 as a gift in celebration of Leeds gaining city status the previous year.

Format and materials:
An equestrian statue made of bronze on a two-staged plinth made from polished granite. There are also bronze plaques on the plinth.

Location:
Situated In Leeds City Square.

Description:
Edward the Black Prince is pictured riding a horse on top of a plinth. There is a band around the base of the plinth showing lion masks and scrolls with the names “John Wilclif, John Chandos, Sir Walter De Maunay, William of Wykeham, Chaucer, Froissart, Jacob Van Artevelde, Bertrand Du Guesclin”. The front of the plinth has a plaque which says, “Edward Prince of Wales / surnamed The Black Prince / the hero of Crecy and Poitiers / the flower of England’s chivalry / the upholder of the rights of the people / in the good parliament, 1330-1376.” At the back of the statue there is a plaque that says, “The gift of T. Walter Harding Lord Mayor, 1898-1899, erected 1903, T.Brock.” Plaques on each side of the plinth depict a land and sea battle and Edward himself ready for battle, in full armour.

Sources

• Barber, R. (2008). Edward [Edward of Woodstock; known as the Black Prince], prince of Wales and of Aquitaine. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• Historic England. (2021). STATUE OF THE BLACK PRINCE, CITY SQUARE.
• Ormrod, M, W. (2008). Edward III. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• Van Der Krogt, R. (2019). Edward the Black Prince.

[Image by 'Chemical Engineer' via Wikimedia Commons]