I'm curious how committed Edward III is to continuing his war for the French throne if his oldest son and heir is killed in action as his father "let the boy win his spurs".
On the one hand, King Edward has other sons, as by this time, Lionel of Antwerp, John of Gaunt, and Edmund of Langley had all been born (and in OTL, all managed to live long, fairly healthy lives and had issue). He also has several living daughters around too, so even if it is a huge blow, he has Plans B-D already in place. However, seeing his son get killed in battle could also convince Edward that continuing his war just isn't worth it. I'm sure seeing Edward's heir get killed would significantly help French morale, even in a tactical loss.
Those are just short term possibilities. With this death, the rest of the Hundred Years War is butterflied entirely. Maybe not away entirely, but at the very least, the way the war proceeds is radically different. Could anyone even begin to speculate what happens after Edward III dies? Could the Plantagenet dynasty survive even as long as the 16th century? Could the heirs of Lionel, John, or Edmund keep out of any dynastic struggles down the line? I would also assume all marriages would be radically different too. Whoever ends up as the Prince of Wales likely sees himself in a much more strategic marriage.
This is a POD that really could have happened in OTL. Edward made a huge gamble in not immediately supporting his son when his son's section of the line was in distress. The future Black Prince made his reputation here and the outcome of the battle told the rest of Europe that not only does England have a strong king, but that the next king was also going to be strong.
On the one hand, King Edward has other sons, as by this time, Lionel of Antwerp, John of Gaunt, and Edmund of Langley had all been born (and in OTL, all managed to live long, fairly healthy lives and had issue). He also has several living daughters around too, so even if it is a huge blow, he has Plans B-D already in place. However, seeing his son get killed in battle could also convince Edward that continuing his war just isn't worth it. I'm sure seeing Edward's heir get killed would significantly help French morale, even in a tactical loss.
Those are just short term possibilities. With this death, the rest of the Hundred Years War is butterflied entirely. Maybe not away entirely, but at the very least, the way the war proceeds is radically different. Could anyone even begin to speculate what happens after Edward III dies? Could the Plantagenet dynasty survive even as long as the 16th century? Could the heirs of Lionel, John, or Edmund keep out of any dynastic struggles down the line? I would also assume all marriages would be radically different too. Whoever ends up as the Prince of Wales likely sees himself in a much more strategic marriage.
This is a POD that really could have happened in OTL. Edward made a huge gamble in not immediately supporting his son when his son's section of the line was in distress. The future Black Prince made his reputation here and the outcome of the battle told the rest of Europe that not only does England have a strong king, but that the next king was also going to be strong.
