A letter that has lain unread for over 600 years is forcing a rethink of
a 14th Century prince with a controversial reputation. He was the
superstar of his age, winning his spurs in battle aged just 16. But the
reputation of Edward of Woodstock - or the Black Prince, as he has
become known to history - is still the subject of the same type of
dispute that rages over the reputations of Richard III and Oliver
Cromwell.
A persistent theory runs that
Edward's nickname
refers to the cruelty he inflicted upon the French during the Hundred
Years War - the dynastic struggle for the crown of France. The blackest
stain upon Edward's reputation is the sack of the French town of Limoges
in September 1370.
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