noble_family henry of grosmont
The Hundred Years ' War was a series of conflicts waged from 1337 to 1453 by the ___MASK86___ , rulers of the Kingdom of England , against the House of Valois , rulers of the Kingdom of France , over the succession of the French throne . Each side drew many allies into the war . It was one of the most notable conflicts of the Middle Ages , in which five generations of kings from two rival dynasties fought for the throne of the largest kingdom in Western Europe . The war marked both the height of chivalry and its subsequent decline , and the development of strong national identities in both countries . The ___MASK86___ was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France . The name Plantagenet is used by modern historians to identify four distinct royal houses  the Angevins who were also Counts of Anjou , the main body of the Plantagenets following the loss of Anjou , and the houses of Lancaster and York , the Plantagenets ' two cadet branches . The family held the English throne from 1154 , with the accession of Henry II , until 1485 , when Richard III died . Henry of Grosmont , 1st Duke of Lancaster , 4th Earl of Leicester and Lancaster , KG ( c . 1310 -- 23 March 1361 ) , also Earl of Derby , was a member of the English nobility in the 14th century , and a prominent English diplomat , politician , and soldier . The son and heir of Henry , 3rd Earl of Lancaster , and Maud Chaworth , he became one of Edward III ' s most trusted captains in the early phases of the Hundred Years ' War and distinguished himself with victory in the Battle of Auberoche . He was a founding member and the second Knight of the Order of the Garter in 1348 , and in 1351 was created duke . Grosmont was also the author of the book Livre de seyntz medicines , a highly personal devotional treatise . He is remembered as one of the founders and early patrons of Corpus Christi College , Cambridge , which was established by two of the guilds of the town in 1352 . The ___MASK3___ was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty . They succeeded the House of Capet ( or " Direct Capetians ") to the French throne , and were the royal ___MASK75___ from 1328 to 1589 . Junior members of the family founded cadet branches in Orléans , Anjou , Burgundy , and Alençon . The Duchy of Lancaster is , since 1399 , the private estate of the British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster . The principal purpose of the estate is to provide a source of independent income to the Sovereign . The estate consists of a portfolio of lands , properties , and assets held in trust for the Sovereign , and is administered separately from the Crown Estate . The duchy consists of of land holdings ( including rural estates and farmland ), urban developments , historic buildings , and some commercial properties across England and Wales , particularly in Cheshire , Staffordshire , Derbyshire , Lincolnshire , Yorkshire , Lancashire and the ___MASK63___ Estate in London . The Duchy of Lancaster is one of two royal duchies : the other is the Duchy of Cornwall , which provides income to the Prince of Wales . Thomas , Earl of Leicester and Lancaster ( c . 1278  22 March 1322 ) was an English nobleman . A junior member of the ___MASK86___ , he was one of the leaders of the baronial opposition to his first cousin , Edward II of England . The Duke of Lancaster is an ancient title which is currently held by Elizabeth II , who is also the Monarch of the United Kingdom . The Duchy of Lancaster exists as a separate entity from the Crown Estate and currently provides income for the British monarch . Edmund Crouchback ( 16 January 1245  5 June 1296 ), a member of the ___MASK86___ , was the second surviving son of Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence . In his childhood he had a claim on the Kingdom of Sicily , but he never ruled there . In 1265 he was granted all the lands of Simon de Montfort and from 1267 he was titled Earl of Leicester . In that year he also began to rule Lancashire , but he did not take the title Earl of Lancaster until 1276 . Between 1276 and 1284 he governed the counties of Champagne and Brie with his second wife , Blanche of Artois , in the name of her daughter Joan . His nickname , " Crouchback " ( meaning " crossed - back "), refers to his participation in the Ninth Crusade . The title of Earl of Lancaster was created in the Peerage of England in 1267 , merging in the crown in 1399 . It was succeeded by the Duke of Lancaster . The title was created when Henry III of England created the Earldom of Lancasterfrom which the house was namedfor his second son Edmund Crouchback in 1267 . Edmund had already been created Earl of Leicester in 1265 and was granted the lands and privileges of Simon de Montfort , 6th Earl of Leicester , after de Montfort ' s death and attainder at the end of the Second Barons ' War . When Edmund ' s son Thomas , 2nd Earl of Lancaster , inherited his father - in - law ' s estates and title of Earl of Lincoln he became at a stroke the most powerful nobleman in England , with lands throughout the kingdom and the ability to raise vast private armies to wield power at national and local levels . This brought himand Henry , his younger brotherinto conflict with their cousin Edward II of England , leading to Thomas ' s execution . Henry inherited Thomas ' s titles and he and his son , who was also called Henry , gave loyal service to Edward ' s sonEdward III of England . Henry , 3rd Earl of Leicester and Lancaster ( c . 1281  22 September 1345 ) was a ___MASK41___ of King Henry III ( 1216 - 1272 ) of England and was one of the principals behind the deposition of King Edward II ( 1307 - 1327 ), his first cousin .