Edward I's Regent: Edmund of Cornwall, the man behind England’s Greatest King

Born at Christmas 1249 to Richard, Edmund of Cornwall was nephew to Henry III and cousin to Edward I.His eventful childhood took him to Germany when his father was elected king there.He was captured at the battle of Lewes and imprisoned for more than a year.Returning from crusade, he witnessed the brutal murder of his half-brother, which left him as heir to his father, the richest man in the kingdom. Throughout his life, Edmund played a crucial role in medieval England.As Regent of England, Earl of Cornwall and the richest man in the land, he was a leading force of the late-thirteenth century. This book considers Edmund’s life, his use of his wealth to lend to the king and others and to be a major benefactor of religious houses.His piety saw him found two new religious houses, rebuild another and bring the Holy Blood relic from Germany to Hailes abbey.His record as Regent of England for three years is assessed.The wide spread of his lands, which included 13castles and more than 800 pla