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

Edmund of Cornwall emerges as a pivotal force shaping late-thirteenth-century England through wealth, regency, and enduring religious patronage.

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...