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How was Edward III related to Charles IV of France?
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Edward III
Edward III, watercolour, 15th century; in the British Library (Cotton MS. Julius E. IV).
Edward III of England was the nephew of Charles IV of France. Edwardâs mother, Isabella, was the sister of Charles IV.12
Following the death of Charles IV in 1328, who left no male heir, Edward III used this maternal connection to claim the French throne. However, his claim was contested and ultimately rejected by an assembly of French magnates, who favored Philip of Valois (Philip VI) based on the emerging principle that the crown could not be inherited through a female line.13