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Why did Edward III renounce his claim to the French crown in the Treaty of Calais?

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Medieval illustration of the Battle of Crecy shows armored soldiers fighting with swords, shields, and bows as mounted knights and banners fill the background. — Hundred Years’ War Image depicting the Battle of Crécy, during the Hundred Years' War, in which Edward III of England defeated Philip VI of France on August 26, 1346.

In the Treaty of Calais (1360), Edward III renounced his claim to the French crown primarily in exchange for the full sovereignty of Aquitaine and other territories, including Calais and Guînes.12

This decision followed a period of military stalemate and exhaustion. After the capture of the French king John II at the Battle of Poitiers, Edward had initially attempted to impose harsher terms through the Treaties of London, which the French Estates refused to ratify. Edward subsequently launched a major campaign in 1359–1360 intended to be a decisive blow, but he failed to take Reims and suffered significant losses due to severe weather, which damaged his army and baggage.132

Facing these setbacks and the high costs of war, Edward was willing to accept the terms negotiated at Brétigny and finalized in the Treaty of Calais. By securing full sovereignty over his French possessions, he achieved a significant territorial gain that he preferred over the increasingly difficult and costly pursuit of the French throne.32