Summer 1346, Windsor Castle, Windsor, England

After another strenuous labour, Queen Philippa gave birth to a healthy baby girl who was named Margaret.

Word was sent to the King.

Unlike previous campaigns, Edward named Philippa regent when he and the prince were abroad. She was the de facto leader of England until he returned. He trusted her like no other. She recovered quickly from childbirth as she required advisors to report turmoil in the country. With these reports, she could advise what course of action to take.

When she was well enough, she met with them in person. She had no time to linger and rest, and thanks to God's grace, she had her strength recovered quicker than other births. She took this as a sign she was meant to lead.

Crécy-en-Ponthieu, Picardy, France

Edward of Woodstock, Prince and heir to England's throne, was a young man of 16 and faced his first monumental challenge of his life. He accompanied his father, sailing from Portsmouth, England to Normandy without alerting Philip VI's French troops of their presence.

The King demanded destruction, and every village they marched passed was looted, razed, and anyone who offered resistance was executed.

"They won't bow to us unless they fear us. Such is the cost of war. You needn't worry. God is on our side," the King said as his son surveyed the dead bodies.

The English had perfected the use of the longbow, and their army was ready to use them. Their army was filled with English, Welsh, some Norman men, and German mercenaries. The King hoped to meet with Flemish troops, but a messenger said they were forced to turn back. The French army was aware of the invasion and moved to stop their progress with hired Genoese bowmen on their side. King John of Bohemia joined the French on the front lines. The troops headed towards each other at Crécy-en-Ponthieu.

The spot was no accident. Edward's French mother Isabella, a Princess of France, had passed her inherited lands there to him. He knew it,and his leaders knew it. The sloping hillsides broken by terracing and copses provided the ideal defensive position.

"We will lead the army in three battalions," Edward III said to his son. "You lead the middle army with the aid from the Earl of Northampton, and the Earl of Warwick will lead the right. The Earl of Arundel will cover the left side of our positioning. I will lead the reserves behind them."

The leaders were all shocked.

"Surely, your majesty, you must lead us," the Earl of Northampton said.

"No, the Prince must lead. My son is ready, and he must prove it to us all. If it is God's will for England to rule France, He will lead the Prince to victory. If the Prince fails, then this was all for naught. I cannot hold a country for him to lose it when I'm dead. I will hold back my army unless the Prince is injured."

Prince Edward, full of passion, energy, and excitement but no experience, quickly agreed to take charge. But when the battle began, it was unusually brutal--men flung from their horses were trampled or suffocated in mud, men were stabbed or filled with arrows with no pity, both armies using brute strength and vowing no prisoners, only casualties.

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Prince Edward, clad in armour nearly black in colour so its coating of blood was not very visible, was attacked. Several sharp blows brought him to his knees. His standard-bearer stood over him to defend the Prince until word of his condition could be sent. The Earl of Arundel saw the attack and turned his horse to spread the word. It was then that the King's reserve army was deployed to rescue the situation, and the French army was repelled.

The Prince was able to regain his footing and bound his wounds. The French charged again, and the ready Prince repelled them, and again. Fierce fighting occurred through the night and every time ended in a French retreat. The skilled bowmen and strategic battlefield secured the outcome. The French had lost, and they had lost heavily.

The English had lost a fraction of the number. The King championed his son. He hugged the Prince afterwards. "You have acquitted yourself loyally," the King said.

Prince Edward bowed to show reverence to his father. With this battle, they were close to equals with one king and one king in waiting.

The French army was humiliated, and a political catastrophe awaited Philip VI while Edward III began right away the campaign that divine intervention was on England's side. The win expanded Edward's control of the area and justified the enormous cost of money and lives lost.

King John of Bohemia died in battle, and King Edward III paid for the funeral.

"A king is appointed by God, no matter what country," Edward III explained. "He was an enemy but an equal. I respect him and also, we must earn the loyalty of our new citizens. So we must properly respect their old king if we want them to respect me as their new king."

And so with their own pivotal success on their side, the English campaign in France continued, seeking the next victory.

Autumn 1346, Durham, England

Philippa received word that the Scottish army planned to invade from the north, as most of the English troops were in France. The alliance between France and Scotland, the Auld Alliance, required the Scots to act as a result of England attacking France.

The series of events led Queen Philippa to leading, but leading as she saw fit and no how anyone else told her.

"I will lead the remaining army North to fight the Scots," Lord Neville offered.

Queen Phillippa thought for a moment. "You can lead, my Lord, but I will accompany you," she declared.

"My queen, your place is in the safety of London."

"I am regent, and as regent I must be present with my army. My husband would accompany you if he were here. I will not go into battle, but the troops need to hear from the person asking them to risk their lives."

The domestic English army marched all the way to northern England. Philippa, only months past childbirth, nonetheless mounted a horse and rode to the front of the soldiers.

"The Scots threaten your homeland. You must defend it. Here, at Neville's cross, you must repel this attack for God and England. Bless you all!" she said.

The soldiers cheered out, and marched on led by Lords Neville and Percy to the hill with the stone cross where the Scots made their stand. The English numbers were half of Scotland's, but they suffered very few casualties and had the greatest outcome--capturing King David II of Scotland himself. He was badly wounded with two arrows in his face but still lived.

"Shall we execute him?" Lord Neville asked. Almost all of the other military leaders had been captured or killed in the battle, leaving the Scots leaderless.

"No," Phillippa decided. "Let not any king die by my words. Take him to the nearest castle and send for surgeons to treat his wounds. Keep him under heavy guard but treat him with the respect his station requires. He is more valuable for his life in a treaty with Scotland than dead and reigniting their ire."

And so King David was held as a prisoner but treated well, and word spread throughout England and Scotland of the queen's gentle nature and compassion. There were no more Scottish attacks.