Richard Fitzalan, 3rd Earl of Arundel

1306 — January 24, 1376

Richard Fitzalan, 3rd Earl of Arundel, was one of the richest and most powerful noblemen in 14th-century England. A trusted military commander and admiral under King Edward III, he embodied the chivalric ideals that defined the English court during the opening decades of the Hundred Years' War. His long career of loyal service helped restore his family's fortunes after his father's execution and cemented the Fitzalans as one of the great baronial houses of medieval England.

Early Life and Restoration of the Earldom

Richard Fitzalan was born in 1306, the son of Edmund Fitzalan, 2nd Earl of Arundel, and Alice de Warenne. His early life was overshadowed by political catastrophe: in 1326, his father was captured and executed for supporting the deposed King Edward II against the invading forces of Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer. The Fitzalan estates and title were confiscated, leaving the young Richard disinherited and his family's status in jeopardy. His fortunes changed dramatically in 1330, when the teenage Edward III seized personal control of the kingdom from Mortimer and had his father's conviction reversed. Richard was restored to his father's earldom and lands, becoming the 3rd Earl of Arundel and, through his Warenne inheritance, eventually the 8th Earl of Surrey as well. This restoration placed him among the wealthiest and most influential nobles in the realm, and it forged a bond of loyalty to Edward III that would define the remainder of his career. From this point forward, Arundel dedicated himself to royal service, embracing the chivalric code of duty and honor that characterized Edward's court and the emerging conflict with France.

Military Command and Naval Leadership

Arundel rose to prominence as one of Edward III's most capable and trusted commanders during the early Hundred Years' War. He served extensively in campaigns against Scotland and France, and he was appointed admiral of the western fleet, a position that placed him in charge of England's naval defenses and expeditionary forces at sea. In this capacity, he played a role in the great English naval victory at the Battle of Sluys in 1340, which crippled French naval power and secured English control of the Channel for years afterward. Beyond his martial duties, Arundel held significant administrative offices, including the justiciarship of North Wales, reflecting the crown's trust in his judgment and organizational abilities. He also amassed extraordinary personal wealth through his vast estates and through loans he extended to the crown, becoming effectively one of Edward III's principal financiers. This combination of military prowess, administrative skill, and financial power made him indispensable to the king and one of the most formidable magnates in England during the mid-14th century.

Later Years and Legacy

In his later years, Arundel continued to serve as a senior statesman and elder figure at Edward III's court, even as the king's health and the political climate of England began to shift. He remained one of the wealthiest men in the kingdom until his death, his fortune surpassing that of many other earls and even rivaling royal resources at times. Arundel died on January 24, 1376, at Arundel Castle in Sussex, the ancestral seat of his family, during the same year as the famous "Good Parliament," which sought reforms in royal governance. He was succeeded by his son, Richard Fitzalan, 4th Earl of Arundel, who would go on to play his own significant role in English politics. The elder Arundel's legacy rests on his embodiment of 14th-century chivalric ideals, his contributions to England's naval dominance, and his family's remarkable recovery from disgrace to become one of the great noble dynasties of medieval England, a status the Fitzalans would retain for generations.