Who was the English king who claimed the French throne and helped start the Hundred Years’ War?

The story behind the answer

After the Capetian line ended with Charles IV in 1328, the English king—grandson of Philip IV through his mother—asserted a dynastic claim to the French throne. When Philip VI of Valois was crowned instead, tensions over feudal obligations and control of Aquitaine escalated. In 1337, this claim helped ignite the Hundred Years’ War. Early English successes like Crécy (1346) and Poitiers (1356), led in part by the Black Prince, underscored the challenge to Valois rule.

By contrast, Edward I focused on Wales and Scotland; Edward II suffered defeat at Bannockburn; and Henry V revived the conflict much later, triumphing at Agincourt (1415). The episode reflects how medieval kingship hinged on lineage, law (including appeals to Salic law), and the tangled web of continental fiefs and trade.