The image of chivalry: the Black Prince's effigy reveals the medieval military ideal

This is a powerful 14th-century sculpture of the perfect medieval knight. Resting with his hands clasped in prayer, the Black Prince has a face of massive, moustached authority. His armour is lovingly reproduced. He looks ready for heaven, or the battlefield. The Black Prince died in 1376. He was in his 40s. Although he never inherited the throne from his father Edward III, he is remembered as a great warrior who fought bravely at the Battle of Crécy. This is not a portrait of an individual; it is a monument to a military ideal. Illustration: Angelo Hornak/Alamy