Plantagenet Kings

 Edward I

King Edward I was born on June 17th, 1239. He was the son of King Henry III and Eleanor of Provence. 

King Edward I of England (1239-1307; reigned 1272-1307); he was named Edward because his father was a huge fan of the Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor

Young Edward had a tough childhood, suffering from many illnesses. As a result, he was considered so weak that many believed that he would not outlive his father. However, he grew up into an unusually tall and robust teenager. In fact, for his unusual height of 6.2 feet, he earned his famous nickname ''Longshanks''. Furthermore, differences in character between Edward and Henry became more noticeable. While Henry was a very pious man, his son was energetic and had a volcanic temperament, leading to many arguments between the two. In 1258, a group of nobles, who were unhappy with King Henry's policies and the influence of the King's half-brothers, the Lusignans, drew up a document known as the Provisions of Oxford which proposed a series of reforms of the royal government. 

Simon de Montfort (1208-1265); he was King Henry III's brother-in-law and he supported the Provisions of Oxford

Edward sided with the nobles, thus souring his relationship with his father. Eventually, Henry secured the support of the Papacy and he repealed the Provisions of Oxford. This was not without consequences, and Barons led by Simon de Montfort rebelled against the King, in 1264. The Second Barons' War had  begun. Prince Edward, who had reconciled with Henry, supported his father in the conflict. The two armies met at the Battle of Lewes (1264). The rebels won a shocking victory which led to the imprisonment of both Henry and Edward. Montfort, being the de facto ruler of England, established a Protectorate ruled by Parliament. In 1265, Edward escaped captivity, and assembled a new army in order to release his father. At the Battle of Evesham (1265), Edward won a decisive victory; Simon de Montfort died on the battlefield, while King Henry III was released shortly afterwards. 

Eleanor of Castile (1241-1290); she was the first wife of Edward I; they got married in 1254, and they were both devout to each other, and they had 7 children

14th century manuscript depicting King Edward I with his wife Eleanor

In 1268, King Louis IX of France called for a Crusade in North Africa with the aim of conquering the city of Tunis. Edward joined the Crusade, in 1270, but when he arrived in Tunisia, King Louis had already died of dysentery. Becoming the commander-in-chief of the army, Edward decided to retreat to Sicily and then he set sail to the Holy Land. He achieved little successes her, but he managed to secure the city-port of Acre from the hands of the Egyptian Mamluks, in 1271. In 1272, upon his return from the Holy Land, Edward was given the news that his father had died. He was officially crowned King Edward I on August 19th, 1274, at Westminster Abbey. During his early reign, Edward focused primarily on streamlining and reforming the administration of his government. Between 1277 and 1283, he completed the conquest of all Wales; in 1290, his wife, Eleanor, died. The King was completely distraught at the loss of his wife. He became a hardened man in the wake of the loss, more bitter and brooding in nature. 

Imagine of King Edward I

His military campaigns in Wales were very expensive and imposed huge financial burdens upon the nation. The main source of income was taxation and a particular group in England was taxed far more heavily than others: the Jews. After a series of persecutions against the Jewish community, Edward issued the Edict of Expulsion (1290) by which all Jews were expelled from England. The ban was lifted in 1656.

The Scottish Problem:

In 1286, King Alexander III of Scotland died. Having no male heirs, the crown was passed to his daughter, Margaret, who was also the grand-daughter of Edward. Seeing an opportunity, Edward suggested that Margaret and Edward of Caernarfon, Edward's eldest son, should be united in marriage. 

Alexander III of Scotland (1241-1286; reigned 1249-1286); his death without a male hier would spark a succession crisis 

Unfortunately, Margaret died too, and many Scottish nobles claimed the crown. The English King was asked to play the role of arbitrator, and he agreed on the condition that the claimant accept him as his overlord. In 1292, he awarded the throne to John Balliol, who became the new King of Scotland. However, John rebelled against Edward and gathered his forces in March 1296. The Scots were defeated and John was thrown into the Tower of London. Scotland was once again kingless.

John Balliol (1249-1312; reigned 1292-1296)

In order to absorb Scotland into his kingdom, Edward demanded oaths of fealty from all Scottish nobles, Any who refused to do so were hunted down as outlaws. Being confident that he secured his northern flank, Edward turned his attention to France, which had recently allied with Scotland. Meanwhile, a new uprising started in Scotland, led by a man called William Wallace. In 1297, Wallace won a resounding victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. He then crossed the border and plundered the North of England.

William Wallace (1270-1305)

Edward, who was fighting the French in Flanders, decided to handle the situation personally. In 1298, he marched North with 17,000 men. The two armies met at Falkirk where the English won. Wallace managed to avoid being captured and he went into hiding. In 1305, Wallace was finally captured by the English and he was taken to London where he was hanged, drawn and quartered. A year later, Robert the Bruce killed all his rivals and crowned himself King of Scotland. 

Robert the Bruce (1274-1329; reigned 1306-1329). He is regarded as one of the greatest kings Scotland has ever had 

King Edward gathered his army once again, and marched North. However, on July 7th, 1307, he contracted dysentery and died. He was buried at Westminster Abbey. His son Edward became the new King of England as Edward II.