He defeated and killed Simon de Montfort in Battle, travelled to the Holy Land on a crusade, conquered Wales and exterminated its native rulers. Edward constructed several magnificent castles, including Conwy, Harlech, Beaumaris and Carnarfon.
Author Marc Morris explains why Longshanks became Edward I, despite three previous kings sharing the same name. He clears up the confusion that Edward I was not the Confessor, but named after him.
He is the first to write a comprehensive biography of Edward since World War I.
Edward was born in 1239, amid joyous celebrations. Londoners danced wildly in the streets.
His father Henry III inherited a kingdom scarred and divided by civil war. Henry’s reign was a disaster. His incompetence led to the formation of an English parliament.
He married Eleanor of Castile in October 1254 to prevent an invasion of Gascony (an English territory) by her half-brother Alfonso. They produced sixteen children, including Eleanor, Joan, Margaret, Elizabeth and Edward II.
The Ninth Crusade
Edward participated in a crusade—the undertaking of a lifetime, but he returned when news reached him of his father’s death.
Crusades were considered the highest of all knightly endeavours—to wear the Cross and wrest control of Jerusalem from infidel Muslim rulers. They required months, even years, of preparation including raising funds, logistics and ensuring one’s lands were safe during one’s absence.
Edward’s reign included persecution and marginalisation of the Jews as a minority group. They were heavily taxed to raise revenue, before their expulsion in 1290.
His beloved queen Eleanor died the same year. The famous Eleanor Crosses were erected in her honour.
Intervention in Scotland
Edward intervened in Scotland after Margaret, the Maid of Norway, died en-route in the Orkneys. He even arranged a marriage between the young Scottish Queen and the future Edward II.
John Balliol was crowned king but he rejected Edward as overlord and sought an alliance with the French.
Struggles for independence in Scotland began in earnest. Balliol was defeated but Edward faced a new foe—William Wallace.
The English faced a major setback with their defeat at Stirling Bridge on 11 September 1297.
Wallace led terrifying raids across the border, including a siege at Carlisle, cementing his reputation as a “bloodthirsty bogeyman”.[i]
English resources were already stretched as Edward was at war with France over Gascony. A ceasefire was agreed upon for two years, as the matter was referred to the Pope.
Edward also dealt severely with magnates who usurped royal rights.
His reign involved many constitutional changes and improving the English legal system to be more efficient and fairer.
[i] Morris, M, A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain, Windmill Books [Random House], London, 2008
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