A bit of history….
Alexander III, king of the Scots, died and the
legitimate heir to the Scottish crown was Princess Margaret of Norway. Edward
saw a way to exert control over Scotland by negotiating a marriage between
Margaret and his son and heir, the future Edward II. Although he was the feudal
lord of the Scottish kings through his Anglo-Norman roots, he was not the sovereign
of Scotland. Awkwardly, Margaret died in 1290 en route to England. This led to
a disputed succession in Scotland with no less than thirteen different
claimants. Edward exerted his right as feudal lord to intercede. His unwelcome interference
led to a rebellion in Scotland, notably under the leadership of William Wallace
(“Braveheart”). Wallace defeated the
English Army at Stirling and harassed the northern counties of England. Edward
defeated Wallace at Falkirk in 1297 but the resistance continued until Wallace’s
capture and execution in 1304.
It is interesting to note that Edward reissued Magna Carta during the time of Braveheart.
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| Edward I, "Longshanks" |
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| William Wallace, "Braveheart" |
