‘Piers, for you the last toss of the dice!

But the result was really nasty, not at all nice’!

The return of Gaveston in January 1312, although not entirely unexpected, nevertheless did not sit well with the nobility. The king and Gaveston travelled north while the nobles, led by Thomas of Lancaster and Archbishop Robert Winchelsey, planned the arrest of the royal favourite. Gaveston became ill and took refuge at Scarborough castle in Yorkshire, while King Edward went forth gathering forces with which to repel Lancaster’s army. Scarborough castle was promptly besieged by Alymer de Valence, the Earl of Pembroke and in May, Gaveston surrendered on the understanding that he would not be harmed.

Alymer de Valence.

Pembroke took his prisoner south and had the errant favourite ensconced in congenial quarters at Deddington, Oxfordshire. The Earl, a true knight and adherent of the old chivalric code, was undoubtedly sincere in his guarantee of Gaveston’s safety. Pembroke would keep his word and Gaveston knew it. However, other nobles were unencumbered by such principles, they wished Gaveston dead and swiftly. One of these was the Earl of Warwick, who on June 10th abducted Gaveston from Deddington and had him transported under humiliating conditions to Warwick castle.

There Warwick, with the connivance of the Earls of Arundel, Hereford and Lancaster decided that Gaveston should be executed. The doomed Gaveston frantically begged for his life at the feet of Lancaster, but to no avail.

‘Gaveston was brought forth to Blacklow Hill!

There two Celts awaited to carry out this greatly desired kill!’

On June 19th 1312 the dastardly deed was carried out at Blacklow Hill by two Welsh soldiers, with Lancaster watching from a distance.

Thomas Plantagenet, 2nd Earl of Lancaster.

Gaveston was slain with a sword, and his head was then severed from his torso and presented to Lancaster.

‘Thomas of Lancaster watched Gaveston’s grisly demise from a distance away!

The greater part of England erupted in cheers and proclaimed June 19th to have been a great day!’

The greater part of England did not include the embodiment of the nation, the king himself. King Edward, when he learned of Gaveston’s death, was beside himself with grief and fury and vowed revenge upon those responsible.

‘Oh Piers, sweet Piers, in life you were the brightest star!

The true one that not even the foulest insult could ever mar!

My heart and mind is now consumed with the bitterest bile!

When I think of the dogs who committed this act so vile!’

Few doubted that this now meant civil war, and indeed Edward appeared bent on it. However, fate and the force of events can, and will, alter the course of action that men have resolutely planned to pursue. In this respect, King Edward I was no exception, as the immediate post-Gaveston era would reveal.

 

‘Happy New Year! Please put away your fears!

This year, Piers will prove himself, by far the greatest of his peers!’

Piers Gaveston

As the debris from the Christmas festivities was cleared away from the Great Hall of the royal palace, Edward pondered the political situation. A parliament was to be held the following month and the signs were not auspicious. Of course the main bone of contention was Gaveston. King Edward was most upset about the attitude of the nobles to Gaveston. The king was not having a happy January and he lamented:

‘Well the dreadful fuss regarding the harmless, humorous nicknames that Piers has bestowed on the magnates! Have these aristocrats no sense of humour?  He calls Henry de  Lacy, ‘Burst belly’, well you only have to look at him to see that it is accurate !

The Earl of Lancaster has been named as ‘Rangy Pig’, but I feel that Piers is actually being quite kind. Given Thomas’ character, there are much worse things that you could call him with some justification and I am saying that as his cousin!’

The coat of arms of Thomas, second earl of Lancaster.

King Edward was contemplating an invasion of Scotland in 1310, as the situation there had become quite dire. Robert Bruce had captured a number of English held castles and something had to be done before Edward’s rule there was broken.

‘The nobles won’t stop bitching about Piers, it’s constant bitch, bitch, bitch!

They should remember that it was the power of the English crown which allowed their families to become so fabulously rich!’

The barons demand more say over how the government is run.

A parliament was arranged for February of 1310 on condition that Gaveston did not attend. Edward reluctantly agreed to attend because he needed baronial support for his campaign in Scotland. The King had to agree to the establishment of a committee of 21 magnates known as the ‘Ordainers’ to look into political reform. Fundamentally, the Ordainers were demanding more parliamentary control over how the country was run and of course they wanted rid of Gaveston.

Scotland 1310.

While the Ordainers were preparing to formally present their case, Edward departed for Scotland taking Gaveston with him. This was a most lacklustre campaign and nothing significant was actually achieved. Robert Bruce refused to engage Edward’s army in conventional battle and preferred to retaliate with highly effective guerrilla tactics.

‘King Edward and Gaveston sped north to deal with Robert Bruce!

But their plans were foiled by Bruce’s habit of fighting fast and loose!

Bruce played a skilful game of hit and run!

T’was a successful method, and eventually he won!

Although military success in Scotland eluded him, Edward was happy enough, as he had Gaveston in tow and he was far away from his critics at Westminster. However, the king could not stay away from the capital indefinitely, and a parliament was summoned for August 1311. it was time for Edward to face the music and the tunes were not to be to his liking.

The Ordinances.

These constituted a strong challenge to the king’s power by parliament. Apart from parliament’s demand for influence over appointments and finance, they also wished to curtail the king’s authority to wage war. Needless to say, there was the inevitable call for the banishment of Gaveston. The Ordainers insisted that he should depart the realm before November 1st, All Saints Day. Although Edward vigorously protested the demands, he was eventually forced to back down. The king did however, petition the pope to annul the ordinance pertaining to Gaveston.

Gaveston did actually leave the country, but not for long. The irascible earl had secretly returned to the realm by Christmas 1311. Events would soon take a most serious turn with fatal consequences.

 

During Gaveston’s absence, the king had acquired another unsavoury soulmate with whom to cavort, Hugh Despenser the younger. The nobility took a very dim view of Hugh Despenser’s elevation as royal favourite, because they regarded him as a Gaveston mark II. Edward appears to have had a constant need for a special male companion of rather low character.

The king’s main priority during the latter part of 1308 and the early months of 1309 was to engineer Gaveston’s return to England. To this end, Edward II spent a great deal of his time and energy.

‘Oh Piers, on your behalf I have contacted the Pope in Rome!

To lift the threat of excommunication and bring you safely home!’

In the spring of 1309, Pope Clement V at King Edward’s request nullified the order of excommunication hanging over Gaveston. Edward’s immense delight was matched only by Archbishop Winchelsey’s great anger.

Pope Clement V.

Edward had placated his father-in-law, King Philip IV of France by granting Isabella some of his land in France. The king had also been able to mollify parliament by promising to be more cooperative with them in future. In addition, Edward had to agree to the banishment of Despenser from his court. After all, having to tolerate two incorrigible prima donnas at court was simply too awful for any self-respecting earl to contemplate.

‘Dispense with the Despenser was the cry!

So to Hugh it was a time to say bye bye!’

All of this was enough to ensure that Gaveston’s stay in Ireland was to be a short one. Once he got the okay from Edward, Gaveston jumped on the first suitable vessel departing from Dun Laoghaire  for England.

‘Oh farewell fair Dublin town!

I leave you now with a smile, not a frown!’

The prodigal favourite arrived back in July 1309 and was warmly welcomed by the king, who promptly reinstated him as earl of Cornwall. At a parliament that summer, Edward promised to curtail the powers of certain Crown officials and in return the barons agreed to the levying of taxes to pay for a war against the Scots. It would appear that despite their differences, the king and parliament had forged an acceptable working arrangement.

‘King Edward worked well with the nobles that summer season!

But had Piers Gaveston matured and begun to see reason?’

Had Gaveston learned his lesson? Not a bit of it. If anything he became even more obnoxious and confrontational than ever before. He compiled a number of nicknames for the senior members of the nobility. The Earl of Lincoln was called ‘Burst Belly’, ‘Thomas, Earl of Lancaster was dubbed ‘Rangy Pig’, and the Earl of Warwick, Guy Beauchamp was referred to as ‘Black Dog’.

Coat of arms of Guy Beauchamp, earl of Warwick.

Most insulting of all was Gaveston’s labelling of the perfectly amiable Earl of Gloucester as ‘Whoreson’. Never had the English nobility been treated with such disrespect, and all with the indifference or perhaps even the approval, of the king.

Edward appeared oblivious to the huge resentment that Gaveston was creating amongst the leading barons. An audience with the king could only be obtained with Gaveston’s permission. Piers Gaveston was beginning to behave as if he was the king’s guardian. Had the monarchy of a single king evolved into one of a dual nature?

December of 1309 of course brought forth the great feast of Christmas. King Edward loved a festive banquet with all of its accompanying entertainment.

‘My dear nobles please come to court to spend Christmas with myself and Piers!

Make merry at the royal palace fortified by venison, vintage wines and fine English beers!’

Predictably, many of the Lords and Ladies declined the invitation because they found the mere presence of Gaveston intolerable beyond measure.

 

‘T’was Piers, Piers Gaveston, his antics of mischief realised our worst, most abominable  fears!

Mention his name in any noble household and you would immediately be deafened by the loudest jeers!’

The cream of the English ruling class departed from Westminster, bemoaning the fare and sights that they had been subjected to at the coronation banquet. Some actually accused Gaveston of deliberately sabotaging the preparations in the royal kitchens to ensure that the food would be foul to the palate, as they knew of his warped sense of humour. How he looked over, grinning and leering as they, with set faces valiantly tackled the unspeakable food. The service at the banquet? Goodness knows, the humble hunting hound in his kennel awaiting the daily dinner slops, received a better delivery of sustenance than that which was offered at the coronation.

‘To be given a meal burnt, over cooked and also under cooked!

T’was an insult to an English noble that could never be overlooked!

To have the food thrown to you as you sat respectfully at table!

As if you were a mere hungry workhorse dwelling in the stable!’

The memories of the king and Gaveston shamelessly fawning over each other at the banquet would linger and fester for a very long time.

King Edward II and Gaveston walking together as courtiers look on.

 However Gaveston, now elevated to the position of earl of Cornwall, was ideally placed to throw his weight around. The earldom of Cornwall had traditionally been bestowed upon a member of the royal family. The fact that it had now been given to a man of relatively low birth was another source of resentment to the nobles. Gaveston was given great influence over patronage, and many believed that he was squandering the treasury’s revenue. Edward dispensed with his father’s experienced advisers and took his cue from the lips of Gaveston. The old guard were besides themselves with fury.

‘Gaveston treats the treasury as if it is his own piggy bank!

He is not an able adviser but an incompetent, foppish crank!’

The situation was clearly intolerable and opposition mounted to the presence of Gaveston in such a post of importance.

‘What to do with Gaveston, a creature so dreadfully and incredibly vile?

The only realistic remedy available to us is to have him placed in exile!’

Gaveston had made himself unbelievably unpopular, acquiring an impressive array of foes in the process. At a parliament held in April of 1308, the barons supported by the French royal family, and the Archbishop of Canterbury demanded that Gaveston be exiled from the realm. At first the king resisted, but under considerable pressure he did eventually agree to exile his favourite courtier. King Edward had Gaveston stripped of his title of earl of Cornwall and in June sent him to Ireland as Lord Lieutenant.  He would oversee English rule in Dublin and the surrounding area known as ‘The Pale’. This was not quite the banishment that had been hoped for, but it did remove him from the levers of power in London. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Winchelsey told Gaveston that if he returned he would be excommunicated from the Church.

‘Gaveston boarded the ship and westwards to Ireland he did sail!

He would reside in Dublin and rule an area, known as The Pale!’

King Edward would have been particularly irritated by this because his father, Edward I had exiled Winchelsey and he had allowed the Archbishop to return.

However, Edward had not totally relented to the demands of the barons. He soon petitioned the Pope to have the threat of excommunication issued by Winchelsey withdrawn.

The body of Edward I was brought south to Westminster Abbey and entombed there on October 27th. He had reigned for thirty- five years and was therefore the only king most of the population would have known.

‘Oh we gather here today to bid farewell to dear King Edward Longshanks!

For his long and illustrious reign we all offer to God, great thanks!’

There would have been little mourning in Scotland and Wales, but many in England were sorry at his demise. Edward’s funeral must have been a grand affair, as such befits so powerful a monarch. The solemnities concluded, it was time to take stock of the new king, Edward II. What kind of a man, he?

The seal of Edward II

Observers commented upon his remarkable physical resemblance to his father, the late Edward. Like his father, his appearance was supremely regal.  However, all were agreed that in terms of character, Edward the younger was most certainly not a chip off of the old block. Unlike his father he showed little inclination for the princely pastimes of jousting tournaments or hunting. Many were somewhat disturbed by Edward’s interest in what they considered ‘un-kingly’ pursuits. These activities included the thatching of roofs, rowing and spending time in the company of musicians and other entertainers.

Edward, the early years.

Edward was born at Caernarfon on April 24th 1284. In common with his great-grandfather, King John, he was the youngest child and would not normally ever expect to become king. However, his four older brothers had died young, leaving him as heir to the throne when only a baby. It must have been a somewhat lonely childhood, as his mother died when he was six and his sisters had flown the royal nest in order to marry. As a boy, he was with his father’s full approval granted an almost official  companion, Piers Gaveston.

‘Piers was to take first place to Edward amongst his peers!’

Perhaps King Edward allowed this, because he thought that this would alleviate his son’s loneliness in a household devoid of siblings. Edward I, had he known, would have been mortified that this decision regarding his son’s upbringing would ultimately serve to topple Edward from his throne.

‘Edward I travelled north to hammer the Scots despite being sick and old!

His son, when he became king would not act in a manner so brave and bold!’

When he died in July 1307, King Edward I had undoubtedly wished for his son to continue with the military campaign in Scotland. However, the new king decided to abandon his father’s war with the Scots, and this decision was the beginning of the end of English rule in Scotland.

Shortly before his death, Edward I having concluded that Gaveston was a bad influence on the Prince of Wales, had exiled him from the realm. One of the young king’s first royal acts was to call his friend back to court.

The coat of arms of Piers Gaveston.

It appeared that the young king was more interested in enjoying the company of Gaveston than he was in enforcing English rule in Scotland. Many saw Edward’s act of recalling Gaveston, as one made with indecent haste, and something of an insult to the memory of the late king. However, Edward went one step further, indeed too far. In January 1308,  Edward journeyed to France to finalise his marital arrangements to the French king Philip IVs ‘daughter, the twelve year old Isabella. The couple were married in Boulogne in January 1308.

The French royal family with Isabella third from left.

Whilst away, Edward left Gaveston in charge of the realm as regent. This decision infuriated much of the nobility, who regarded Gaveston as an arrogant, irresponsible upstart. When Edward returned to England laden with sumptuous wedding presents from the French royal family and nobility, he promptly gifted them to Gaveston.

The coronation of Edward II.

The coronation ceremony, which took place on February 25th 1308, was a truly shameful affair and one not witnessed before or since. The assembled dignitaries were outraged to see Gaveston carrying the crown which was to adorn Edward’s head for the first time. Worse was to come at the coronation banquet, which had been organised by Gaveston. There, the guests, anticipating a meal of an exquisite standard, were presented with dishes of uncommonly poor quality and which were rather sloppily served.

Gaveston made a show of himself, swanning around the banqueting hall attired in a costume of purple, as if to imply superiority to the nobility who were clad in garments of gold. He angered the guests by grinning at them in a supercilious manner, and making insulting remarks about them to their faces.

Given the occasion, the king would have normally been seated with his Queen at one side of him. This was not to be, but then again, Edward was anything but normal. Much to the indignation of the French royals, Edward blatantly ignored Isabella, and spent his time and supping and making merry with Gaveston.

‘He will not sit with his Queen, the young Isabella.

He spends the whole time cavorting with that Gaveston fella.’

Queen Isabella’s relatives registered their disgust by cutting short their stay in London and returning to France.

An inauspicious beginning to the reign, but would Edward yet prove himself to be an able king? As Shakespeare wrote of Edward’s direct descendent, Henry V:

‘The courses of his youth, promised it not.’

Quite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Although stricken with illness, Edward rode astride a horse, declining to be borne upon a litter!

With Robert Bruce and the Scots he was both extremely angry and very, very bitter!’

Oh! Oh! How the old king must have thundered against the Scottish upstart! Bruce’s unworthy ambitions had caused untold disruption, and a tranquil old age for Edward with his much younger wife at Westminster was now in jeopardy. Another fly in the ointment was the heir to the throne, his feckless son, Edward, young Ned. The only thing that King Edward and Robert Bruce could agree upon, was that the Prince of Wales was a most unimpressive figure with little in the way of political cunning or military ability. There had been times when the king had despaired of his son and heir.

Edward I and Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales.

Nevertheless, King Edward in his twilight days had hoped to be enjoying those ‘special years’ as ruler of the whole of Great Britain. It was his great desire to put all of the military unpleasantness behind him.

‘Oh! to be able to bask in old age at the palace at Westminster as Britain’s emperor in all my kingly glory!

Now the actions of that foul Jock, Bobby Bruce, has meant that events may well unfold as a very different story!’

Indeed, events did exactly that. Edward was never to see Scotland or Westminster ever again. King Edward died on July 7th at Burgh-by-Sands in Cumberland. The old warrior must have realized that the end was nigh, so how would he have viewed the results of his exertions during his long reign as king?

Wales had been brought under the jurisdiction of the English crown, but Scotland had managed to avoid that particular fate. This unpalatable fact clearly caused the king immense frustration.

Edward is remembered as a great lawmaker, and he has been referred to as the ‘Father of parliament’. The king summoned more parliaments than any of his predecessors and certainly made it into a more representative institution. The ‘Model parliament’ of 1295 brought together the nobles, the clergy, the shires and the towns in a manner far more inclusive than hitherto.

A later image of King Edward presiding over parliament.

Edward did not intend to concede power to the people but nonetheless, this constituted an important step in the development of the modern parliament.

Edward’s treatment of the Jewish people has quite rightly left a foul taste in modern mouths, but in this respect he was a creature of his times. Anti-Semitism was rife, not only in England, but across Christendom generally.

It is the duty of every king to beget an heir to carry the burden of kingship after his own death. Edward was only too well aware of the low calibre of the son he had begotten, and this would undoubtedly have been the source of more than a little unease to him as he lay on his deathbed.

‘Oh Robert Bruce, you clearly feel incredibly confident and spruce!

But the smart money says that you have definitely cooked your goose!’

Robert Bruce with his wife from a 16th century source.

At first, this opinion indeed appeared to be the case. Bruce was defeated in battle at Methven by Aymer de Valence in June 1306.

Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke.

The newly crowned king of Scotland suffered another military setback at Dalry in Perthshire. In the autumn King Edward, resolute as always, and confident of victory decided to take the bull by the horns. He was, however, debilitated by sickness as he made his way slowly towards Scotland. For Robert Bruce, the prospects for the longevity of his reign did not bode well. Ironically, Bruce was defeated in battle by Prince Edward whom he had initially dismissed as having little potential for leadership.

Old King Edward was incandescent with rage at Bruce, and venom spat from his aged lips as he sallied north. Edward was determined to exact the utmost revenge on Robert Bruce for his actions and indeed the Bruce family were to pay a high price for his ambitions.

‘To destroy Bruce and his followers was Edward’s solemn vow!

To ensure that thereafter, all of Scotland to the English crown, would forever bow!’

Prince Edward besieged Kildrummy castle  which was being held by Bruce’s younger brother, Niall in the summer of 1306.  The young prince took the castle along with many prisoners who would suffer a horrible fate. Bruce’s wife, Elizabeth, along with other female relatives initially escaped young Edward’s clutches. They were later captured and endured a long period of captivity in appalling conditions. Bruce’s sister, Mary and another female ally were imprisoned in wooden cages suspended from a castle in full public view.

‘Such was the extent of Edward’s furious rage!

That he had two of the women held in an open wooden cage!

Quartered way up on high!

amidst the elements offered by the wide open sky!

The two women were adequately fed, but nevertheless it must have been a traumatic and highly humiliating experience for them to endure. Young Prince Edward, however, probably on account of their gender, gallantly accorded them access to a toilet.

The male clan members were somewhat less fortunate. Niall was sentenced to being hanged, drawn and quartered and suffered the terrible penalty in its entirety at Berwick on Tweed in September 1306. Two other brothers of Bruce also died in the rebellion against King Edward. Debilitated as he was, this news must have been a great consolation to Edward in his dreadful, final discomfort. How he must have rejoiced upon learning of what had happened to the Bruce clan, and this would have surely eased his pain. Tears of agony would have been replaced by those of exuberant joy as he was told of the fate of Bruce’s wife and his siblings. The king’s faithful retainers could only have hoped that these events would enable a recovery in the elderly monarch. After all, as they knew, laughter is the greatest of all medicines. Goodness knows, King Edward must have laughed with every fibre of his enormous, powerful frame.

Bruce was on the run and Edward felt confident of final victory in Scotland. However, he had not yet managed to snare Bruce, who evaded capture and remained at large. Indeed the wily Scot defeated Aymer de Valence in battle at Loudon Hill in May of 1307.

Robert Bruce with his followers.

Nevertheless, Bruce’s bid for independence from the English crown appeared to have faltered in the face of the English military onslaught. The old king did not see these victories at first hand because his illness allowed him to travel only a couple of miles a day.

‘King Edward, old as he was, did not intend to retire!

He was of a mind to savage Scotland with sword and fire!’

King Edward was now sixty eight years old, an incredible age for the medieval period. However, retirement did not appear to be high on his list of priorities, if it figured at all. Bruce calculated that the formidable old king would soon be dead and the principal obstacle to his continuing status King of Scotland would thus be removed. It was an enormous gamble but would it pay off?

‘Having been captured, ‘Big Bill Wallace’, in chains is conveyed to London town!

His appearence is met at every turn by Englishman with a loud snarl, and an angry frown!’

August, 1305 was one of the most satisfying times of King Edward’s long reign. How he must have rubbed his hands as he gleefully pondered Wallace’s fate when the unfortunate Scot reached London. There would be a humiliating show trial in Westminster Hall and then the inevitable, slow butchery which would dispatch the wayward Scot rebel in the most drawn out, painful manner imaginable. There was however, one awful disappointment, the king could not witness the bloody spectacle in person.

‘Oh, how I wish I could be there at Smithfield and hear his cries of agony as his insides are slowly plucked from his body. To watch as he is forced to see his bowels being burnt before his eyes!

‘To be present would give me the greatest joy!

That I have ever experienced since I was but a small boy!’

But I, a king cannot be seen at such an event, standing amongst the baying multitude of rude fellows and their lowly women! It would be beneath my royal dignity!’

The trial of William Wallace for treason took place at Westminster Hall on August 23rd 1305. Wallace maintained that the charge was absurd, because he had never been a subject of Edward I.

Wallace’s trial.

Upon being found guilty, Wallace was stripped of his garments and then dragged on a horse drawn sledge to the execution site at Smithfield. There he suffered the full severity of the terrible penalty so recently introduced by King Edward for the crime of treason.

‘To be dragged to your death at the hooves of a horse!

Whilst the spectators, with pleasure screamed themselves hoarse!’

Although Edward was not present, his nobles certainly were, and they would have conveyed the experience of the gruesome proceedings to the king in graphic detail.  The head was placed on a pike on London bridge, and his limbs were displayed in Newcastle and various Scottish towns.

Edward wished to make his point concerning the sentence for rebellion in the most visual way possible. Perhaps he thought that this would deter any other Scot from adopting Wallace’s mantle in opposing the English crown. But, in this respect, ‘Longshanks’ conclusion would prove to be quite mistaken.

Robert the Bruce

Edward’s dream of a pacified Scotland was shattered within months of Wallace’s execution by the Scots nobleman, Robert Bruce. In 1302 Bruce had sworn fealty to Edward, but then reversed his position in February 1306. Bruce decided that he wanted to become king of an independent Scotland and vowed to throw off the English yoke.

Robert Bruce.

Bruce’s first act was to murder his main rival for the Scottish throne, John Comyn in front of the altar in a church at Dumfries.

‘Oh dear John, you died at the foot of the Franciscan’s church’s high altar!

In order that the Bruce’s ambitions to be king  of Scotland would not falter!’

He was going to terminate the careers of any potential domestic adversaries before he took on the formidable King of England. Bruce then proceeded to Scone where he arranged to have himself crowned King of the Scots with great, some would say indecent, haste. Robert Bruce’s decision to declare independence for Scotland appears at first rather puzzling given Edward I’s reputation as a  great military commander. How could any sane Scottish patriot forget the example that King Edward had made of Big Bill Wallace only the summer before?  It was also the case that many of the most strategically positioned castles in Scotland were in English hands. What did Bruce hope to achieve by this rebellious endeavour?

Perhaps the explanation lies in the fact that by 1306, Edward was in his sixty-seventh year, and Bruce calculated that the old king could not live much longer and would soon be replaced on the English throne by his son, Edward.

‘Was young Prince Edward a chip off of the old block?

No! You could be forgiven for thinking that he was born of entirely different stock!’

It is probable that Robert Bruce had encountered the Prince of Wales, young Ned at the siege of Sterling castle. This liaison would have occurred when Bruce was aligned with King Edward in his endeavour to subjugate Scotland. He would, in common with a good many others, have been singularly unimpressed with the young man who was heir to the throne of England, so long held by his illustrious father. An indolent fellow, much given to flippancy and spending his hours in company of the very lowest sort. Prince Edward, young Ned, was precisely the type of adversary that a man like Bruce could only dream of. Sometimes dreams can come true.

This could have been the decisive factor which ultimately determined Bruce’s strategy regarding his bid to become King of Scotland. Unlike Balliol, he intended to be king in his own right unbeholden to any other sovereign. It was a long game, and a huge risk, but one Bruce clearly thought was worth taking.

 

 

 

 

‘I was just about to attack King Phil!

But my triumvirate was defeated by a Scot called Big Bill!

Now I will see the upstart Scot crushed by means of my iron will!’

What thoughts were going through King Edward’s head as he boarded the royal yacht back to England? The king was beside himself with fury at the news from Sterling Bridge.

‘How did those idiots de Cressingham and Surrey allow themselves to be defeated by a Scots savage going by the name of Big Bill Wallace? Now I have to leave France and hurry back to deal with a problem which should never have arisen .’

William ‘Big Bill’ Wallace.

His sombre mood was in marked contrast to that of the crew who had learned of his impending marriage to a woman forty years his junior. How they must have smiled wryly amongst themselves, the jokes about the nuptials became increasingly coarse. Their toothless mouths grinning broadly as they spoke of the elderly Edward and young Margaret getting together. The sailors nudging each other and nodding knowingly, the incredible energy of the lusty old goat, they must have thought.

‘The old king is getting ready to treat himself to a taste!

Of the King of France’s sister so young and chaste!

The king will carry her off to the royal boudoir with the utmost haste!

Wallace in the ascendency.

After his remarkable and unexpected victory at Sterling Bridge, ‘Big Bill’ assumed the title ‘Guardian of Scotland’. He was also knighted and became Sir William, this would have added insult to injury as far as Edward was concerned.

To the Sottish clans, Wallace was a saviour and they flocked to his standard. At the close of 1297, it appeared to the Scots that Wallace was the man who could guarantee the independence of Scotland. However, the euphoria would be very short-lived.

 

The Battle of Falkirk

Edward amassed his forces and marched into Scotland in July 1298. It was not an easy journey, and inclement weather had made it difficult to keep his large army supplied. The problem became so acute that Edward was on the point of calling the campaign off and returning to Edinburgh. The king changed his mind when he learned that Wallace and his army were located a mere thirteen miles away in an area of woodland known as Callendar. Edward knew that if he were to beat a retreat that Wallace would harry his army with guerrilla tactics on the way south. So, better to lance the boil without delay and go after Wallace now.

On July 22nd Edward’s army engaged Wallace’s at Falkirk. The Scots were at a disadvantage because the crown forces greatly outnumbered them, and the English army had a large contingent of cavalry and archers wielding the lethal longbow. Indeed, the Scots were probably outnumbered by as much as a ratio of 2-1. Furthermore, Edward’s army were greatly more experienced in warfare, having served under the king in France.

Wallace had a much smaller army and had conducted a guerilla campaign against the English. Why did he now decide to meet Edward in a pitched battle? This may well have been Big Bill’s thinking:

‘ True, yon Sassanachs are superior in numbers, but only last year at Sterling Bridge we Scots defeated a much larger army. With a wee bit of Gaelic ingenuity, we can do the same with Edward’s army. The Sassanachs are not going to go away of their own accord, they will have to be forced out! Better sooner than later!’

So battle commenced, as Wallace organised his pike men into hedgehog shaped formations known as schiltrons, which initially stood firm against the English assaults. Wallace ordered his light cavalry to attack the English mounted knights with disastrous results for the Scots.

The schiltrons were subjected to persistent attack from the English archers and the deadly rain of arrows wrought carnage amongst their ranks.

‘The English arrows constituted a veritable deadly rain!

Causing the Scots pike men havoc, and intense physical pain!’

The English and Welsh bowmen

With the Scots pike men in disarray from the avalanche of arrows, the English mounted knights, under the command of the Bishop of Durham Anthony Bek, moved in and soon crushed any futher resistance.

The English cavalry charge the Scottish schiltrons. 

The battle of Falkirk was a huge Scottish defeatbt Wallace himself managed to escape into the surrounding woodland.

From Guardian of Scotland to fugitive amongst the flowers of Scotland.

King Edward’s resounding victory at Falkirk left Wallace’s reputation as a military leader in tatters and he resigned his so very recently assumed title of Guardian of Scotland. Robert Bruce now succeeded him in that role. Little is known about Wallace’s activities after Falkirk but there is some evidence that he travelled to France to seek aid from the French king. However it came to nothing and Wallace’s role as a Scottish nationalist leader was over. In 1304 the Scottish nobility swore fealty to Edward and Wallace was now a fugitive in the land of which he had once been guardian. King Edward, resolute and thorough as ever pursued Wallace relentlessly, determined to bring him to what he considered to be justice.

William Wallace on the run.

‘Like a common felon, brave Wallace was hunted and put to the chase!

King Edward was resolved to place him in an English court where he would, in vain, plead his nationalist case!’

Wallace was captured in August of 1305 by a Scottish knight, John de Menteith who had defected to the English. One of Wallace’s servants had informed de Menteith of Wallace’s location and the former Scots leader was apprehended as he slept in bed.

When he heard the news, King Edward smiled grimly. He felt that Wallace had caused him enormous trouble and for that he must be put through the most humiliating and agonising ordeal that could possibly imagined.

‘But the Scots will not lie still!

With Edward away, Scot leaders go in for the kill!’

Happy with the situation in Scotland, Edward turned his attention to the dispute between himself and the King of France. In fact he was feeling extremely chuffed at what he thought was a repeat performance of his achievement in Wales. For Edward, the channel crossing must have been an almost joyous one, whatever the weather. The celtic fringes of England would come under the complete control of the crown.

He had left Scotland in the care of a triumvirate of three Englishmen: John de Warrenne, the Earl of Surrey, financial guru Hugh de Cressingham and Walter of Amersham.

The arms of Hugh de Cressingham.

Hugh de Cressingham was in charge of the treasury, and greatly angered the Scots by levying high taxes.

‘While Edward was away in France!

The Scots embarked on a bloody and murderous dance!

This would prove a most difficult boil to lance!

Edward had sailed for France convinced that Scotland had been pacified, but he did not count on two men who would cause him great trouble: Robert Bruce and William Wallace. These two men, aided by Andrew Moray of Bothwell, staged a rebellion against the triumvirate.

The first strike was delivered by the intrepid Wallace in May 1297, when he attacked and  killed the English sheriff of Lanark and his men.

William Wallace

Determined to stop this rebellion in its infancy, Surrey and de Cressingham raised a large army and marched northwards to engage the Scottish upstart. They were confident of victory because their army was much larger than Wallace’s. However, the canny Scot had conceived a plan to turn the tables on the English invaders.

The Battle of Sterling Bridge.

The English army had to cross Sterling bridge, which was extremely narrow and therefore made for very slow progress in crossing to the far bank. When around 2,000 of the English host, mainly cavalry had crossed to the far side, Wallace attacked them. The rest of the English army were effectively prevented from coming to their aid, because the bridge only allowed two horsemen to ride abreast at one time. The English horsemen who had crossed the bridge were slaughtered, including de Cunningham, while the craven Surrey cowered on the other side.

The English might well have eventually defeated Wallace, but the inept Surrey ordered the bridge to be destroyed, precluding the chance of an English attack on Wallace and stranding his own men on the far side with absolutely no hope of rescue.

‘Wallace’s action caused the Earl of Surrey

To get into a terrible flurry!

Filled with fear, the noble Earl departed the scene in an enormous hurry!’

It is said that Wallace had de Cressingham’s corpse skinned, and he had a sword belt made out of his enemy’s flesh. Flushed with excitement at the success of his action, Wallace marched south into England, laying waste to all that he saw. It looked as if Edward’s efforts to subjugate Scotland were to end in a terrible failure.

Meanwhile Edward’s war against Philip IV had not been going well and the news from Scotland must have shocked Longshanks. Edward realised that his main priority had to be to be to pacify the Scots. France would have to be left on the backburner while he dealt with what he regarded as a rebellion against his royal authority. He decided to seek a truce with the French and arranged to marry King Philip’s sister, Margaret. The marriage allowed him to leave France and deal with the Scots.

The marriage was undertaken for military and political considerations and the bride was 40 years younger than the groom. Nevertheless, despite the age difference, the union would prove to be a very happy one. When Margaret was widowed at the age of 26 she sought no suitors, and remained a widow for the rest of her days. She is reported to have said:

‘When Edward died, all men died for me.’

Seal of Margaret of France, Queen of England.