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  • 1272-1307: Edward I, King of England
  • Lord of Ireland
  • Duke of Guyenne
  • AKA: Edward Longshanks

Edward I Plantagenet of England, King of England, was born 17 June 1239 in Palace of Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom to Henry III of England (1207-1272) and Éléonore de Provence (1223-1291) and died 7 July 1307 Burgh by Sands, Cumberland, England, United Kingdom of unspecified causes. He married Eleanor of Castile (1241-1290) October 1254 JL in Burgos, Spain. He married Marguerite Capet (1282-1317) September 1299 JL in Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England, United Kingdom.

Biography

Edward I, also known as Edward Longshanks, was a monarch who ruled over England from 1272 until his death in 1307. He was born on June 17, 1239, in Westminster, London, and was the eldest son of King Henry III of England and his queen, Eleanor of Provence.

During his reign, Edward I worked to strengthen the power of the English monarchy and establish English dominance over Wales and Scotland. He was known for his military campaigns, his legal reforms, and his efforts to increase the power of Parliament.

One of Edward I's most notable accomplishments was his conquest of Wales. He launched a series of campaigns against the Welsh princes, ultimately defeating them in 1282 and establishing English rule over the country. He then set about building a series of castles and fortifications in Wales to help maintain control.

In addition to his efforts in Wales, Edward I also attempted to conquer Scotland. He launched a series of military campaigns against the Scots, including the famous Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, which he won. However, his attempts to conquer Scotland were ultimately unsuccessful, and the country remained independent.

Edward I was also known for his legal reforms. He created the Court of Common Pleas and the Court of King's Bench, which helped to establish a more centralized legal system in England. He also issued a series of laws known as the Statutes of Westminster, which helped to codify English law and establish legal protections for English citizens.

Throughout his reign, Edward I worked to increase the power of Parliament. He called several meetings of the Parliament, which helped to establish it as a more powerful institution. He also worked to increase the representation of the common people in Parliament, giving more power to the House of Commons.

Edward I died on July 7, 1307, in Burgh by Sands, Cumberland, England. He was succeeded by his son, Edward II of England (1284-1327). Despite his failures in Scotland, Edward I is remembered as one of England's most influential monarchs.

Childhood

Inside an initial letter are drawn two heads with necks, a male over a female. They are both wearing coronets. The man's left eye is drawn different both from his right and those of the woman.

Early fourteenth-century manuscript initial showing Edward and his first wife Eleanor of Castile. The artist has perhaps tried to depict Edward's blepharoptosis (drooping eyelid), a trait he inherited from his father.[1]

Born at the Palace of Westminster on the night of 17–18 June 1239, [2][3] his birth was widely celebrated at the royal court and throughout England, and he was baptised three days later at Westminster Abbey.[3][4] Given an Anglo-Saxon name which was not commonly given among the aristocracy of England after the Norman conquest, but his father Henry was devoted to the veneration of Edward the Confessor and wanted to name his firstborn son after the saint.[5] Edward's

He was commonly referred to as the Lord Edward until his accession to the throne in 1272.[6] Among his childhood friends was his cousin Henry of Almain, son of King Henry's brother Richard of Cornwall.[7] Henry of Almain remained a close companion of the prince for the rest of his life.[8] Edward was placed in the care of Hugh Giffard – father of the future Chancellor Godfrey Giffard – until Bartholomew Pecche took over at Giffard's death in 1246.[3][9] Edward received an education typical of an aristocratic boy his age, including in military studies,[10] although the details of his upbringing are unknown.[11]

"Longshanks"

There were concerns about Edward's health as a child, and he fell ill in 1246, 1247, and 1251.[7] Nonetheless, he grew up to become a strong, athletic, and imposing man.[3] At 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) he towered over most of his contemporaries,[12][13] hence his epithet "Longshanks", meaning "long legs" or "long shins". The historian Michael Prestwich states that his "long arms gave him an advantage as a swordsman, long thighs one as a horseman. In youth, his curly hair was blond; in maturity it darkened, and in old age it turned white. The regularity of his features was marred by a drooping left eyelid... His speech, despite a lisp, was said to be persuasive."[14]

1st Marriage: Eleanor of Castile

In 1254, English fears of a Castilian invasion of the English-held province of Gascony induced King Henry to arrange a politically expedient marriage between fifteen-year-old Edward and thirteen-year-old Eleanor of Castile (1241-1290), the half-sister of King Alfonso X of Castile.[15] They were married on 1 November 1254 in the Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas in Castile.[16]

The marriage eventually led to the English acquisition of Ponthieu in 1279 upon Eleanor's inheritance of the county.[17] Henry made sizeable endowments to Edward in 1254, including Gascony;[3] most of Ireland, which was granted to Edward with the stipulation that it would never be separated from the English crown;[18] and much land in Wales and England,[19] including the Earldom of Chester. They offered Edward little independence for Henry retained much control over the land in question, particularly in Ireland, and benefited from most of the income from those lands.[20] Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester had been appointed as royal lieutenant of Gascony the year before and drew its income, so in practice Edward derived neither authority nor revenue from this province.[21]

Around the end of November, Edward and Eleanor left Castile and entered Gascony, where they were warmly received by the populace. Here, Edward styled himself as "ruling Gascony as prince and lord", a move that the historian J. S. Hamilton states was a show of his blooming political independence.

Eleanor of Castile died on 28 November 1290.[22] The couple loved each other, and like his father, Edward was very devoted to his wife and was faithful to her throughout their marriage.[23] He was deeply affected by her death,[24] and displayed his grief by erecting twelve so-called Eleanor crosses,[25] one at each place where her funeral cortège stopped for the night.[26]

Stone sculptures of King Edward (left) and Queen Eleanor (right) at Lincoln Cathedral. Both figures are underneath triangular enclosures, and King Edward is depicted taller than his wife.

Stone sculptures of Edward (left) and Eleanor (right) at Lincoln Cathedral

By his first wife Eleanor of Castile, Edward had at least fourteen children, perhaps as many as sixteen. Of these, five daughters survived into adulthood, but only one son outlived his father, becoming King Edward II (1307–1327).[23] Edward's children with Eleanor were:[27]

  1. Katherine of England (1271-1271)[28]
  2. Joan of England (1265-1265)[28]
  3. John of England (1266-1271)[28]
  4. Henry of England (c1267-1274)[28] but he died of a fever at the age of 7.
  5. Eleanor of England (1269-1298), [28] Edward and Eleanor's eldest surviving daughter was named after her mother. She was married to Henry III, Count of Bar, in 1293 and died in childbirth in 1297.
  6. Alice of England (1271-1271)[28]
  7. Joan of Acre (1272-1307)[28]
  8. Alfonso, Earl of Chester (1273-1284)[28], named after his mother's father, King Alfonso X of Castile. He was considered to be a promising heir to the throne, but he died of dysentery at the age of 10.
  9. Margaret Plantagenet (1275-1318)[28] she was married to John II, Duke of Brabant, in 1290.
  10. Berengaria of England (1276-1278)[28]
  11. Isabella of England (1279-1279)[28]
  12. Mary of England (1278-1332)[28]
  13. Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (1282-1316)[28]
  14. Edward II of England (1284-1327), successor King of England[28] He is perhaps best known for his relationship with Piers Gaveston, which caused considerable controversy during his reign.


2nd Marriage

As part of the peace accord between England and France in 1294, it was agreed that Edward should marry Philip IV's half-sister Marguerite Capet (1282-1317) who was part of the Capetian dynasty, but the marriage was delayed by the outbreak of war.[29] Edward made alliances with the German king, the counts of Flanders and Guelders, and the Burgundians, who would attack France from the north.[30] The alliances proved volatile and Edward was facing trouble at home at the time, both in Wales and Scotland.

It was not until August 1297 that he was finally able to sail for Flanders, at which time his allies there had already suffered defeat.[31] The support from Germany never materialised, and Edward was forced to seek peace. His marriage to Margaret in 1299 ended the war, but the whole affair had proven both costly and fruitless for the English.[32][33][lower-alpha 1] French possession of Gascony would not end until 1303, at which point it was partially returned to the English crown.[34]

By Margaret of France, Edward had two sons, both of whom lived to adulthood, and a daughter who died as a child. His progeny by Margaret of France were:[35]

  1. Thomas of Brotherton (1300-1338)[36]
  2. Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent (1301-1330)[37]
  3. Eleanor of England (1306-1311)[38]

Other Relationships

A genealogy in the Hailes Abbey chronicle indicates that John Botetourt may have been Edward's illegitimate son, but the claim is unsubstantiated.[35][39]



Children


Offspring of Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile (1241-1290)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Eleanor of England (1269-1298) 18 June 1269 29 August 1298 Henri III de Bar (1259-1302)
Joan of England (1265-1265) June 1265 Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom 7 September 1265 Westminster Castle, London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
John of England (1266-1271) 13 July 1266 Blisworth, Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom 3 August 1271 Blisworth, Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom
Henry of England (c1267-1274) 6 May 1268 Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom 14 October 1274 Merton, Surrey, England, United Kingdom
Alice of England (1271-1271) 1271 England, United Kingdom 1271 England, United Kingdom
Katherine of England (1271-1271) 1271 Greater London, England, United Kingdom 1271 Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Joan of Acre (1272-1307) April 1272 Acre, Israel 7 April 1307 Clare Castle, Clare, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester (1243-1295)
Ralph de Monthermer, 1st Baron Monthermer (1270-1325)
Alfonso, Earl of Chester (1273-1284) 24 November 1273 Bayonne, Basse-Pyrenees, France 19 August 1284 Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom
Margaret Plantagenet (1275-1318) 15 March 1275 1333 Jan II van Brabant (1275-1312)
Berengaria of England (1276-1278) 1 May 1276 Kennington, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom 27 June 1278 Kennington, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom
Mary of England (1278-1332) 11 March 1278 Woodstock Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom 8 July 1332 Amesbury, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom
Isabella of England (1279-1279) 1279 Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom 1279 England, United Kingdom
Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (1282-1316) 7 August 1282 Rhuddlan Castle, Denbighshire, Wales, United Kingdom 5 May 1316 Quendon, Essex, England, United Kingdom Jan I van Holland (1284-1299)
Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford (1276-1321)
Edward II of England (1284-1327) 25 April 1284 Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd, Wales, United Kingdom 21 September 1327 Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom Isabella Capet (c1295-1358)


Offspring of Edward I of England and Marguerite Capet (1282-1317)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Thomas of Brotherton (1300-1338) 1 June 1300 4 August 1338 Alice De Hales (1302-Bef 1330)
Mary Braose
Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent (1301-1330) 5 August 1301 19 March 1330 Margaret Wake, 3rd Baroness Wake of Liddell (c1299-1349)
Eleanor of England (1306-1311) 4 May 1306 Winchester, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom 1310 Amesbury Abbey, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom



Siblings


Offspring of Henry III of England (1207-1272) and Éléonore de Provence (1223-1291)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Edward I of England (1239-1307) 17 June 1239 Palace of Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom 7 July 1307 Burgh by Sands, Cumberland, England, United Kingdom Eleanor of Castile (1241-1290)
Marguerite Capet (1282-1317)
Margaret of England (1240-1275) 29 September 1240 26 February 1275 Alexander III of Scotland (1241-1286)
Beatrice of England (1242-1275) 25 June 1242 1275 Jean II de Bretagne (1239-1305)
Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster (1245-1296) 16 January 1244 London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 5 June 1296 Aveline de Forz, Countess of Holderness (1259-1274)
Blanche of Artois (1248-1302)
Richard of England (c1247-1256) 1247 England 1256 England
John of England (c1250-1256) 1250 England 1256 England
Henry of England (c1252-c1252) 1252 England 1252 England
William of England (c1251-1256) 1247 England 1256 England
Katherine of England (1253-1257) 25 November 1253 Westminster Palace, Westminster, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 3 May 1257 Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom


See Also


Contemporary References

There are several contemporary references that provide insights into the life of King Edward I of England. Some of the most notable include:

  1. The Chronicles of Edward I: There are several contemporary chronicles that cover the reign of Edward I, including these:
    1. "Annales Londonienses,"
    2. "Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough,"
    3. "Chronicle of Robert of Gloucester."
  2. The Statutes of Westminster: As mentioned earlier, Edward I issued a series of laws known as the Statutes of Westminster, which helped to codify English law and establish legal protections for English citizens. These laws provide insight into Edward's legal reforms and his efforts to centralize the legal system in England.
  3. The Architecture of Edward I: Edward I was known for his ambitious building projects, particularly the construction of castles and fortifications in Wales. The surviving castles and fortifications provide a tangible reminder of Edward's reign and offer insights into his military strategy and tactics.
  4. Contemporary Art and Literature: Edward I was a patron of the arts and literature, and several contemporary works offer insights into his personality and character. For example, the "Chronicle of Pierre de Langtoft" includes a description of Edward as a "noble king" who was "strong in his will and resolute in his purpose."

Ancestry Trees

External links

  • Edward I at the official website of the British monarchy
  • Edward I at BBC History

References

  1. ^ Morris 2009, p. 22.
  2. ^ Morris 2009, p. 2.
  3. ^ a b c d e Hamilton 2010, p. 51 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Hamilton51" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Hamilton51" defined multiple times with different content
  4. ^ Jenks 1902, p. 74.
  5. ^ Morris 2009, pp. 3-4.
  6. ^ Burt 2013, p. 75; Carpenter 1985; Lloyd 1986; Powicke 1947.
  7. ^ a b Prestwich 1997, p. 6.
  8. ^ Prestwich 1997, pp. 27, 46, 69.
  9. ^ Prestwich 1997, pp. 5–6.
  10. ^ Hamilton 2010, p. 51.
  11. ^ Chancellor 1981, p. 27.
  12. ^ Hamilton 2010, p. 58.
  13. ^ Carpenter 2004, p. 467.
  14. ^ Prestwich 2008; Chancellor 1981, p. 92.
  15. ^ Morris 2009, pp. 14–18; Chancellor 1981, p. 202.
  16. ^ Morris 2009, p. 20.
  17. ^ Prestwich 1997, p. 316.
  18. ^ Carpenter 2004, p. 362.
  19. ^ Prestwich 2005, pp. 34-35.
  20. ^ Prestwich 1997, pp. 11–14.
  21. ^ Prestwich 1997, pp. 7–8.
  22. ^ Morris 2009, p. 229.
  23. ^ a b Hamilton 2010, p. 62.
  24. ^ Chancellor 1981, pp. 203-204.
  25. ^ Raban 2000, p. 40.
  26. ^ Morris 2009, pp. 230–231.
  27. ^ Parsons 1984, pp. 245-265
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Prestwich 1997, p. 126.
  29. ^ Prestwich 1997, pp. 395–396.
  30. ^ Prestwich 1997, pp. 387–390.
  31. ^ Prestwich 1997, p. 392.
  32. ^ a b Prestwich 1972, p. 172.
  33. ^ Hamilton 2010, p. 92.
  34. ^ Prestwich 1997, p. 553.
  35. ^ a b Prestwich 1997, p. 131.
  36. ^ Waugh 2004b
  37. ^ Waugh 2004a.
  38. ^ Parsons 2008
  39. ^ Gorski 2009
Edward I of England (1239-1307)
Born: 17 June 1239 Died: 7 July 1307
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Henry III
King of England
Lord of Ireland

1272–1307
Succeeded by
Edward II
Duke of Aquitaine
Duke of Gascony

1254–1306
Preceded by
Joan
Count of Ponthieu
1279–1290
with Eleanor
Political offices
Preceded by
Matthew de Hastings
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
1265–1266
Succeeded by
Sir Matthew de Bezille



Footnotes (including sources)

‡ General




John Kenney



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