NAME Edward I of England
WHAT FAMOUS FOR Edward I was famous for his military campaigns, particularly his conquest of Wales and wars with Scotland. He built a series of impressive castles in Wales, including Caernarfon and Conwy, to assert English dominance. He also reformed English law and strengthened royal authority.
BIRTH Edward I was born on the night of June 17–18, 1239, at the Palace of Westminster in London. His birth was celebrated, and he was baptized three days later at Westminster Abbey
FAMILY BACKGROUND Edward was the eldest son of King Henry III and Eleanor of Provence. His father’s reign was marked by conflicts with the English barons, which Edward later had to address. It was as marked by constant conflict between England and France, as Henry III, attempted to regain lost territories
CHILDHOOD Edward grew up in a turbulent period, witnessing baronial uprisings against his father. Despite this, he received a princely upbringing, learning the ways of chivalry, governance, and warfare from an early age.
EDUCATION Edward received a well-rounded education typical of an aristocratic boy of his time, including studies in Latin, French, military leadership, arts, sciences, and music. His parents were patrons of the arts, which influenced his education and exposure to cultural activities. (1)
CAREER RECORD 1264-67 Played a key role in suppressing the Second Barons' War
1270-72 Joined the Ninth Crusade
1272 Became King and ruled until his death in 1307.
1277-1283 Conquered Wales
1296-1307 Attempted to conquer Scotland (1296–1307).
1295 The first Model Parliament was held in November 1295 during his reign
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| Erected at Westminster Abbey sometime during reign of Edward I, thought to be an image of the King. |
FASHION Edward had an extravagant sense of style. He wore cleverly painted, indecently short tunics that were fur-lined and had wide, almost pointlessly long pointed sleeves—a bold fashion choice for a king.
CHARACTER Edward was majestic, determined, and highly intelligent but also known for his ruthlessness in war and politics. He was deeply committed to strengthening England’s rule, even if it meant harsh measures against opponents.
Edward suffered from a suspect temper which at times bordered on cruelty.
SPEAKING VOICE Edward is said to have spoken with a lisp, which did not diminish his commanding presence. He was an eloquent orator and his speech, combined with his height and regal bearing, made him an imposing figure.
Like all the English courts of his era French was the language used.
SENSE OF HUMOUR King Edward I was a complex figure with a strong personality, often depicted as stern and serious due to his military campaigns and political actions.
RELATIONSHIPS On November 1, 1254, at the age of 15, Edward married Eleanor of Castile, who was just 8 years old. The ceremony took place at the monastery of Las Huelgas, near Burgos, Spain.
Despite the arranged nature of their union, their marriage grew into a deep and affectionate partnership. Eleanor bore him sixteen children, though only six survived infancy. Edward was a strict and bad-tempered father but was fiercely devoted to his wife, who accompanied him everywhere, including on military campaigns and crusades.
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| Early 14th-century manuscript initial showing Edward and his first wife Eleanor of Castile. |
After Eleanor’s death in 1290, Edward was devastated. To honor her memory, he erected twelve Eleanor Crosses at each place her funeral procession stopped, a grand display of his grief.
At the time of Eleanor's death Edward had only one surviving son, the future Edward II, and so the king was anxious to remarry to have more sons. In September 1299, he remarried Marguerite of France, the sister of King Philip III. The ceremony took place in Canterbury. Known as the "Pearl of France," she bore him three more children and was a soothing presence in his later years.
MONEY AND FAME Edward I had an insatiable need for money to fund his numerous wars, particularly in Wales and Scotland. He heavily taxed England’s wool trade, earning the resentment of farmers and merchants. The Welsh wars alone cost ten times his annual income. Despite his financial burdens, Edward was a formidable monarch, known for strengthening royal authority and shaping the legal system of England.
FOOD AND DRINK Edward I had a robust appetite, indulging in large amounts of meat such as beef, mutton, veal, game, and poultry. He also ate fish, including carp, eels, lamprey, and pike.
For his coronation feast on August 19, 1274, he ordered an astonishing amount of food, including 278 bacon hogs, 450 porkers, 440 fat oxen, 430 sheep, and 22,600 hens and capons. His royal inventory of 1307 even recorded seven forks—six silver and one gold—along with thousands of knives, a rare luxury for the time. (2)
MUSIC AND ARTS Edward had a love for grand displays and pageantry, particularly those inspired by the legendary King Arthur. He often held elaborate "Round Table" tournaments, where knights reenacted the chivalric exploits of Arthurian legends. These events reinforced his image as a heroic and powerful monarch.
LITERATURE Fascinated by history and mythology, Edward I promoted the legends of King Arthur as a way to legitimize his rule. He encouraged stories of English heroism and chivalry, reinforcing his own status as a warrior king.
NATURE As an avid hunter, Edward spent much of his leisure time in England’s forests, pursuing deer, boar, and other game. His love of the wilderness was matched by his keen interest in falconry, a sport that took him to rivers and open fields in pursuit of birds of prey.
PETS Given his love of hunting, it is likely that Edward maintained a collection of well-trained hunting hounds and birds of prey.
HOBBIES AND SPORTS Edward was an athletic man who enjoyed the traditional pastimes of medieval royalty. He regularly participated in jousting tournaments, testing his strength and skill against other knights. Hunting and hawking were also favorite pursuits, allowing him to display his prowess in the field.
The earliest mention related to cricket is found in the wardrobe accounts of King Edward I, which include a reference to Prince Edward playing a game called "creag" at Newenden, Kent, on March 10, 1300 (Julian calendar), which corresponds to March 18 in the modern calendar. (3)
SCIENCE AND MATHS While Edward I was not a scholar himself, he valued practical applications of science, particularly in warfare. He invested in castle fortifications, improving defensive designs to withstand sieges. His military campaigns in Wales led to the construction of some of the most impressive medieval castles, including Conwy and Caernarfon, which showcased advanced engineering techniques.
REIGN Edward I became King of England on November 16, 1272, but there’s a slight twist to the story—he wasn’t exactly there to take up the crown. No, he was gallivanting halfway across the world, in the midst of the Ninth Crusade in the Middle East, like any self-respecting prince would. In fact, it took him nearly two years to finally get around to coming back to England to formally assume the throne. When he did return, having presumably squeezed in a bit of sightseeing and a great deal of prayer in the Holy Land, he was crowned on August 19, 1274, at Westminster Abbey.
The numbering of monarchs, such as Edward I, Edward II, etc., was not a practice during their lifetimes but was adopted by later historians. Edward I was simply known as King Edward during his reign from 1272 to 1307. He had a certain fondness for his royal predecessors—Edward the Elder, Edward the Martyr, and Edward the Confessor but plain King Edward it was.
Edward's reign was a masterclass in both military conquest and legal reform. In the west, he set about subjugating Wales, building a string of castles as if he were playing an ambitious game of Monopoly, except instead of hotels, he had towering fortresses. His next target? Scotland. The Scots were less than thrilled about this plan, and Edward’s relentless push for dominance earned him a rather nasty reputation. He wasn’t just trying to win territory; he was intent on making sure everyone knew who was in charge.
The English throne was more than just a seat of power—it was also a place from which to execute some truly terrible policies. Edward’s treatment of the Jewish population in England is particularly infamous, culminating in the Edict of Expulsion on July 18, 1290, which effectively banned all Jews from the country. A terrible footnote in an otherwise very active reign.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Regarding Edward’s personal philosophy, he wasn’t exactly a "live and let live" sort of ruler. His motto—“Pactum Serva,” which roughly translates to “keep troth”—was all about loyalty, order, and honoring your promises. It sounds like something you’d find inscribed on the back of a medieval knight's shield or perhaps on the walls of a particularly stern headmaster’s office. Sure enough, the phrase made its way onto his tomb, a final testament to a man who took his own word—like everything else—far too seriously.
Though personally pious, Edward I was a practical ruler who prioritized his authority over papal influence. In 1296, Pope Boniface VIII issued “Clericis Laicos,” a decree that forbade lay rulers from taxing the clergy and threatened excommunication for any who did. Edward, in response, declared that clergy who refused to pay taxes would be stripped of all legal protection, leaving them vulnerable to attack and property seizure. The Pope ultimately backed down, allowing Edward to continue his taxation policies.
Edward also saw his role as a defender of the English Church, enacting laws that reinforced religious order but always with the goal of strengthening royal power.
POLITICS Edward I is remembered as one of the founding fathers of the English Parliament. His most notable contribution was the Model Parliament of 1295, which included commoners, allowing them to sit alongside nobles and clergy. He frequently summoned Parliament to consolidate royal authority, making it an accepted part of English governance.
The first meeting of the Lords and Commons occurred under unusual circumstances. While hunting, Edward received news that Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (the Welsh prince) was leading a revolt. He and his nobles, clergy, and knights met under an oak tree in Sherwood Forest and decided to go to war immediately, effectively creating the first parliamentary gathering.
Edward also sought to systematize law and governance. In 1275, he passed a statute that defined "time immemorial" as any period before 1189, marking the beginning of Richard I’s reign.
SCANDAL Edward’s reign saw several controversies, particularly concerning his treatment of Jewish communities. He taxed Jewish moneylenders heavily to fund his wars, but once they could no longer meet his demands, he turned on them. Accusing them of disloyalty, he abolished their right to lend money and enacted laws that required all Jews (approximately 16,000) to wear a yellow star-shaped patch on their clothing—an ominous precursor to similar policies enforced by Nazi Germany centuries later.
His persecution escalated in 1278, when he arrested all heads of Jewish households, executing over 300 at the Tower of London, while many others were killed in their homes. The final step came in 1290, when he issued the Edict of Expulsion, permanently banishing all Jews from England. Many fled to France, the Netherlands, and Poland, which at the time was more tolerant of Jewish communities.
In 1296, King Edward I targeted Berwick-upon-Tweed during his invasion of Scotland. He captured the town by force, leading to a significant number of casualties among its inhabitants. Estimates of the number of people killed range from approximately 7,000 to 17,000. The town was brutally sacked, with many civilians, including women and children, being killed. There are no statues of King Edward in Berwick today..
Edward’s financial policies were also unpopular. He imposed heavy taxes on his nobles and merchants, and his extensive wars in Wales and Scotland drained the treasury.
A lighter incident occurred when Edward was crossing Rochester Bridge on horseback. He had hired the horse from Richard Lombard, but when a strong wind blew the animal into the River Medway, drowning it, Edward compensated Lombard with 12 shillings—an amusing glimpse into the financial dealings of medieval kings. Well, it made the headlines in 1300.
MILITARY RECORD The conquest of Scotland consumed Edward I like a fire that could never be quenched. It was his ruling passion, the pursuit that defined his reign, but despite being saddled with the rather dramatic nickname “The Hammer of the Scots,” he had more success with the Welsh than the Scots.
As a warrior, Edward was formidable, but his greatest military innovation wasn’t just in crushing his enemies—it was in introducing archery into battle. The bow and arrow, it seems, were the real winners of Edward’s wars.
A rather odd beginning to Edward’s military career occurred in 1264, when, as the future hammer of the Scots, he was captured at the Battle of Lewes. The whole situation was a bit of a mess, as he and his father, King Henry III, found themselves in the hands of the rebel leader, Simon de Montfort. Edward, ever the opportunist, managed a dramatic escape, only to come back and win a resounding victory at the Battle of Evesham. You have to admire a man who can bounce back from captivity like that.
From 1270 to 1274, Edward took a break from the whole "conquering" thing and went on a lovely little holiday to the Holy Land for the Ninth Crusade. The material gains? Practically nil. The suntan, however, was splendid. Queen Eleanor, his crusader’s daughter of a wife, accompanied him, and together they made their way from Tunis to Acre, where they were supposed to be fighting the fearsome Muslim leader Sultan Baibars. Unfortunately for Edward, Baibars had bigger problems, being embroiled in his own conflict with the Mongols. But never one to turn down a challenge, Edward led two raids into Palestine and, remarkably, survived an assassination attempt from his would-be Muslim assassin. That’s a bit of drama you don’t get in your typical Mediterranean getaway.
From 1277 to 1284, Edward turned his attention westward and established English rule over Wales. In a charming bit of diplomatic trickery, he promised the Welsh chieftains that he would give them a prince who spoke no English. In 1284, he presented them with his baby son, starting the tradition of the Crown Prince of Wales. It’s one of those decisions that, in hindsight, seems a bit cheeky but effective.
Edward’s attention briefly drifted to Gascony between 1286 and 1289, where he attempted to play the diplomat and broker a peace settlement between the King of Aragon and Charles of Salerno over the kingdom of Sicily. But this was, of course, just a brief interlude in the life of a man who seemed forever tethered to a sword.
In 1290, the Scots found themselves in a bit of a pickle, with no clear king. Naturally, they turned to Edward, who obliged by picking John Baliol, who, in a moment of weakness, swore loyalty to England. It didn’t last long. Baliol soon made a treaty with France, and Edward, ever the diplomat, promptly invaded Scotland and defeated him in battle, declaring himself the ruler of Scotland. The Scots, of course, didn’t take this lightly, and soon it was full-blown rebellion. It’s safe to say Edward was not making many friends in Scotland.
In 1294, things heated up with France when Edward found himself at war with Philip the Fair. Then, on September 11, 1297, came one of the most famous episodes in his reign: the Battle of Stirling Bridge, where Edward’s army was defeated by William Wallace—who, if you’re being generous, looked like a bit of a Mel Gibson impersonator. But Edward wasn’t one to be outdone, and on July 22, 1298, he came roaring back with his greatest military triumph at the Battle of Falkirk, proving that he could, indeed, deliver a military victory with style.
Edward employed a wide array of siege engines, including trebuchets, catapults, and siege towers, to breach fortifications. Take, for instance, the siege of Stirling Castle in 1304. This was no small affair. Edward brought out all the stops—over a dozen siege engines, including the famously massive Warwolf, a trebuchet so large and so terrifying that it could launch a rock the size of a small boulder at the castle’s walls. It wasn’t just about breaking things; it was about making sure the defenders knew exactly how little hope they had. It was as much psychological warfare as it was physical.
By 1303, Edward had restored Gascony to its pre-1294 status through a treaty, but by this point, the man was beginning to show the strain of years of war and a crown that never seemed to stop demanding more.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Edward I was known for his imposing physical presence and strong health, which helped him endure the rigorous campaigns he led. However, in his later years, his health deteriorated, likely due to a series of illnesses, including dysentery. It was during a campaign against Scotland in 1307 that his health finally failed. Edward’s physical prowess had made him a fearsome ruler, but in the end, it was his declining health that led to his death.
HOMES As King of England, Edward resided in various royal estates. He moved his court between different locations, including the Tower of London and other castles, depending on his military campaigns and administrative needs. The Tower of London, for instance, was used by Edward I, but he only stayed there for short periods, totaling about 53 days over his 35-year reig,
His reign also saw the establishment of key English castles and fortifications, many built to solidify control over Wales and Scotland.
His most famous legacy is the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey, which he commissioned. Originally made for Edward, this chair became the symbol of English monarchy and included the Stone of Scone, a symbol of Scottish subjugation.
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| The Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey by Kjetil Bjørnsrud |
TRAVEL Edward’s reign was marked by extensive travel, particularly during military campaigns in the Holy Land and Scotland. Between 1270 and 1274, Edward led a crusade to the Holy Land, accompanied by his wife Eleanor. Although the expedition yielded little material gain, it provided Edward with valuable military experience. On his return journey, he received news of his father’s death in 1272, but took nearly two years to return to England to formally assume the throne.
Edward I spent time in Gascony, a region in southwestern France, primarily between 1286 and 1289. He was there to administer his lands and deal with local issues, as Gascony was part of his possessions as the Duke of Aquitaine, held as a vassal of the King of France.
His travels also included trips to Flanders and multiple incursions into Scotland, where his presence was felt during critical battles like Stirling Bridge and Falkirk.
DEATH Edward I died on July 6, 1307, at Burgh by Sands, just south of the Scottish border, after a long battle with dysentery. His death came during a campaign against Scotland, marking the end of his relentless pursuit of Scottish submission. Edward's last words to his son, Edward II, were a chilling command: "Carry my bones before you on your march, for the rebels will not be able to endure the sight of me alive or dead."
His tomb in Westminster Abbey is inscribed with the epitaph "Here lies Edward, the hammer of the Scots," a testament to his relentless campaign against Scotland.
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Edward I’s life and reign have been depicted in various forms of media, from historical books to films and television shows. His role in the long-standing English-Scottish conflict has made him a character in films like Braveheart (1995), where his efforts to dominate Scotland play a central role. His life continues to captivate audiences interested in medieval English history, showcasing his unyielding pursuit of power and control over the British Isles.
ACHIEVEMENTS Edward I's most notable achievements include his consolidation of English rule over Wales and his relentless military campaigns against Scotland.
His establishment of the Prince of Wales title in 1284 and the appropriation of the Stone of Scone in 1296 were key moments in solidifying England’s dominance.
He also laid the foundation for the English legal system through the implementation of significant legal reforms and the creation of a series of parliaments.
His military strategies and use of sieging technologies, such as the giant trebuchet, showcased his military ingenuity.
Sources (1) Royal, (2) Food For Thought by Ed Pearce, (3) Bourne Connection
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