Edward I of England

Edward I of England (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307) was King of England from 16 November 1272 – 7 July 1307. Because of his imposing height he was known as Longshanks.

As a ruler Longshanks became obsessed with the idea of having the entire island under the crown's control. He started by tricking Scottish nobility to attending "peace talks" which ended with having all the nobles who attended along with their aides hanged in a barn. Some common people, including one Malcolm Wallace, rose up in opposition but were badly defeated, with the elder Wallace and his oldest son dying in the process. Argyle Wallace then took Malcom's other son William on an extended journey which lasted several years.

In the 1290s Longshanks arranged for his son Edward II of England to marry Princess Isabella. Many nobles and common people remarked that for the Princess to conceive Longshanks would have to take care of that himself and that was probably his plan the entire time.

Longshanks was still obsessed with Scotland. Longshanks instituted the practice of |Prima Nocte to attract nobility to Scotland who would be willing to force young women to have sexual relations with them on their wedding night. That caused considerable outrage amongst the people of Scotland, however the Scottish leaders neither supported or opposed the plan, and the recently returned William Wallace wanted to live in peace.

Soon afterwards Wallace married Murron in a secret ceremony so he would not have to share her with an English Lord. A few days later Murron was murdered by an English magistrate after she had fought off an assault by an English soldier. Wallace in turn killed the magistrate and began an uprising against the English.

Upon learning of this Longshanks ordered his son Edward II of England to deal with the situation while he departed for France to lead military action against the French. Edward II sent a large force north to Scotland, however Wallace was able to lead a Scottish army to defeat the English at Sterling Bridge. Wallace and his forces were then able to capture the English city of York.

Hearing of this Longshanks rushed home to take charge of the matter personally. Feeling that his son was more interested in his friend and probable lover Phillip than in attending to his duties Longshanks hurled Phillip to his death. He then sent Isabella on a peace mission to York as a way to keep Wallace busy while he assembled a large force to surprise Wallace. Isabella learned of Longshanks duplicity and sent a message to Wallace warning him of the trap.

Longshanks set about buying off the Scottish nobility. When the armies of the two nations met at Falkirk the Scottish nobility departed the field. The Scots who remained were brutally cut down by Edward's forces. Wallace was wounded but escaped due to the help of Robert the Bruce. Wallace left England for a few years before returning and reigniting his crusade against the English.

Longshanks set another peace meeting trap for Wallace in which he intended to have both Wallace and his troublesome daughter in law killed as a way to bring the French in as allies against the Scots. However Isabella's lady in waiting Nicolette overheard Longshanks plotting and warned Isabella, who in turn warned Wallace. Wallace escaped the trap and upon meeting Isabella the pair consummated their relationship.

By then Longshanks was seriously ill. He was able to arrange for Robert the Bruce's father and other nobles to capture William Wallace. By then a bedridden old man he could only lay in bed and wordlessly listen as Wallace was tortured and then put to death. Before losing his power of speech he told his son that he was glad he would outlive Wallace. In return Isabella whispered in his ear that his son would not sit long on the throne, and that she was pregnant, but not with Edward II's child.

Longshanks died soon after the death of Wallace. A few years later Robert the Bruce led an army at Bannockburn against the English and secured Scottish independence for several hundred years.