During The Great Cause, the process to select Scotland’s next king, each claimant to the Scottish throne had to accept Edward I, King of England, as their overlord. After John Balliol was crowned King of Scots, he paid formal homage to Edward before an audience of 23 Scottish lords. Edward warned John to rule justly or face direct intervention. When Edward had signed the Treaty of Birgham (1290), he had agreed that Scotland was fully independent, but the treaty was never finalised, and he now began giving direct orders to Scottish nobles and interfering in Scotland’s courts. He reversed decisions made by John and Scottish judges. John was also forced to attend English royal ceremonies, which were held to demonstrate King Edward’s power and importance. In 1292, a Scottish legal dispute was taken on appeal to the English Parliament. Edward overturned the previous ruling agreed by Balliol, and the Scottish king was forced to reverse his decision. This was humiliating, as it appeared that Scotland was now subservient to England. The treatment of King John by Edward left many Scots feeling insulted. It undermined the support Balliol had from Scottish nobles and heightened existing tensions with England.
Description
Edward I used Scotland’s succession crisis to his own advantage to exert control over the country.
Now playing video 3 of 5
