Rise of a Dynasty: Unveiling the Plantagenets (Part 8) - The Longshanks Legacy

In the next instalment of our discovery of the rise of the Plantagenets, we turn our attention to one of the most formidable and divisive figures in the dynasty’s long reign: Edward I.

Strong-willed, strategic, and often ruthless, Edward I left a legacy that shaped medieval Britain in both admirable and deeply troubling ways. From battlefields in Wales and Scotland to his tender devotion as a husband, this is the story of a king both feared and revered.

A Prince in Turmoil: The Second Barons’ War

When we last left the Plantagenet story, the kingdom teetered on the edge of collapse. Civil war had erupted between King Henry III and a faction of rebellious nobles led by Simon de Montfort. At the heart of the unrest stood the king’s eldest son, young Prince Edward, who was slowly but surely carving out his place in the brutal world of medieval power.

Edward came of age during the Second Barons’ War, a conflict that would shape him as both a warrior and a ruler. Though still in his early twenties, he showed early signs of the formidable will and martial prowess that would come to define his reign. But he was not yet the polished commander. At the Battle of Lewes in 1264, he made a costly tactical blunder, that was perhaps driven by youthful zeal. Leading a spirited cavalry charge, he drove the enemy from the field but pursued them too far. In doing so, he left the rest of the royal army dangerously exposed. Seizing the opportunity, Montfort’s forces turned and overwhelmed the king’s remaining troops, forcing Henry and Edward to submit to humiliating terms.

In the aftermath, Edward was placed under a form of honourable captivity, conditions that were more akin to house arrest, meaning he was a guarantee of his father’s compliance. But Edward was never one to suffer constraint lightly. In a bold and calculated move, he escaped his guards during what appeared to be a routine ride, outwitting his captors with the kind of daring and resolve that would become a hallmark of his character.

The following year, Edward led the royalist forces to victory at the bloody Battle of Evesham. Simon de Montfort was killed and dismembered on the field, his body a grim warning to any who would challenge the crown. For Edward, it was more than a victory, from the ashes of civil war, a new kind of prince was emerging: disciplined, determined, and utterly unyielding.

Crusader and Commander: Edward in the Holy Land

With civil war behind him and royal authority secured, Edward turned his gaze outward. Like many princes of his time, he was drawn to the East—not only by the lure of religious duty, but also by the promise of prestige. In 1270, Edward joined what would become known as the Ninth Crusade, sailing to the Holy Land in the final major effort of the Crusading era.

Though the crusade was small in scale and arrived late, with many of the earlier crusaders having already withdrawn, it still held symbolic weight. Edward viewed himself as a defender of Christendom, and his presence alone carried political significance. He led a number of minor campaigns around Acre and made attempts to forge alliances with the Mongols, hoping to strike a decisive blow against the Mamluks. Those efforts ultimately fell short, but his conduct left an impression. Even in distant lands, Edward was already being seen as a determined and honourable warrior.

Then came the incident that almost ended it all. In June 1272, Edward was attacked in his chamber by an assassin, likely a member of the secretive sect known as the Nizari (or "Assassins"). He managed to kill his attacker, but not before suffering a deep wound from a poisoned dagger. The injury was serious, and legend tells us that his wife, Eleanor of Castile, heroically saved his life by sucking the poison from the wound—a romantic image beloved by chroniclers, but doubted by historians.

What is certain is that Edward survived, though he remained weakened for some time. While recovering in Sicily, word reached him of his father’s death. Henry III had died on 16 November 1272, making Edward the new King of England. Yet rather than rush home, he took his time, visiting Rome, Gascony, and Paris on his way back to England, perhaps confident that the realm was now secure in his name. Therefore, it wasn’t until 1274 that he landed back on English soil and was crowned at Westminster Abbey.

Edward’s crusading years were not marked by grand victories, but they solidified his image as a king of honour and action. He had faced down rebellion both home and abroad, and was now ready to forge his legacy on an even larger stage.

The Conquest of Wales: Iron Castles and a Kingdom Lost

Of all Edward’s campaigns, his conquest of Wales was one of the most calculated, and sadly for many, one of the most heartbreaking. For centuries, the Welsh had fought to preserve their independence in the face of growing English ambition. At the centre of this final resistance stood Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, a proud and capable prince whose dream of a unified and self-governed Wales stood in direct defiance of Edward’s vision of English authority.

Tensions escalated quickly after Edward’s coronation. Llywelyn’s refusal to pay homage and his engagement to Eleanor de Montfort, daughter of Edward’s former enemy, only deepened the rift. By 1277, war was inevitable. With superior forces and a shrewd grasp of psychological warfare, he pushed into Gwynedd, forcing Llywelyn into submission.

But that was only the beginning. When a second rebellion broke out in 1282, the campaign turned even darker. Llywelyn was killed at the Battle of Orewin Bridge, and his severed head displayed on London Bridge—Wales was finally subdued. With the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284, Edward formally annexed the Welsh lands into the English crown.

To cement his conquest, Edward launched a monumental building project, his Iron Ring of Castles, one of the most ambitious of the medieval age. He constructed a ring of stone fortresses across North Wales, masterpieces of military architecture that still dominate the landscape today. Castles like Caernarfon, Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech were not only strongholds; they were statements. A visual reminder that England was here to stay.

However, perhaps the most symbolic act of all came in 1301, when Edward bestowed the title "Prince of Wales" upon his son, the future Edward II. According to legend, he had promised the Welsh a prince “born in Wales who spoke no English.” Technically true, but not the hope the Welsh had in mind. Edward’s castles remain, casting a very long shadow, testaments to both a king’s power and a people’s profound loss.

His conquest had brought administrative control, formidable infrastructure, and a lasting royal tradition, but it came at a great cost. For the Welsh, it marked the end of their political independence, the silencing of native princes, and the beginning of centuries of English dominance.

A King’s Heart and the Shadow of Grief

Between wars and political manoeuvrings, Edward’s private life revealed a surprising tenderness—particularly in his enduring love for his first wife, Eleanor of Castile. Married as part of a political alliance, theirs could have been a cold and calculated union. But it wasn’t. Against the odds, the pair formed a deep and genuine partnership, raising sixteen children together—though only a handful would survive to adulthood.

Eleanor was more than just a queen consort; she was Edward’s confidante, business partner, and travelling companion. She accompanied him on crusade, a rare and remarkable feat, and was frequently at his side throughout his reign. Their closeness is reflected in the grief that overtook Edward after her death in 1290, when she fell ill while journeying through Nottinghamshire.

To honour her memory, Edward commissioned what became one of the most poignant gestures of medieval mourning: the Eleanor Crosses. At every location where her body rested on the way to its final burial at Westminster Abbey, he ordered the construction of a lavish stone cross. Of the original twelve, three still stand today—at Geddington, Hardingstone, and Waltham Cross—quietly echoing a king’s sorrow across the centuries.

It is perhaps the one moment in Edward’s story where sentiment softened steel. The man who would go on to conquer and crush was also capable of profound personal loss—and his tribute to Eleanor remains one of the most heartfelt legacies of his reign.

The Wars with Scotland: From Arbitrator to Overlord

If Wales was Edward’s greatest campaign of conquest, Scotland became his most stubborn and costly obsession.

It began, strangely, with a request. In 1290, the death of Margaret, the Maid of Norway, left the Scottish throne vacant. With no clear heir, the Scots turned to Edward I to mediate the succession between rival claimants, a decision that, in hindsight, seems almost naïve. After all, they had just witnessed how thoroughly he had dismantled Welsh independence. Why they believed Edward would act as a neutral party remains one of the great historical mysteries.

Edward accepted the role, but there would be strings attached. He demanded that the Scottish nobles recognise him as overlord before he would deliver a verdict. Under pressure, they agreed, and Edward named John Balliol king in 1292. But Balliol was no more than a figurehead. Edward humiliated and undermined him at every turn, treating Scotland as a vassal state rather than a sovereign kingdom.

Eventually, Balliol rebelled. In retaliation, Edward marched north with brutal efficiency. The sacking of Berwick in 1296 was a massacre, thousands of civilians were killed, and the message was clear: Scotland would be ruled by England, or else. Edward stripped the country of its royal regalia, including the Stone of Scone, which he had transported to Westminster Abbey, a symbolic act of domination that still provokes emotion to this day.

Resistance grew in the form of William Wallace, whose early victories captured the imagination of the people. But Edward was relentless. He crushed Wallace’s forces at the Battle of Falkirk and later had him captured, hanged, drawn, and quartered in 1305. It was a gruesome end, but far from the end of the war.

For, just as Edward was beginning to believe he had Scotland under control, a new contender emerged: Robert the Bruce. And while Edward would never live to face Bruce’s full rebellion, the fire he’d lit would burn long into the reign of his son.

Legacy of Longshanks

Edward I was a king of contradictions, admired for his strength, feared for his ruthlessness, and remembered as both a master statesman and a merciless conqueror. His reign brought stability after years of civil unrest, reasserted the power of the English crown, and reshaped the very map of Britain. Yet the cost of that consolidation was high, particularly for the peoples of Wales and Scotland, whose cultures and autonomy suffered under the weight of his ambition.

He left behind towering stone castles, legal reforms that still echo through English law, and traditions that would outlive the Plantagenet line itself. But he also left wounds, many that are still felt in the historical memory of the Celtic nations he subdued.

When Edward died in 1307 on his way north to suppress yet another Scottish uprising, he had ruled for 35 years. His dying wish was to be buried unburied, carried into battle at the head of his army. That wish was never fulfilled, but it tells us something about the man: unyielding, uncompromising, and ever at war.

His legacy would loom large over his son, Edward II, a very different king, and one far less equipped to carry the burden of his father’s crown. But that is a tale for another day...

The crown passed to Edward’s son… but some burdens prove too heavy to bear.
Next in the series: A Crown Too Heavy

Want to walk the landscapes where this history unfolded?
Join us on one of our unforgettable journeys through England and France, where stories of conquest, courage, and kings come to life.
Explore our tours

Ninth Crusade Image by A455bcd9 - Creative Commons, Caernarfon Castle Image by Callum Parker at Unsplash, Eleanor Cross Image © Plantagenet Discoveries, Coronation Chair Image - Public Domain