biography
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1239–1307)
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| biography:
| King of England (1272–1307), the elder son of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence, born in London. He married Eleanor of Castile (1254) and later Margaret of France, the sister of Philip IV (1299). In the Baron's War (1263–7), he at first supported Simon de Montfort, but rejoined his father, and defeated de Montfort at Evesham (1265). He then won renown as a crusader to the Holy Land in the Eighth Crusade (1270–2), and did not return to England until 1274, two years after his father's death. In two devastating campaigns (1276–7, 1282–3) he annexed N and W Wales, and ensured the permanence of his conquests by building magnificent castles. He re-asserted English claims to the overlordship of Scotland when the line of succession failed, and decided in favour of John Balliol (c.1250–1315) as king (1292). But Edward's insistence on full rights of suzerainty provoked the Scottish magnates to force Balliol to repudiate Edward and ally with France (1295), thus beginning the Scottish Wars of Independence. Despite prolonged campaigning and victories such as Falkirk (1298), he could not subdue Scotland as he had done Wales. He died while leading his army against Robert Bruce. |
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