again’. The king returned in August and was immediately confronted with many complaints about the administration of the royal courts in his absence. He responded with ruthless efficiency. All the senior judges except two were found guilty of corruption and were dismissed. One who fled into sanctuary was starved out and then banished. Then, in 1290, he repeated in England the action that had proved so popular and profitable in Gascony: he expelled all the Jews from the kingdom.
This was the year that saw the turn of Edward’s fortunes, but it began with a personal tragedy. In November his much-loved wife fell ill at Harby, Nottinghamshire, near Lincoln. Edward, who was meeting with his parliament, went to her as soon as he could and was present when she died on the 28th of the month. The queen’s body was embalmed, and her grieving husband accompanied it on its journey to Westminster for burial in the abbey. This took 12 days, and at each place where the cortege spent the night Edward ordered a cross to be erected so that people would be reminded to pray for Eleanor’s soul. The first crosses were of wood, but they were subsequently replaced by elaborate stone memorials. Three of the Eleanor crosses remain, at Geddington and Hardingstone, both in Northamptonshire, and at Waltham Cross in Essex. The final monument at CharingCross, in what was then the stables for Westminster Palace (its location was on the south side of what is now Trafalgar Square), was the most splendid of the series, being built of marble by the best sculptor and mason of the day. A roughly accurate Victorian replica stands now outside Charing Cross station.
Another death in this year presaged the bloody conflicts that were to mar the last years of the reign. On 26 September 1290 Margaret, the seven-year-old Maid of Norway, died in the Isle of Orkney. She was the only child of Eric II of Norway and his wife, Margaret, daughter of Alexander III of Scotland. In 1283 Alexander’s only son died, and three years later the Scottish king was fatally injured when his horse plunged over a cliff in the dark. This sequence of tragedies left the Scottish throne vacant, and the circumstances involved Edward for two reasons. First, he claimed the overlordship of the northern kingdom on the basis that Alexander had sworn fealty to him (although Alexander had always claimed that this applied to lands he held in England and not to his Scottish crown). Secondly, in 1288 Edward had negotiated with King Eric the marriage of little Margaret to his own infant son, Edward. There were several potential claimants to the Scottish crown, but all the leaders of the nation had agreed to this arrangement, which would unite the two countries.
The Maid of Norway’s death threatened anarchy, and Edward intervened to prevent this and to assert what he considered to be his rights. He summoned the Scottish lords to meet him at Norham Castle, close to the border, and theyreluctantly accepted his authority and swore fealty to him. Edward set up a united council of regency and a commission to consider the claims of the two main rivals for the crown, John Balliol and Robert Bruce – this is known in Scottish history as the Great Cause – and then went on a tour of several Scottish towns to receive the homage of the people.
1292–8
In November 1292, after lengthy deliberations, Edward decided the Great Cause in favour of John Balliol, who was crowned before the end of the year and subsequently came to Norham to swear fealty to Edward.
The following year a dispute arose with Philip IV, which led to war when the French king used a clash between English and Norman ships as an excuse to assert his authority. Just as Edward summoned Balliol to Norham, Philip now demanded that Edward appear before him. Early in 1294 the king sent his brother Edmund instead, and an agreement was patched up. It involved the marriage of Edward to Philip’s sister Margaret and the temporary ceding of Gascony
This was the year that saw the turn of Edward’s fortunes, but it began with a personal tragedy. In November his much-loved wife fell ill at Harby, Nottinghamshire, near Lincoln. Edward, who was meeting with his parliament, went to her as soon as he could and was present when she died on the 28th of the month. The queen’s body was embalmed, and her grieving husband accompanied it on its journey to Westminster for burial in the abbey. This took 12 days, and at each place where the cortege spent the night Edward ordered a cross to be erected so that people would be reminded to pray for Eleanor’s soul. The first crosses were of wood, but they were subsequently replaced by elaborate stone memorials. Three of the Eleanor crosses remain, at Geddington and Hardingstone, both in Northamptonshire, and at Waltham Cross in Essex. The final monument at CharingCross, in what was then the stables for Westminster Palace (its location was on the south side of what is now Trafalgar Square), was the most splendid of the series, being built of marble by the best sculptor and mason of the day. A roughly accurate Victorian replica stands now outside Charing Cross station.
Another death in this year presaged the bloody conflicts that were to mar the last years of the reign. On 26 September 1290 Margaret, the seven-year-old Maid of Norway, died in the Isle of Orkney. She was the only child of Eric II of Norway and his wife, Margaret, daughter of Alexander III of Scotland. In 1283 Alexander’s only son died, and three years later the Scottish king was fatally injured when his horse plunged over a cliff in the dark. This sequence of tragedies left the Scottish throne vacant, and the circumstances involved Edward for two reasons. First, he claimed the overlordship of the northern kingdom on the basis that Alexander had sworn fealty to him (although Alexander had always claimed that this applied to lands he held in England and not to his Scottish crown). Secondly, in 1288 Edward had negotiated with King Eric the marriage of little Margaret to his own infant son, Edward. There were several potential claimants to the Scottish crown, but all the leaders of the nation had agreed to this arrangement, which would unite the two countries.
The Maid of Norway’s death threatened anarchy, and Edward intervened to prevent this and to assert what he considered to be his rights. He summoned the Scottish lords to meet him at Norham Castle, close to the border, and theyreluctantly accepted his authority and swore fealty to him. Edward set up a united council of regency and a commission to consider the claims of the two main rivals for the crown, John Balliol and Robert Bruce – this is known in Scottish history as the Great Cause – and then went on a tour of several Scottish towns to receive the homage of the people.
1292–8
In November 1292, after lengthy deliberations, Edward decided the Great Cause in favour of John Balliol, who was crowned before the end of the year and subsequently came to Norham to swear fealty to Edward.
The following year a dispute arose with Philip IV, which led to war when the French king used a clash between English and Norman ships as an excuse to assert his authority. Just as Edward summoned Balliol to Norham, Philip now demanded that Edward appear before him. Early in 1294 the king sent his brother Edmund instead, and an agreement was patched up. It involved the marriage of Edward to Philip’s sister Margaret and the temporary ceding of Gascony
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