8. The Bad King From ‘Braveheart’ Was Actually One of England’s Greatest Monarchs
Braveheart painted Edward I (1272 – 1307) as cartoonishly evil, invading Scotland and wreaking havoc simply to slake his lust for cruelty. In reality, Edward had been invited into Scotland by its fractious nobles, who asked him to arbitrate between rival claimants for the throne, and pick their next king. He decided to keep Scotland for himself, but few back then would have done differently in his shoes. While Edward could be pretty ruthless, he was also capable of being likable and charming. Indeed, until Braveheart wrecked his image, Edward had a good reputation, as the Plantagenet Dynasty‘s most competent king. His long list of accomplishments includes reforming England’s administration and laws, solidifying the common law, conquering Wales, and unifying Britain under his rule by exercising suzerainty over Scotland.
Edward started doing great stuff while he was still a teenager, when he successfully crushed a rebellion against his hapless father, King Henry III, known as the Second Barons’ War. He then went on a Crusade that solidified his reputation as a capable military commander. While on Crusade, he accomplished the rare feat of fighting off a killer of the Assassins cult, who tried to murder Edward in his sleep. After becoming king, he spent decades codifying the legal system and ensuring its uniform administration. He was also determined to enforce his primacy over Britain, and started off with Wales, which he subdued and brought into the English legal and administrative framework. He also increased the role of Parliament – not out of any love for democracy, but because he saw Parliament as a useful vessel for raising taxes to fund his military campaigns.