Scotland, Kingdom of
State | Defunct
1286 CE to 1437 CE
The English occupied most of Scotland under Edward I and annexed a large slice of the Lowlands under Edward III, but Scotland establishes its independence under figures including William Wallace in the late thirteenth century and Robert I and his successors in the fourteenth century in the Wars of Independence (1296–1357).
This is helped by cooperation with the kings of France, under the terms of what become known as the Auld Alliance, which provides for mutual aid against the English.
In the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries under the Stewart Dynasty, despite a turbulent political history, the Crown gains greater political control at the expense of independent lords and regains most of its lost territory to around the modern borders of the country
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The Atlantic Lands
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Edward enacts numerous laws strengthening the powers of his government, and he summons the first officially sanctioned Parliaments of England (such as his Model Parliament).
He conquers Wales and attempts to use a succession dispute to gain control of the Kingdom of Scotland, though this develops into a costly and drawn-out military campaign.
At age seventeen he leads a successful coup against Mortimer, the de facto ruler of the country, and begins his personal reign.
Edward III (reigned 1327–1377) restores royal authority and goes on to transform the Kingdom of England into the most efficient military power in Europe.
His reign sees vital developments in legislature and government—in particular the evolution of the English parliament—as well as the ravages of the Black Death.
After defeating, but not subjugating, the Kingdom of Scotland, he declares himself rightful heir to the French throne in 1338, but his claim is denied due to the Salic law.
This starts what will become known as the Hundred Years' War.
Following some initial setbacks the war goes exceptionally well for England; victories at Crécy and Poitiers lead to the highly favorable Treaty of Brétigny.
Edward's later years, however, are marked by international failure and domestic strife, largely as a result of his inactivity and poor health.
Despite their tiny force, they quickly rally support for their cause.
The king flees London, and his companion since Piers Gaveston's death, Hugh Despenser, is publicly tried and executed.
Edward is eventually captured and charged with breaking his coronation oath.
He is deposed and remains imprisoned in Gloucestershire until he is murdered some time in the autumn of 1327, presumably by agents of Isabella and Mortimer.
A weak man, he spends most of his reign trying in vain to control the nobility, who in return show continual hostility to him.
Meanwhile, the Scottish leader Robert Bruce begins retaking all the territory conquered by Edward I.
In 1314, the English army is disastrously defeated by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn.
Edward also showers favors on his companion Piers Gaveston, a knight of humble birth.
While it has been widely believed that Edward was a homosexual because of his closeness to Gaveston, there is no concrete evidence of this.
The king's enemies, including his cousin Thomas of Lancaster, capture and murder Gaveston in 1312.
Scotland’s Alexander III, having established a united and economically prosperous Scotland, on March 18-19, 1286 dies suddenly at forty-five in a riding accident; his three-year-old granddaughter Margaret, called the “Maid of Norway,” succeeds him.
Alexander II’s heiress, the young Queen Margaret of Scotland, called “the Maid of Norway,” and destined to be the bride of the son of the English king, dies unexpectedly in 1290 on her voyage from Norway to Scotland.
Thirteen men, including Robert de Bruce and John de Baliol, the youngest son of Balliol College founder John de Baliol, claim the vacant Scottish throne.
King Edward I Longshanks, as suzerain made adjudicator among the claimants, selects John de Baliol, knowing that he can control the Scottish throne through Baliol.
Crowned at Scone on November 30, 1292, Baliol later does homage to Longshanks at Newcastle, recognizing him as overlord of Scotland.
Scottish nobles on May 10, 1291, recognize the authority of King Edward I of England in mediating resolution of the succession crisis created by the death of King Alexander III of Scotland five years earlier.
John Balliol, of whose early life little is known, was born between 1248 and 1250 at an unknown location; possibilities include Galloway, Picardy and Barnard Castle, County Durham.
He was the son of John, Fifth Baron Balliol, Lord of Barnard Castle, and his wife Dervorguilla of Galloway, daughter of Alan, Lord of Galloway and granddaughter of David, Earl of Huntingdon.
From his mother hehas inherited significant lands in Galloway and claim to Lordship over the Gallovidians, as well as various English and Scottish estates of the Huntingdon inheritance; from his father he has inherited large estates in England and France, such as Hitchin, in Hertfordshire.
Balliol had attended a parliament at Scone in 1284, which had recognized Margaret, Maid of Norway, as heir presumptive to her grandfather, King Alexander III.
Following the death of Margaret in 1290, John Balliol has been a competitor for the Scottish crown in the Great Cause, as he is a great-great-great-grandson of King David I through his mother (and therefore one generation further than his main rival Robert Bruce, Fifth Lord of Annandale, grandfather of Robert the Bruce, who will later become king), being senior in genealogical primogeniture but not in proximity of blood.
He had submitted his claim to the Scottish auditors with King Edward I of England as the arbitrator, at Berwick-upon-Tweed on June 6, 1291.
The Scottish auditors' decision in favor of Balliol is pronounced in the Great Hall of Berwick on November 30, 1292, St. Andrew's Day.
John Balliol, King of Scots, decides to refuse King Edward I of England's demands for support in a planned invasion of France, the result being the negotiation of the Auld Alliance with France and Norway in the following year.
These actions will play a part in precipitating the Scottish Wars of Independence, which will begin in 1296.
Master Honoré and the Evolution of Illumination (1295)
Master Honoré, a Parisian miniaturist, was one of the first manuscript illuminators to emerge from a secular workshop, rather than a monastic scriptorium. Working for the court of King Philip IV (Philip the Fair), he played a key role in shaping late 13th-century manuscript illumination, particularly in the increasing use of illusionism.
- In 1295, Honoré completed the "Prayer Book of Philip the Fair," a masterpiece that showcased innovative techniques in shading and highlights, creating an illusion of three-dimensionality.
- While his figures remained two-dimensional, his careful application of light and shadow on drapery and facial features gave his compositions a greater sense of depth and realism.
- His work inspired later Gothic manuscript illumination, setting the stage for the more advanced illusionistic effects of the 14th and 15th centuries.
The Auld Alliance: Scotland and France Unite Against England (1295)
In 1295, following increasing tensions with King Edward I of England, John de Balliol, King of Scots, sought an alliance with France to counter English aggression.
- On October 23, 1295, the first formal treaty of the Auld Alliance was signed in Paris, officially binding Scotland and France against England.
- The treaty guaranteed mutual military support, ensuring that if one nation was attacked by England, the other would provide aid.
- This alliance set the foundation for centuries of Franco-Scottish cooperation, enduring even beyond the Middle Ages and influencing the diplomatic landscape of Britain and France well into the 16th century.
Long-Term Impact of the Auld Alliance
- The Auld Alliance played a crucial role in Scotland’s resistance to English rule, most notably during the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296–1357).
- France and Scotland remained close allies for over 250 years, until the Treaty of Edinburgh (1560) formally ended their military cooperation.
- The alliance also influenced trade, culture, and diplomacy, fostering strong Franco-Scottish relations that persisted even after Scotland’s union with England in 1707.
Conclusion
The year 1295 marked significant cultural and political developments:
- Master Honoré’s innovations in manuscript illumination paved the way for a more illusionistic style in Gothic art.
- The Auld Alliance treaty cemented a long-standing Franco-Scottish relationship, shaping medieval and early modern European geopolitics.
Both events exemplify the interplay between artistic evolution and political maneuvering in late 13th-century Europe.