alternatehistory.com
1332-3: England and Scotland
1332-3: 'A SPIDER AT HIS WEB'
"...Prince Edward's role in the beginning of the Scottish Civil War remains enigmatic, which is most likely how the frequently duplicitous monarch wanted it. Rumors suggest the Prince of Wales met with Beaumont and Balliol before the pair launched their invasion, but it is impossible to confirm. What is certain is that the Prince, heading a Parliament meant to consider disturbances in Ireland, found himself instead preoccupied by the news from Scotland, where Edward Balliol seemed to sweep all opposition away. Despite his success, the general consensus was that Balliol would soon see his fortune turn. Instead, the good news continued to arrive. Galloway rose to its exiled king's call. Balliol was crowned at Scone. It seemed that what had been intended as a mere bit of pressure at a hated rival was upending the Scottish throne completely. The Prince's response was to call another Parliament at York[1]...
"It was a scarcely-attended gathering--few lords had the time to meet again at such short notice at such a remote location. Even as the Chief Justice of the King's Bench, Sir Geoffrey le Scrope, noted that the Prince had remarkable latitude for dealing with the Scots, as Balliol's father had given up the crown to Edward Longshanks[2], the Prince of Wales saw his options narrowing. John de Bruce's hapless regent, the Earl of Mar had sent formal terms of submission to Balliol, who had set up a court in the fortress of Roxburgh--raised in England, Mar was a weak reed for the Bruce cause to rest on in the best of circumstances[3]As it now rested, he saw the only hopes of the Bruces of preserving some of their fortunes being a formal surrender in hopes of getting generous terms. In the north, David Strathbogie, Earl of Atoll had easily taken back his lands, and indeed, was already in talks with John's nephew and heir, Robert Stewart, to gain the latter's surrender[4]. It seemed all around the cause of Bruces was in retreat, and that if the Prince of Wales did not reach an arrangement with Balliol now, he would deal with him later, a King with a kingdom as securely united behind him as Robert Bruce had had when he dealt with the Prince's father. Already, Balliol's terms seem to grow less grand, less extraordinary, as his need for English support declined...
"In the end Prince Edward grabbed the opportunity while he could--his sister Eleanor, under consideration for a continental match, found herself sent to Perth, to be wedded to the "King of Scots" a man old enough to be her father[5]... King Edward, who when he was not enjoying his de facto retirement engaged in what amounted to amateur gardening[6], enjoyed it by siring yet more children on his second wife in what come to be sizable brood, gave his grudging consent, though is said to have cautioned his eldest that Scotland was a tricky matter that 'Once begun, will prove hard to end, drawing you ever further, and further, promising all and delivering naught'. The King spoke from experience, but his son did not listen, even as Balliol found it to be true even for a prospective King of Scots..."
--From This Terrible Majesty (Vol. 1): Prince and Steward by Augusta Lyme (1978)
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[1] This is fairly close to Edward's OTL actions.
[2] Scrope made similar statements OTL. Yes, Edward was already preparing a backstab on top of a backstab.
[3] Needless to say, this was a worry IOTL, which Mar had solved by dying in battle.
[4] Strathbogie and Stewart, two of the great tackers in Scottish history, were coming to similar arrangements at this point.
[5] IOTL, she would wed Reginald the Black, Duke of Guelders, who, though younger than Balliol, was still old enough to be her father. As we will see when we look at him later, it was not a happy match. He earned that nickname.
[6] This was an actual hobby of Edward II. In many ways, Edward II was born in the wrong century--he really would have been much happier as a ceremonial monarch.
"...Prince Edward's role in the beginning of the Scottish Civil War remains enigmatic, which is most likely how the frequently duplicitous monarch wanted it. Rumors suggest the Prince of Wales met with Beaumont and Balliol before the pair launched their invasion, but it is impossible to confirm. What is certain is that the Prince, heading a Parliament meant to consider disturbances in Ireland, found himself instead preoccupied by the news from Scotland, where Edward Balliol seemed to sweep all opposition away. Despite his success, the general consensus was that Balliol would soon see his fortune turn. Instead, the good news continued to arrive. Galloway rose to its exiled king's call. Balliol was crowned at Scone. It seemed that what had been intended as a mere bit of pressure at a hated rival was upending the Scottish throne completely. The Prince's response was to call another Parliament at York[1]...
"It was a scarcely-attended gathering--few lords had the time to meet again at such short notice at such a remote location. Even as the Chief Justice of the King's Bench, Sir Geoffrey le Scrope, noted that the Prince had remarkable latitude for dealing with the Scots, as Balliol's father had given up the crown to Edward Longshanks[2], the Prince of Wales saw his options narrowing. John de Bruce's hapless regent, the Earl of Mar had sent formal terms of submission to Balliol, who had set up a court in the fortress of Roxburgh--raised in England, Mar was a weak reed for the Bruce cause to rest on in the best of circumstances[3]As it now rested, he saw the only hopes of the Bruces of preserving some of their fortunes being a formal surrender in hopes of getting generous terms. In the north, David Strathbogie, Earl of Atoll had easily taken back his lands, and indeed, was already in talks with John's nephew and heir, Robert Stewart, to gain the latter's surrender[4]. It seemed all around the cause of Bruces was in retreat, and that if the Prince of Wales did not reach an arrangement with Balliol now, he would deal with him later, a King with a kingdom as securely united behind him as Robert Bruce had had when he dealt with the Prince's father. Already, Balliol's terms seem to grow less grand, less extraordinary, as his need for English support declined...
"In the end Prince Edward grabbed the opportunity while he could--his sister Eleanor, under consideration for a continental match, found herself sent to Perth, to be wedded to the "King of Scots" a man old enough to be her father[5]... King Edward, who when he was not enjoying his de facto retirement engaged in what amounted to amateur gardening[6], enjoyed it by siring yet more children on his second wife in what come to be sizable brood, gave his grudging consent, though is said to have cautioned his eldest that Scotland was a tricky matter that 'Once begun, will prove hard to end, drawing you ever further, and further, promising all and delivering naught'. The King spoke from experience, but his son did not listen, even as Balliol found it to be true even for a prospective King of Scots..."
--From This Terrible Majesty (Vol. 1): Prince and Steward by Augusta Lyme (1978)
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[1] This is fairly close to Edward's OTL actions.
[2] Scrope made similar statements OTL. Yes, Edward was already preparing a backstab on top of a backstab.
[3] Needless to say, this was a worry IOTL, which Mar had solved by dying in battle.
[4] Strathbogie and Stewart, two of the great tackers in Scottish history, were coming to similar arrangements at this point.
[5] IOTL, she would wed Reginald the Black, Duke of Guelders, who, though younger than Balliol, was still old enough to be her father. As we will see when we look at him later, it was not a happy match. He earned that nickname.
[6] This was an actual hobby of Edward II. In many ways, Edward II was born in the wrong century--he really would have been much happier as a ceremonial monarch.
- Space Oddity
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