John Balliol was made King of Scots by King Edward I of England, only to have Edward take his throne taken away by force.
Find out about King John Balliol
NARRATOR:
The Wars of Independence. King John Balliol.
Have you ever been bullied? When somebody expects you to do what they want?
Even Kings get bullied - by other Kings. It takes real bravery to stand up to a bully. John Balliol did just that. Even though the bully was the man who made him King in the first place!
In the year 1290, Margaret the Maid of Norway, heir to Scotland’s throne died. The chief nobles of Scotland couldn’t agree who should next be the King.
Lots of the Scottish nobles had land in England so they were used to the English King, Edward, being in charge and therefore asked him to decide.
Out of all the nobles who had Scottish Royal blood, Edward picked John Balliol. And treated John Balliol, and Scotland, like his property.
The Scottish nobles got fed up with Edward bossing them around, and in 1295 John Balliol signed a treaty of friendship with France, which meant that France and Scotland would stick up for each other – to this day we call it ‘The Auld Alliance’.
Edward was furious! He was at war with the King of France. He didn’t want Scotland siding with France.
The final straw for Edward came in March 1296, when John said he wouldn’t be bossed around anymore. John would be his own King and make his own decisions.
The very next month, Edward invaded Scotland, and so the Wars of Independence began.
The English Army beat the Scottish Army at Dunbar and then Edward set about crushing Scotland.
With no army to protect him, and no hope of escape, John Balliol surrendered to the English and was humiliated by Edward.
His Royal Insignia, the special design that could only be worn by the Scottish King, The Lion Rampant, was torn from his Tabard, his coat. Edward’s message was clear, Balliol was no longer King.
Edward even took the Stone of Destiny, the stone that all of Scotland’s kings were crowned on. No-one could be made King of Scotland without it.
John was held prisoner in the Tower of London, before being sent away forever to spend the rest of his life exiled in France. He never saw Scotland again.
When he was really pushed, John Balliol was brave enough to stand up against King Edward. Even though he didn’t win, others would fight for Scotland’s independence in his name. Such as ~ William Wallace.
WILLIAM WALLACE:For King John!
How did John Balliol become king?
Before John became king, Scotland had been left without a ruler. The search for a new king would lead to war:
- In 1286 King Alexander III died
- In 1290 the next in line, Alexander's granddaughter Margaret, Maid of Norway, died aged only seven
- In 1291 the Scottish nobles asked King Edward I of England to help choose a new king
- In 1292 John Balliol was picked as the new King of Scotland
What happened to John?
Before he made John king, Edward I, King of England, forced John to recognise him as his superior. Edward expected John to be loyal to him.
England was at war with France. Edward demanded that the Scots took his side against the French. The Scottish nobles were so angry at this that they made John stand up to Edward.
In 1295, John signed a treaty of friendship and support with the King of France. The two countries promised to defend each other against England. The treaty became known as the Auld Alliance.
Auld Alliance facts
The Alliance between Scotland and France lasted for many years:
- 1295 - the treaty was signed by Balliol
- 1560 - Scotland converted to the Protestant faith and the Alliance with catholic France faded in importance
- The Alliance allowed Scottish merchants to buy and sell in France without paying a fee
- The Alliance gave Scottish people the right to French citizenship up until the early 1900s!
'Toom Tabard'
Edward was furious about the treaty between Scotland and France. In 1296 he marched a large army into Scotland and beat a Scottish army at the Battle of Dunbar.
John surrendered. To punish him, Edward stripped John of his royal status - he was no longer king!
He even ripped the royal insignia from John's tunic. As a result John got the nickname 'Toom Tabard' - meaning empty jacket.
Edward took the Stone of Destiny to England. This was the stone on which all Scottish kings were crowned. Without it the Scots could not make another king. The Wars of Independence had started!
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