Accession As King of Scotland
In 1284 Balliol had attended a parliament at Scone, which had recognised Margaret, Maid of Norway as heiress to King Alexander III of Scotland. Following the death of Margaret in 1290, John Balliol was a competitor for the Scottish crown in the so called 'Great Cause', as he was a great-great-great-grandson of King David I through his mother (and therefore one generation further than his main rival Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale, grandfather of the Robert the Bruce who later became king), being senior in genealogical primogeniture but not in proximity of blood. He submitted his claim to the Scottish auditors with King Edward I of England as the arbitrator, at Berwick-upon-Tweed on 6 June 1291. The Scottish auditors' decision in favour of Balliol was pronounced in the Great Hall of Berwick Castle on 17 November 1292, and he was inaugurated accordingly King of Scotland at Scone, 30 November 1292, St. Andrew's Day.
Edward I, who had coerced recognition as Lord Paramount of Scotland, the feudal superior of the realm, steadily undermined John's authority. He demanded homage to be paid towards himself, legal authority over the Scottish King in any disputes brought against him by his own subjects, contribution towards the costs for the defence of England, and military support was expected in his war against France. He treated Scotland as a feudal vassal state and repeatedly humiliated the new king. The Scots soon tired of their deeply compromised king; the direction of affairs was allegedly taken out of his hands by the leading men of the kingdom, who appointed a council of twelve—in practice, a new panel of Guardians—at Stirling in July 1295. They went on to conclude a treaty of mutual assistance with France - known in later years as the Auld Alliance.
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Famous quotes containing the words king and/or scotland:
“Times the king of men;
Hes both their parent and he is their grave,
And gives them what he will, not what they crave.”
—William Shakespeare (15641616)
“Four and twenty at her back
And they were a clad out in green;
Tho the King of Scotland had been there
The warst o them might hae been his Queen.
On we lap and awa we rade
Till we cam to yon bonny ha
Whare the roof was o the beaten gold
And the floor was o the cristal a.”
—Unknown. The Wee Wee Man (l. 2128)