Edward I

Edward was born on the 17th of June 1239 at Westminster as the oldest son of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence. He was named after the saint Edward the Confessor. In 1254 at the age of 15 Edward married the 9 year old Eleanor of Castile in Spain. As duke of Gascony Edward spent a year there. He fought in the civil wars of his father. Edward accompanied King Louis IX of France on a crusade starting off in August 1270 and arriving in Acre in May 1271. King Louis however died in Tunis. After Eleanor’s death in 1290, Edward married the 17 year old Margaret of France. All in all Edward had 15 children plus 3 or 4 anonymous ones. After the death of his father Henry III on the 16th of November 1272 Edward succeeded to the throne. He died on the 7th of July in 1307. His successor was his son Edward II.

Sources:

http://www.castlewales.com/edward.html, 01.05.2010, 14:45.

http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/plantagenet_5.htm, 01.05.2010, 14:52.

http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/KingsandQueensofEngland/ThePlantagenets/EdwardILongshanks.aspx, 01.05.2010, 14:01.

Morris, Marc. A Great and Terrible King. Edward I and the Forging of Britain. London: Hutchinson 2008, p. 436.