1. ‘Braveheart’ Media Study
HISTORY
Alexander II ruled Scotland from 1214 till 1249. He was succeeded by his son
Alexander III who suffered a fatal accident at Kinghorn in March 1286. During
this time Scotland was at peace with England, and after 1263 at peace with
Norway. Alexander’s immediate successor was his granddaughter Margaret
(the Maid of Norway), then three years old. She was in Norway and in poor
health, but her claim to the throne was upheld. The Scottish nobles
established Guardians of Scotland until Margaret reached her majority. In
1290 Margaret died, and the power struggle began. The main contenders
were the Baliol family and the Bruces. Edward I had made no attempt to
intervene in the succession prior to 1290 because his intention had been to
marry his son to the Maid of Norway. Since this wedding had only been
mooted as a possibility, the Scots were wary, but not hostile to Edward, and
turned to him for advice on whom to select as king. Amazing though this
might sound, it is fact. Edward had previously acted as honest broker over at
least two other European monarchies. He chose Baliol, a man whom history
has treated roughly. John Baliol genuinely seems to have tried to rule
independently of England, but this was not on Edward’s agenda. Edward
wanted a puppet king, and when Baliol did not collude, Edward ordered the
Scots lords to support his invasion of France in 1294. Baliol, among others,
refused to go, and Edward sacked Berwick.
William Wallace was the second son of an Elderslie squire. How he sprang,
full–blown, into the national consciousness is not at all clear. One legend
suggests that it was as a result of his killing of the Sheriff of Lanark in
retaliation for the murder of Wallace’s wife. Other legends suggest that the
Wallace family were already disenchanted with Edward, as the Wallace name
does not appear on the oath of loyalty to Edward. Whatever the cause, the
result was that between the spring of 1296 and the autumn of 1297 William
Wallace became the leader of a guerrilla army which took on and defeated
Edward’s army, a formidable military machine. At Stirling Wallace defeated
Edward’s army at the bridge, not, as in the film, on an open plain. He was
appointed Guardian. At Falkirk he was deserted by the Scots lords. He did
invade England, burning and sacking in retaliation for Berwick. He backed
Baliol’s claim for the throne. Finally he was betrayed and executed in 1305.
Precisely what he did in the years between 1297 and 1305 is unclear. There
is some evidence to suggest he travelled abroad seeking support. Equally
unclear is his relationship with Bruce.
What is clear is that he had an extraordinary military genius, and a passion for
Scotland. It is also worth noting that, despite his power and support, it was
not his aim to take the throne for himself. He wished a Scottish king to rule in
Scotland, and he believed Baliol to be that rightful monarch.