Boulogne agreement facts for kids
The Boulogne agreement was an important document signed in 1308. A group of powerful English nobles signed it. They were concerned about how King Edward II was ruling England. After his father, Edward I, died in 1307, people quickly became unhappy with the new king. This was partly due to old problems from Edward I's time. But it was also because of Edward II's own actions. He stopped fighting the wars in Scotland. He also gave too much power to his unpopular friend, Piers Gaveston. The agreement was written in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, while the king was getting married. It said that the nobles had a duty to protect the rights of the Crown. Three months later, this agreement led to another document. This second paper, called the Declaration of 1308, explained why people were against the king. It famously separated the idea of the King as a person from the idea of the Crown as an institution.
Today, we only have a copy of this document from the 1600s. It was made by a historian named William Dugdale. The Boulogne agreement was not well-known to modern historians until the 1960s. But now, it is seen as very important. It was the first time the conflict between the king and the nobles was written down. This conflict was a big part of Edward II's reign. Historians agree the document is important. However, they still debate if the nobles who signed it were trying to oppose the king or just be loyal to the Crown.
Contents
Why Was Edward II Unpopular?
Edward II became king of England on July 7, 1307. This happened after his father, Edward I, died. People had high hopes for the new king. At first, he got along well with the main nobles in the country.
Problems from Edward I's Time
There were some issues left over from his father's rule. Edward I's constant wars cost a lot of money. This put a huge financial burden on the country. His strong way of ruling also caused problems with some important lords and church leaders. This led to a list of complaints called the Remonstrances in 1297. By the time Edward I died, most of these problems were solved. Still, the leading men of England wanted to make sure the new king would not ignore their advice.
Edward II's Own Actions
The new king also had some personal issues that worried people. Before he died, Edward I had sent Prince Edward's close friend, Piers Gaveston, away from England. The king believed Gaveston had too much influence over his son. On his deathbed, Edward I supposedly asked some of his closest followers to watch over his son. These included Henry de Lacy, Guy de Beauchamp, Aymer de Valence, and Robert Clifford. He especially wanted them to make sure Gaveston did not come back.
But one of Edward II's first acts as king was to call Gaveston back from exile. He also made Gaveston the Earl of Cornwall. This title was usually only for members of the royal family. This made the nobles even more upset about Gaveston. Another reason for unhappiness was Edward II stopping the wars in Scotland. His father had fought these wars. Stopping them allowed Robert the Bruce to take back land the English had won. This was bad for many English nobles who had lands there.
The Agreement Is Signed
On January 22, 1308, Edward II left England for France. He left Gaveston in charge as a temporary ruler. In 1299, a treaty had said that Edward should marry Isabella. She was the daughter of the French king, Philippe IV of France. Several important nobles went with Edward to France. These included Lincoln, Pembroke, Clifford, John de Warenne, and Humphrey de Bohun.
On January 25, Edward and Isabella were married in Boulogne-sur-Mer. On January 31, Edward showed his loyalty to the French king for the Duchy of Aquitaine. The English king held this land from the French king. On that same day, the nobles who had traveled with Edward gathered. They signed the document now known as the Boulogne agreement.
What Happened Next?
The Boulogne agreement did not have a big immediate effect. It is mostly important because it influenced a later document. This document was presented in parliament in April of that year.
The Coronation and New Promises
Meanwhile, on February 25, the king was crowned. Before his coronation, the king had to add an extra part to his coronation oath. The king promised to follow the law. But the exact meaning of this promise was not clear. The new part referred to laws the people "shall have chosen." This made it unclear if it included future laws. At the coronation ceremony, Gaveston acted very proudly and rudely. This made the leading nobles even more angry.
The Declaration of 1308
The document from the April parliament is called the Declaration of 1308. It had three main points. The Earl of Lincoln presented it. The first point used the idea of the "doctrine of capacities". This meant that people owed loyalty to the Crown as an institution, not just to the King as a person. If the King misused his power, his subjects had a duty to correct him. This would uphold the promise of the Boulogne agreement to protect the Crown's rights.
The second point was an attack on Gaveston. It did not name him, but it clearly demanded he be sent away again. The third point referred to the extra part of the coronation oath. It was now taken to mean that the king had to follow any decisions made by his subjects. This included past, present, or future decisions. The king first resisted this opposition. But the earls also got support from Philippe IV, the French king. Philippe was upset that Edward seemed to prefer Gaveston over his own wife, Isabella. On May 18, Edward finally agreed to send Gaveston away again.
How We Know About It Today
The historian William Dugdale copied the Boulogne agreement. He also mentioned it in a footnote in his 1675 book, Baronage of England. After this, the document was not mentioned in history books for almost 300 years. Some historians mentioned Dugdale's footnote. But the document itself was not used as a source again until 1965. That year, Noël Denholm-Young quoted a few lines from it in his book History and Heraldry: 1254–1310. In 1972, J. R. S. Phillips published a full copy of the Boulogne agreement. He did this in his book Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke 1307–1324.
See also
- Ordinances of 1311
- Royal prerogative
