Robert the Competitor, was one of the claimants to the Scottish throne. But once the wars of independence began in earnest, Bruce’s father fled for a while to Norway to live with one of his daughters and later retired to his holdings in England rather than return to Scotland.
Many have speculated that Bruce as well as his grandfather worked actively against the hapless “King” John Balliol and later against William Wallace. What is clear from historical accounts is that Wallace’s populist agenda would have been seen by Bruce as a threat to his more regal ambitions, and it is fair to say that Bruce did little to support the famed rebel. Indeed, whenever Wallace stumbled, Bruce seemed available to carry on the race, and it was Bruce who became the immediate beneficiary of Wallace’s efforts once Proud Edward had posted Braveheart’s head on London Bridge.
The years between Wallace’s ascendancy and his execution in London found Bruce and other members of the high nobility in a swirl of competition and betrayals as they attempted to position themselves both inside Scotland and with King Edward. In 1298, after Wallace had been abandoned on the battlefield at Falkirk and was forced to flee into the wilderness, Bruce and his archrival John “Red” Comyn, who was known as the principal representative of English interests, were chosen to replace Wallace as Guardians of Scotland. The next year Comyn, who had betrayed Wallace by marching his troops off the battlefield at Falkirk when the English army appeared, asked Bruce to meet him privately in the seclusion of the Selkirk Forest. When Bruce arrived, Comyn nearly killed him in an ambush. In 1300, Bruce resigned from the Guardianship, and in 1302 he actually went over to King Edward’s side, ostensibly because the Bruce family had never recognized John Balliol as king. Then in 1304, a year before Wallace’s execution, Bruce’s father died. This event, plus the passion that Wallace’s fate aroused throughout Scotland, led Bruce to seek the Scottish crown and unite the nation.
His ambitions were hardly met with great rejoicing in Scotland, but Bruce did have a plan. Six months after the death of Wallace, Bruce asked Comyn, now his most dangerous competitor for the country’s leadership, to meet him in the Minorite church at the border town of Dumfries. Inside the sanctuary of the church, Bruce coldly killed Comyn, opening himself up to charges not only of murder and treason, but also of sacrilege, and he was in fact excommunicated shortly thereafter.
Killing his major rival was obviously a huge personal and political gamble, but in the context of the times it also had its logic. First, it was a preemptive strike against a man who had already tried to kill him once, and might try again. Second, he had done it personally, which in its own odd way could be considered, if not honorable, at least not cowardly. And finally, the deaths of Wallace, the hero whom Scotland had loved, and Comyn, the rival who could have beaten him to the throne, left Bruce with no major competitors.
Hardly a month later, on March 25, 1306, Bruce declared himself king of Scotland and arranged his own coronation in the royal seat at Scone. In many eyes this was the ultimate form of Scottish chutzpah—having killed Comyn, the best way for Bruce to avoid charges of murder and treason was to place himself quickly and firmly above anyone who might bring them. The coronation itself was sparsely attended, including only members of his family, a few bishops, and Isabella, the countess of Buchan, whose brother was then a prisoner of the English. Comyn’s powerful family swore a blood oath against Bruce. Many ordinary Scots also opposed him, unable to forget that only a few years before, while William Wallace was on the run, Bruce had joined forces with Edward himself.
In London, the news of Bruce’s crowning sent Proud Edward into a mad fury. Ridiculing Bruce as “King Hob” (old English slang for
Many have speculated that Bruce as well as his grandfather worked actively against the hapless “King” John Balliol and later against William Wallace. What is clear from historical accounts is that Wallace’s populist agenda would have been seen by Bruce as a threat to his more regal ambitions, and it is fair to say that Bruce did little to support the famed rebel. Indeed, whenever Wallace stumbled, Bruce seemed available to carry on the race, and it was Bruce who became the immediate beneficiary of Wallace’s efforts once Proud Edward had posted Braveheart’s head on London Bridge.
The years between Wallace’s ascendancy and his execution in London found Bruce and other members of the high nobility in a swirl of competition and betrayals as they attempted to position themselves both inside Scotland and with King Edward. In 1298, after Wallace had been abandoned on the battlefield at Falkirk and was forced to flee into the wilderness, Bruce and his archrival John “Red” Comyn, who was known as the principal representative of English interests, were chosen to replace Wallace as Guardians of Scotland. The next year Comyn, who had betrayed Wallace by marching his troops off the battlefield at Falkirk when the English army appeared, asked Bruce to meet him privately in the seclusion of the Selkirk Forest. When Bruce arrived, Comyn nearly killed him in an ambush. In 1300, Bruce resigned from the Guardianship, and in 1302 he actually went over to King Edward’s side, ostensibly because the Bruce family had never recognized John Balliol as king. Then in 1304, a year before Wallace’s execution, Bruce’s father died. This event, plus the passion that Wallace’s fate aroused throughout Scotland, led Bruce to seek the Scottish crown and unite the nation.
His ambitions were hardly met with great rejoicing in Scotland, but Bruce did have a plan. Six months after the death of Wallace, Bruce asked Comyn, now his most dangerous competitor for the country’s leadership, to meet him in the Minorite church at the border town of Dumfries. Inside the sanctuary of the church, Bruce coldly killed Comyn, opening himself up to charges not only of murder and treason, but also of sacrilege, and he was in fact excommunicated shortly thereafter.
Killing his major rival was obviously a huge personal and political gamble, but in the context of the times it also had its logic. First, it was a preemptive strike against a man who had already tried to kill him once, and might try again. Second, he had done it personally, which in its own odd way could be considered, if not honorable, at least not cowardly. And finally, the deaths of Wallace, the hero whom Scotland had loved, and Comyn, the rival who could have beaten him to the throne, left Bruce with no major competitors.
Hardly a month later, on March 25, 1306, Bruce declared himself king of Scotland and arranged his own coronation in the royal seat at Scone. In many eyes this was the ultimate form of Scottish chutzpah—having killed Comyn, the best way for Bruce to avoid charges of murder and treason was to place himself quickly and firmly above anyone who might bring them. The coronation itself was sparsely attended, including only members of his family, a few bishops, and Isabella, the countess of Buchan, whose brother was then a prisoner of the English. Comyn’s powerful family swore a blood oath against Bruce. Many ordinary Scots also opposed him, unable to forget that only a few years before, while William Wallace was on the run, Bruce had joined forces with Edward himself.
In London, the news of Bruce’s crowning sent Proud Edward into a mad fury. Ridiculing Bruce as “King Hob” (old English slang for
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