Step back into 1299 and the palace of King Edward I, Hammer of the Scots. Travel back in time to a world of chivalrous knights and beautiful ladies, troublesome lords and royal prisoners. There are money problems at home, too, as the King leads his armies off to war.

Enter the Medieval palace in the year 1299. England has been at war for much of King Edward I’s reign. In conquering Wales Edward has built a ring of great castles subjugating the people to his rule and claimed the title Prince of Wales for his young son. But castle building on this scale, including additional outer walls to the Tower of London, has placed a great burden on the country’s finances. Warfare in Scotland rages onwards too with the recent defeat of Stirling Bridge at the hands of William Wallace provoking a much greater campaign of violence across the Northern border. The victory of Falkirk has restored the balance of power in Edward’s favour but Wallace still remains at large and imprisoning the Scottish King John Balliol at the Tower has not broken the country’s defiant spirit against the English. Adding to the costly business of war is a flood of bad coins into the country threatening to destabilise the entire economy.

Join the royal court as they struggle against the growing challenges to advise and assist their King and maintain the governance of the country, whilst Edward leads armies against the Scots. But hope emerges on the horizon with a growing alliance between England and their great rival France, sealed with marriage. After years as a widower to his much loved Queen Eleanor of Castile Edward will once again be married, this time to Margaret of France, sister of the French King. Meet the new French Queen of England as she discovers what is expected of her in her new position and what it will be like to be married to such a warlike King as the Hammer of the Scots.