Making Excuses: The Diplomatic Anxieties of Edward I of England

Abstract

Making polite and credible excuses was an essential artform of medieval diplomacy, and one in which Edward I of England was well-practised. The matters from which rulers excused themselves can be revealing of the kinds of questions that generated diplomatic anxiety. The explanations and excuses offered in these refusals are equally telling. They articulate what were presumed to be shared ideals; platforms from which rulers’ strongest diplomatic defence could be mounted. This essay examines Edward’s excuses offered in two very different examples of diplomatic negotiation, showing what qualities he wanted to present as central to his persona beyond his realm.