John Balliol (1249-1314) was King of Scotland from 17 November 1292 to 10 July 1296, succeeding Margaret, Maid of Norway and preceding Robert I of Scotland. Balliol was made king by a court judged by King Edward I of England, but he later alienated his patron by seeking an alliance with France. This resulted in Edward's invasion of Scotland in 1296 and Balliol's subsequent deposition.
Biography[]
Balliol in 1297
John Balliol was born in Galloway, Scotland in 1249, the son of John I de Balliol, and a member of the noble House of Balliol. He was a descendant of King David I of Scotland, giving him a claim to the Scottish throne that was stronger than the more distant claim of Robert de Brus. Following the deaths of Alexander III in 1286 and Margaret in 1290, Balliol competed for the throne, and Edward I of England chaired the commission that selected Balliol to rule Scotland. Edward treated Scotland as a vassal of England, subjugating the country; John was powerless to stop his patron. He tried to assert himself, but his refusal to attend Parliaments in York and his maneuvering for an alliance with France (the "Auld Alliance") brought him Edward's wrath. In April 1296, Edward invaded Scotland and defeated John at Dunbar. Balliol surrendered and was imprisoned in the Tower of London, and he was later sent to France, where he lived in obscurity. Scotland was left without a monarch until Robert Bruce became King in 1306, and John's son Edward Balliol would later exert a claim to the throne against David II of Scotland.