Edward I was born on June 17, 1239, the eldest son of King Henry III and Eleanor of Provence. His early years were marked by the turbulence of a kingdom still wrestling with the legacy of Magna Carta. Unlike his bookish father, Edward developed a love for war and governance, training as a knight and learning to lead men from a young age. These lessons in power and conflict would define his reign as one of England’s most formidable kings.