Most people are familiar with the legend of King Arthur, but what most people don’t know is how the famous legend was used as a propaganda piece in England by King Edward I. Edward, also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, ruled England from 1272 to 1307. He led a successful campaign to conquer Wales that started on 1277 and ended in 1282. To consolidate his claim the Statute of Rhuddlan was passed in 1284, giving Edward constitutional basis to rule Wales.
However, in order to secure his control over Wales, Edward had to do more than pass a statute; one of the main strategies he used was to associate himself with the legendary King Arthur. Edward incorporated many features of the legend into his own kingdom, from the crown he claimed to have belonged to King Arthur to the Round Tables described in the legend. But perhaps the most lasting example of the tools used by Edward I were the castles he built in Wales inspired by the Arthurian legend.
The castles (located in North Wales) include the Beaumaris, Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech castles, and all were inspired by Arthurian architecture. Edward’s intention with his castles was to strengthen his power over Wales. In the legend, King Arthur is a symbol of chivalry and is a strong warrior who conquers Wales. By approximating his image to King Arthur, Edward I portraits himself as a powerful warrior that has control over Wales in the same way the legendary King had before.
Through his use of Arthurian propaganda, Edward exploited the legend by trying to incorporate or, at least, associate a famous and powerful figure to his own image. And in addition to improving his image, he also promoted a sense of nationalism around his kingdom. This is a clear use of a legend as propaganda and an example of how this practice has been used by leaders for many centuries.
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