Edward I's determination to secure Wales is interpreted through his desire for stability after the crises faced by his father, Henry III. Simon de Montfort had nearly displaced Henry from the throne, giving Edward a personal reason to fear that political connection. Whatever money or family connections Llywelyn's marriage to Montfort's daughter could bring, the match would have raised immediate alarm for Edward. In this reading, Edward might have tolerated other actions by Llywelyn, but this marriage touched a particularly sensitive memory. The castle programme belongs within that concern for lasting security as well as the immediate struggle for control of Wales.
Notable Point · 19:18-20:14
Edward I's pursuit of stability
Llywelyn's marriage into the Montfort family is interpreted as especially alarming to Edward I after his father's near loss of the throne.