Castle design began with the owner's likely enemies and available resources. A knight or lesser lord prepared for local rivals, while a king or great magnate might have to resist a major field army. Beaumaris and Caernarfon therefore combined fortification with palace architecture and the soft power of an unmistakable royal statement. Edward could also call on ships, ports, and chartered transport to supply forces too large for the period's poor roads. Maritime access was a practical design assumption for major royal castles rather than a decorative extra.
Notable Point · 7:46-11:23
Royal castles matched royal threats
Edward I could build palace-like fortresses for major armies because royal fleets and revenues supported a scale unavailable to lesser lords.