On November 20, 1272, Edward I was proclaimed King of England following the death of his father, Henry III. Edward was on crusade in the Holy Land at the time and did not return to England for two years, but his proclamation marked the beginning of his reign. Edward I would become one of England's most powerful and effective medieval kings, known for his legal reforms, military campaigns, and expansion of royal authority.

Edward I's reign was a period of significant political and cultural development, influencing the literature of the time. His court was a center of patronage, and his marriage to Eleanor of Castile was celebrated in poetry and song. The king's legal reforms, particularly the Statute of Westminster, were discussed in political treatises and provided a framework for the development of English law, which would later be reflected in legal and literary works like the Year Books.