WILLIAM WALLACE AND ROBERT THE BRUCE. FRIENDS OR FOES?
WILLIAM WALLACE AND ROBERT THE BRUCE. FRIENDS OR FOES? We have very little historical evidence that could shed light on the relationship between William Wallace and Robert the Bruce (the future King Robert I of Scotland). There is actually no solid historical evidence that they ever met, although they almost certainly did cross paths at some point. It may have been Bruce who knighted Wallace in 1297‐98. But were they friends or foes? William Wallace and Robert the Bruce were two leaders who fought in what we now call the First War of Scottish Independence. But in reality, the two fought quite separate wars, with somewhat different goals. Wallace's war began in 1297 and lasted until 1304. His objectives were to rid Scotland of the English regime and reinstate John Balliol as King of Scots. Bruce, although he did come out in rebellion briefly at stages between 1297 and 1304, primarily fought his war between 1306 and 1328, after Wallace's death, and he fought for his own position