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• The land ruled by the King of England in 1250 included England, part of Ireland and two regions of what is now France: Gascony in the south west and Calais in the north east.
• During the Middle Ages, England took control of Wales and officially it was in the king’s realm, but many Welsh people did not accept English rule.
• During the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, several parts of France changed hands. For example, Gascons from south west France were treated as English citizens until France took control of Gascony when they became ‘aliens’.
• Scotland was a foreign country. Those not born in lands ruled by the king were classed as ‘aliens’.

Although kings had a lot of power they sometimes faced rebellion by powerful lords. As a result, during the Middle Ages people gained some rights such as a Parliament that had an influence over laws and taxation. Kings used taxes to collect money for wars and other projects. In the later Middle Ages the government imposed a tax on foreigners.

The other centre of power was the Roman Catholic Church, which was organised across Europe and led by the Pope in Rome. The church had a huge influence on England’s government through its archbishops and bishops. The Church was central to people’s lives and controlled thinking about life and death. It provided hospitals and schools as well as priests and monks who could read and write. They could influence the way people thought, for example about other religions.

The monarchy and the Church looked for ways to borrow money for wars and building projects. They needed to find wealthy people who would lend them money: however, the Church did not allow Catholics to lend money with interest.