Feudalism was the dominant social structure in medieval Europe. It was a hierarchy with the king at the top and peasants at the bottom, usually serfs (tied into serving their local lord in return for the land they lived on and farmed). In this model, the magnates had lands and titles held by the authority of the king. In return, they owed him their service and support. Different titles came with different privileges; some had more autonomy over their territories than others.

The Plantagenet kings were at the top of this hierarchy in the English territories, but many of them held other titles (such as Duke of Normandy or Aquitaine) that formally owed feudal allegiance to the French kings, though the extent to which this was a ceremonial or practical reality varied. Kings often sought to expand power blocs by drawing other leaders into a feudal relationship with them; for example, Edward I sought to make the Scottish king a vassal of his, who owed him homage. During this period, governmental and cultural shifts began to impact the traditional feudal relationships, moving toward centralized bureaucracy and a formal acknowledgment that hierarchical power also came with obligations.