Indeed, the story says...

it was the kings men fault (their absence allowed it) that the balance of power in kingdoms slowly changed hands: from king to barons.

The poor kings lambs (a troubadour song) Since the oldest of age, the kings guarded the kingdom and themselves with both: wisdom of elders and prowess of knights. The kings men lived by simple rules.

Combat unfairness, meanness, deceit. Mind your business. Serve the king, the kingdom and the Lord by doing good deeds. This kept them away from the strings of the tournament market (none of our business, they said).
The tournaments were eventually getting traction. Troubadours chanted. Arms were shining in a blaze of glory. The mob, the beautiful women and even the bishops, rejoiced the barons, who jousting for prize, knocked their opponents off the horseback. After each charge the winners coat of arms waved on a raising flag. The higher the flag, the more of a story, the more of a prize, the more of a worry... Why pay homage to the king? New sets of rules were needed. What then? A warlock rendered some advice: 1 - praise the king; 2 - scout troubadours (found of treats); prepare songs; 3 - find peers of some sort (proctors, warlocks, etc. ); 4 - appoint them Councilors (they owe you homage); 5 - make rules.

A white knight understood and cried out: Barons, not this!. Joined, there he was, by a few other (a judge, a herald, an old friend, his brother and his father)...
The troubadours (full of treats) entered the scene singing louder: Fool, crazy

knights leave the barons alone. They are the poor kings lambs... They praise the king. Everything they do is "In the name of the King..." Do not be silly... Mind your own business. The cry, the song turned a blind eye from most of the king's men (then in power) ... They could neither accept nor deny any wrongdoing.

The mob, the beautiful women and even the bishops, rejoiced the barons, who jousting for prize, knocked their opponents off the horseback. One Council of Elders after

another were taken over. New rules had been written. The togetherness of act between the barons and the newly appointed Councils of Elders, broke obvious.
Now they saw, all of the kings men - the Knights Code was gone; - the king was the lamb; - barons ruled.

.... their long absence from the strings had allowed it.