Why did John Duns Scotus remain loyal to Pope Boniface VIII during the conflict with Philip IV?

John Duns Scotus remained loyal to Pope Boniface VIII during his conflict with King Philip IV of France because of his principled commitment to the papacy and its authority, which he defended against the divine right of kings.1

In 1303, the tension between the monarch and the pope reached a breaking point over the king's attempts to tax church property to fund his wars. When Philip IV demanded that the French clergy and the University of Paris support his efforts to depose the pope, the Franciscan house was forced to choose sides. While many French friars sided with the king, Duns Scotus and his colleague Gonsalvus Hispanus were among the approximately 80 friars who remained loyal to Boniface VIII. As a consequence of this refusal to submit to the king's demands, Duns Scotus was exiled from France.2