King: Edward II of England (1284-1327)

One of the two worst of the Plantagenet kings (next to Richard II who met a similar fate), Edward II had an uphill battle as a king from the first days of his reign.  Although there were bright spots, his reign was one failure and disaster and crisis after another until he was deposed, imprisoned, and met an untimely end-or not.

Edward II was born in Caernarfon Castle in North Wales, the fourth son of one of the best Plantagenet kings.  Edward I, law-giver, military commander, hammer of the Scots and the Welsh.  It was an intimidating act to follow.  Despite predictions that he would be another King Arthur, little Edward was a frail child.  Though provision was made for his education, there is little evidence that Edward actually absorbed what he was taught.  He was a good rider, had a keen sense of humor, but wasn't particularly interested in hunting, falconry or military pursuits.  Not the typical recipe for a Plantagenet king.  A good-looking man who could be gracious when he chose, his life was otherwise dull normal for the period.  During the later years of his father's reign, Edward sometimes served as regent or even commanded troops on campaigns in Scotland, so he wasn't the total brainless fop he's made out to be in Braveheart.  But he had his weaknesses and they would prove to be fatal in the end.

He did marry Isabella of France and had at least four children by her, and an out-of-wedlock child named Adam Fitzroy, so stories about him being effeminate or a homosexual are probably slanders or later inventions.  Edward's Achilles heel was his friends, particularly friends from lower social status, something not common for royalty of that era.  While still Prince of Wales, his father Edward I, became incensed at the amount of money Edward, Junior, lavished on his friends and banished several from court.  While still a prince, Edward developed a friendship for one of his squires, Piers Gaveston, and lavished funds and honors on him.  Though chroniclers described the "love" between the two, Gaveston likewise was married and had children by his wife.  Were they bisexual?  Who knows?  Even the mention of homosexuality at the time would have been considered sinful, let alone slanderous if applied by a chronicler to a member of the royal family. 

Edward I died in 1307 and his son succeeded him as Edward II.  Edward inherited a kingdom heavily in debt, still embroiled in war with Scotland and uprisings in Wales.  Not an auspicious start to any reign.  The first signs of trouble came when he left England to claim his bride, Isabella, and left the realm in the custody of Piers Gaveston, angering his nobles and officials who believed this was an inappropriate choice, particularly when there were ranking barons and other extended members of the Plantagenet family who should have taken this position.  As his reign progressed, Edward cared little for official business, delegating most or all of it to Piers Gaveston.  He could intervene in matters of justice, particularly where friends or favorites were involved, and he showed an interest in law and architecture, but the day to day business of ruling wasn't something he cared to participate in.  His barons, led by his cousin Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, grew more angry at Edward's involvement of Gaveston in the government, but Edward refused to relent, delegating more responsibility and yet more honors to his favorite.  Tensions ran so high that the barons began mobilizing their levies, prepared to go to war, with Lancaster at their head.

As the wars with Scotland dragged on and more taxes were squeezed out of unwilling parliaments, Edward chose to borrow from Italian bankers.  The country sank deeper into debt.  With his kingdom on the brink of insurrection, the King was finally forced in 1311 to turn over management of the realm to a committee of nobles known as Ordainers, who proposed reforms known as the Ordinances of 1311.  These limited his ability to go to war or grant land without parliamentary approval, gave parliament control of royal administration, forbid borrowing from foreign sources, and set up a system to monitor compliance.  Gaveston was exiled and Edward withdrew to Windsor, too upset about the limits of his power to try to exercise what government still remained to him.  He did an about-face the following year and decided on his own solution to the problem by recalling Gaveston in 1312 and repealing the Ordinances.   As the barons marched on London and the Archbishop of Canterbury excommunicated Gaveston, Edward, his wife and his favorite fled.  Eventually, Gaveston surrendered to the barons and was executed on Blacklow Hill under authority of the Earl of Lancaster.  Lancaster had his own claim to the throne and the will to exercise it if Edward didn't abandon his favorites and get down to the business of governing England.

Tensions between Edward and his cousin continued, as well as ongoing disputes with the King of France over the remaining Plantagenet domains in France.  Isabella used her connections with her family to resolve the disputes and receive a loan from the King of France.  This put Edward in a better position at home and other nobles took the opportunity to reconcile the King and his cousin.  But disaster struck again.  Robert Bruce was slowly but surely winning back Scotland, and he topped off his victory with the costly Battle of Bannockburn on June 23, 1314.  Edward II was present at the battle, and narrowly escaped with his life.  In 1315, the Scots tried to invade England, but were pushed back.  With his political clout in shambles, Edward was pressured to reinstate the Ordinances of 1311.  Edward and his cousin Lancaster agreed to the Treaty of Leake in August, 1318, in which Lancaster was pardoned for rebellion and Edward promised reform, but England was still reeling from a famine known as the Great Famine (1315-17).  The Scots had also tried to establish a foothold in Ireland, but were driven out there and revolts in Wales suppressed.  But these small success were wiped out by Edward's continued behavior of befriending favorites and spending money and honor on them. 

The latest favorites were the Despensers, father and son.  Hugh Despenser the Elder had served both Edward I and II honorably.  Hugh the Younger married into a wealthy family, the de Clares, served as the King's Chamberlain, and acquired land and honors in Wales and on the borderland known as the Welsh marches.  He incurred the wrath of Thomas of Lancaster and the Mortimer family.  Crisis loomed again as the barons took to arms to make the King understand the error of his ways, but the intervention of the Earl of Pembroke in 1321 brokered a temporary peace.  Edward had to send the Despensers into exile and pardon Lancaster and the Marcher lords again.  And, once again, once peace was restored, Edward refused all attempts at reform.  Lancaster rose in revolt again, was captured and Edward ordered his cousin's execution, recalling his favorites.  Other leaders of the revolt were executed, some with barely the benefit of a sham trial.  Edward called yet another parliament to levy more taxes and brought back the Despenser father and son.  He continued to levy honors on the Despensers.  In 1324, war broke out with France again. 

Isabella stepped in to broker a peace between her brother, the King of France, and decided to stay in her native country with her young son.  However successful their marriage had been in the early years. she was fed up with the constant strife and having to step in with her family to clean up Edward's messes.  In retaliation, Edward gave custody of their remaining children to Hugh the Younger's wife.  Isabella developed a relationship with Roger de Mortimer and plotted no less than her husband's overthrow.  The barons rallied to Isabella and her son, Prince Edward.  In 1326, she and Mortimer were amassing an army.  Edward tried to rally defenses but few of his subjects, noble or otherwise, responded to his efforts.  The people were tired of Edward, too.  In September, 1326, Isabella, her 13-year-old son, Mortimer, and Edward II's own half-brother Edmund of Woodstock landed on the coast and met little resistance as they marched toward London.  Edward took refuge in the Tower of London but as the city went over to Isabella and Mortimer he fled, taking the Despenser father and son with him.  He tried to reach the Welsh coast and take ship for Ireland, but rough seas drove him back to Carphilly as more support frittered away and his government collapsed.  Edward fled again and was captured with Hugh the Younger on November 16, 1327.

Edward was taken to Monmouth Castle.  Hugh the Younger was tried and summarily executed.  Parliament, backed by the people of the City of London, declared the young Prince as King in place of his father.  On January 20, 1327, Henry, the son of Thomas of Lancaster led a delegation of nobles and clergy to meet with Edward, who had been moved to Kenilworth Castle.  He demanded that Edward formally give up the throne, or face the possibility that his son would be disinherited as well and another candidate, most likely Henry himself, would take over.  In those days, when children and women were often pushed out of their inheritance to make way for an adult male, it was no idle threat.  Edward agreed and his reign formally ended on January 27.  Young Edward was crowned Edward III on February 2, 1327. 

Edward was moved to Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire.  With few exceptions, especially when rumors or actual plots at rescue were discovered, he remained there.  No evidence exists for what kind of treatment he received.  Food and other luxury items were purchased in his behalf, but it is unknown how much of this he actually made use of.  The Castle still stands and a room is preserved as Edward's cell, but there's no evidence that it was his actual room or how it looked when he lived in it.  On September 23, 1327, Edward III was informed that his father had died.  Rumors immediately sprang up that he'd been murdered or ordered to be killed, though the red-hot poker up yonder is a later invention.  His body was quickly embalmed and held at Berkeley Castle until a suitable royal funeral could be arrange.  That happened on December 20, 1327 at Gloucester Abbey.  Edward was buried as a king, in clothing he had worn at his coronation and with an effigy showing him wearing a crown, holding a scepter and orb.  A popular cult of sainthood developed around him, with pilgrims visiting his tomb and declaring miracles. 

In 1330, a rift developed between Edward III, who was made of sterner stuff than he father.  Mortimer tried to assert his authority through rebellion, but the insurrection was put down and Mortimer executed.  Edward allowed his mother, Isabella, to receive a pension and remain in public life.  Perhaps to exonerate her, or maybe it's what he wanted to believe, he allowed the story to spread that an underling had been killed at Berkeley Castle and that body buried in the tomb at Gloucester Abbey, but that Edward II had been allowed to escape to the Holy Roman Empire, dying as a monk in a monastery there.  Some historians have given this theory serious consideration, citing letters received from Edward II's Italian banker creditors.  Most likely, though, he died at Berkeley Castle in 1327, of whatever causes.