Favorite: Piers Gaveston and Edward II

Almost as intriguing as how he died are questions surrounding the friendship of Edward II and his favorite, Piers Gaveston.  Were they lovers or just friends, and why did Edward rely so heavily on this man who began life as a squire?  Despite their power and wealth, Kings were human beings who needed love, friendship or trustworthy relationships as much as anyone.  Surrounded by greedy and dangerous relatives and nobles, and yes-men, with no one whom they could treat as an equal, some Kings fell into the trap of lavishing too much attention on someone whom they perceived to be a trusted friend and confidante.  Often, that person could be just as greedy and arrogant as the courtiers around them but some Kings failed to see these faults.

All of the above combined in the relationship between Edward II and Piers Gaveston, c 1284-1312.  While Edward's nobles sneered at Piers' low birth, his father was in fact a knight from Gascony, which is how young Piers became a squire, first in the household of Edward I and later assigned to his son and heir, Prince Edward of Caernarfon, the future Edward II.  The two young men, who were the same age, hit it off as friends and Prince Edward began to lavish gifts on his friend.  As Piers mixed in the circle of younger men around Prince Edward, he became more enmeshed in Prince Edward's conflicts with his own father, the King.  In February, 1307, Edward I banished Gaveston from Court.  The exile was short lived, as Edward I died soon after and his son, now Edward II, recalled Gaveston, made him Earl of Cornwall, a title reserved in later years for royal offspring, and married him to a wealthy heiress, Margaret de Clare.  Margaret was the daughter of Edward's sister Joan, and thus a member of the extended royal family.  The nobles, including members of the Plantagenet family, were quick to sense the significance of this title and marriage and to resent it, but Edward paid no heed to the danger signs. 

When Edward left the realm in 1308 to marry Isabella of France, he appointed Gaveston Protector of the Realm or regent.  This flew in the face of angry members of the royal family and high nobility.  The nobles and parliament demanded the exile of Gaveston and had the tacit support of Isabella's father, Phillip IV of France.  Though no wrongdoing had been proved against Gaveston, Edward had no choice but to strip Gaveston of the Earldom of Cornwall and send him into exile.  He rewarded Gaveston soon after by making him Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.  Edward made the situation worse by continuing to lavish money and property on Gaveston in compensation for the lost Earldom.   As with the Regency, there was no evidence that Gaveston misused his position for self-enrichment and he was efficient in his duties, but it wasn't enough to keep the barons at bay for long.  Nevertheless, Edward allowed Gaveston to return in 1309 and reinstated him as Earl of Cornwall.

The barons and parliament seethed.  Gaveston, believing he had the King's mandate, began to mock the other lords.  They soon found out that he had his own pet names for them, which the King allowed him to use with impunity.  Lincoln was "burst-belly", probably alluding to weight trouble.  Lancaster was "the Fiddler", and on it went.  Gaveston also began to demand money, favors and lands for his family and friends, which Edward gladly gave.  In 1310, these offended noblemen and others refused to attend parliament as long as Gaveston was present.  Edward dismissed him and the barons showed up with a list of demands to lay before the King, including repudiation of Piers Gaveston.  This group of earls and barons became known as the Lords Ordainers and they had the support of both people who were hostile to the King, as well as members of the royal family and supporters of Edward.  Edward was forced to dismiss Gaveston once again in November, 1311.

Distraction as a political tactic is as old as the hills and in 1311, Edward II decided that a campaign in Scotland would keep the barons busy and off his case.  This campaign, which ultimately ended up in the Scots victory at Bannockburn in 1314 was a disaster from the beginning and Edward's clout sank even lower.  And Gaveston kept returning like a bad penny.  In January, 1312, he was back in England, any accusations against him declared invalid, restored to his lands and titles, and began fortifying Scarborough Castle.  Gaveston was gearing for war.  So were the barons.  In May, 1312, a group of barons including the Earls of Warwick and Pembroke besieged Scarborough Castle.  Gaveston surrendered and was placed in the custody of Pembroke.  Pembroke took Gaveston to Deddington in Oxfordshire, supposedly on his way to present Gaveston to the King for judgment. 

At Deddington, Pembroke left for a short visit to his wife.  Warwick showed up and captured Gaveston.  He took Gaveston to Warwick Castle, intending to place him on trial for treason.  Pembroke protested the seizure of his captive, but to no avail.  Gaveston was placed on trial before a board of barons including Warwick, Hereford, and Arundel, among others, and condemned to death.  On June 19, 1312, he was taken towards Kenilworth as though to be turned over to the Earl of Lancaster.  Once on Blacklow Hill, which may have been on either Warwick's land or Lancaster's, depending on the source, two Welshmen ran Gaveston through with swords and beheaded the body.  The body remained on the spot until some Dominican friars attempted to present it to Warwick, who refused to take it.  The body was taken to Oxford, but since Gaveston had died excommunicate, he could not be buried in 1315, when Edward II secured a dispensation for the burial.  He also provided generously for Margaret Gaveston, who was, after all, his niece.

Margaret later remarried the Earl of Gloucester.  Her and Gaveston's daughter, Joan, died before Edward could arrange a suitable match for her.  A monument was erected on Blacklow Hill in 1823 by a local, antiquarian squire.  Edward was full of anger and vengeance against his barons but had to patch things up with them as the situation in Scotland deteriorated and his own hold on his throne began to falter.  Questions abound about how close he and Piers Gaveston really were.  They both had wives and fathered children both in and out of wedlock.  However, the innuendo began during both men's lifetime and hasn't let up ever since.  There remains no definitive proof either way.  However, whether or not they were lovers, the main complaint of the barons was Gaveston's access to power and wealth they believed was their right.  Political and personal smear tactics, too, are as old as the hills.