Edward II

Edward II & Isabella of France

Edward II "of Carnarvon" , King of England
1307–27

The fourth son of King Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, Edward became heir apparent when his eldest surviving brother, Alphonso of Chester, died on 19 Aug 1284. Edward's mother died when he was six and his father's continued absences in wars placed the young prince under the influence of extravagant courtier, Piers (Peter) Gaveston, a Gascon knight.

Edward succeeded to the throne upon his father's death in 1307 and immediately created Gaveston the earl of Cornwall. Gaveston served as guardian of the realm (appointed 26 Dec 1307) during the king's trip to France until 7 Feb 1308. Twenty-eight barons, known as the Lords Ordainer, irritated by the king's appointments and favorites, drafted the Ordinances demanding the banishment of Gaveston and the limitation of the royal powers. Edward conceded to the Ordinances (October 1311), but in early 1312 Gaveston returned by the king's command. When Edward returned to Gaveston his castles and appointed to new offices, the barons had the favorite arrested and executed (19 Jun 1312). Responding to the revolt of Robert the Bruce, Edward II led an army to Scotland, where it was decisively defeated by Bruce at Bannockburn (24 Jun 1314). The Lords Ordainer led by Thomas of Lancaster virtually governed the country and the king found himself under the influence of Hugh le Despenser and his son and namesake. In 1321 Edward confronted the most powerful barons on a battlefield, beheaded Thomas of Lancaster (22 Mar 1322) and revoked the Ordinances. The Despensers attached new lands to their dominions and caused the enmity of Edward's queen, Isabella, sister of the French king Charles IV. While on a mission to France, Isabella conspired with Roger Mortimer baron of Wigmore and refused to return until the Despensers were removed from court.

In September 1326, Isabella and Mortimer led an invasion against Edward II, who escaped to Wales. On the presumption that the king "disappeared", a council of barons at Bristol declared the king's son, Prince Edward (future Edward III), guardian of the realm (26 Oct 1326). The Earl of Lancaster captured Edward II at Neath Abbey (16 Nov 1326) and detained him at Kenilworth. Edward II refused to attend the Parliament summoned in his name at Westminster, thus making it illegitimate. On 13 Jan 1327 this assembly, nevertheless calling itself Parliament in official records, agreed on the deposition of the King. A deputation of bishops, barons, and judges, sent to Kenilworth, formally renounced homage to Edward II and accepted the king's forced abdication on 20 Jan 1327. Imprisoned at Berkeley Castle, Edward died in September 1327, probably by violence.

Source: text: "Handbook of British Chronology", 3rd ed., 1986; "The tyranny and fall of Edward II 1321-1326", by Natlie Fryde (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1979); "The Deposition and Abdication of Edward II," by Claire Valente, in ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW, Volume 113, Issue 453 (1998); image: Edward II's tomb in the Gloucester Cathedral.

Edward was regarded as a weak king because he preferred basket weaving and gardening to soldiery and government. He had a lonely childhood as, although he was the 14th of Edward I 19 children, few of his brothers and sisters survived infancy. Three of his elder sisters were married before he was six, when his mother died, and a forth had entered a nunnery about the time he was born. Only his sister, Elizabeth, was close to him in age, being two years older, and he was sixteen when his half brother, Thomas, was born.

His closest childhood friend was Piers Gaveston, a handsome but affected knight from Gascony. They both were to lead extravagant lifestyles, found enjoyment in disrupting ceremonies and annoying members of the court by giving them rude nick-names. The king suspected they were having a homosexual relationship and several times banned Gaveston from Court but after his father's death Edward II called Gaveston back to court and made him Earl of Cornwall, a title usually reserved for the King's son.

Piers married Edward's niece, Margaret, and when Edward went to France to collect his bride, Isabella, he made Piers Regent. Piers made all the arrangements for the coronation on 25th February 1308, and tried to outside all others present with his manner of dress and had the highest honor of carrying the king's crown.

He caused further upset by his outward display of affection for Edward which upset the young queen. Gaveston also bungled the banquet arrangements which resulted in a poorly cooked and late meal.

The barons forced Edward to banish Gaveston again, which he did by making him regent of Ireland in 1308, but within a year later Gaveston was back and continued to irritate the barons with his wit and sarcasm. He often arranged tournaments and, what must have been doubly irritating, he appeared able defeat any knight that rode against him.

This was to particularly upset the vicious and haughty Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, one of the most powerful men in England, with vast estates and a huge private army. He led the opposition against the king and in the parliament of 1310 forced the king to agree to a committee of 28 barons, the Lords Ordainers, who effectively then government the country. They forced the king to permanently exile Gaveston, so Edward now made him lord of Man.

Gaveston would not stay away and turned up at the King's Christmas celebrations, as arrogant and obnoxious as ever. A group of barons led by Lancaster arrested Gaveston and executed him in June 1312 saying he was an enemy of the state.

Some believed that this execution had been unlawful and opposed what had been done, in particular Hugh Dispenser, a supporter of the King and friend of Gaveston¹s and as a result both he and his son, Hugh the younger, rose in the King's favor.

All of his father’s efforts to suppress the Scots were wasted when his son ‘lost’ Scotland to Robert the Bruce at the battle of Bannockburn on 24 June 1314. One of the first casualties of that battle was an English knight named Henry de Bohun. He had charged Bruce in single combat and lost his brains to the battle axe of the Scots leader.

Edward continued his attempts to retake Scotland. But his efforts were ineffectual and he signed a truce with King Robert. Two years after this Queen Isabella allied herself with some of Edwards disaffected Barons. From France where she had gone with her son to do homage to the French king for her lands there she joined with them and invaded England.

With the barons’ leader, and now her lover, Roger de Mortimer, she pursued the fleeing Edward and the Despensers. Edward was taken prisoner and the Despensers were both executed in the most extreme manner. The elder was crowned with nettles, hung from a gallows while his intestines and genitals were cut out and burned before him. He was drawn by horses, beheaded and hung out like a common thief. His son was treated no less harshly. He was hanged, beheaded and cut into quarters. His head went to London Bridge for display and his four quarters to the four corners of the kingdom.

Edward was forced to abdicate in favor of his young son who became Edward III. But Queen Isabella’s hatred of Edward II had not yet been assuaged. She connived with her fellow rebels and the clergy to execute the former king. And the murder was carried it out in as painful a manner as his executioners could devise. There were constraints, however. With their eyes on the future and the possibility that someone sympathetic to Edward might one day take power they had to be careful. So they devised a method of execution that would not be apparent should anyone view the corpse.

First the king was locked in a secure enclosure under which piles of rotting corpses were piled to drive him wild from the almost suffocating stench. When this proved insufficient to kill him they took more extreme measures. They seized him in his sleep, half suffocated him with pillows, then took a red hot plumbers soldering iron and guided it into his anus through a tube that had been inserted there. They burned out his bowels and vital organs and his anguished screams could be heard throughout his castle prison.

Bill Fitzgerald

Isabella of France, Queen of England
1292-1358

Queen to Edward II of England. She was known as Isabella the Fair, and later as the She-Wolf of France. Isabella was the daughter of King Philip IV of France (d.1314) and Joanna of Navarre. She was the sister of three French Kings: Louis X (d.1316), Philip V (d.1322), and Charles IV(d.1328). Her aunt Marguerite (her father's sister) was married to Edward I, King of England, and she had been promised as the bride of Edward's son - Edward II.

She was married in Boulogne (1308) to King Edward II of England. Isabella then left France for her new life in England. When she landed at Dover she was met by Piers Gaveston, to whom Edward had entrusted the "care" of England. It was here that she first noticed the unnatural relations between Edward and Gaveston.

Isabella immediately wrote to her father but there was really nothing he could do - she just had to put up with it. Edward increasingly antagonized the English nobles over his choice of "friends" and at such times Isabella acted as a mediator between Edward and the barons. Isabella also accompanied Edward when he went warring with Scotland - she was almost captured. Her near escape and her mediation skills made her extremely popular. Isabella very soon gave birth to a son, Edward III (1312) at Windsor; another son (1314) and a daughter (1316). However, Edward was becoming unpopular. Gaveston was banished to his native Guyenne in an attempt to free Edward from his grasp, but he was soon recalled.

Edward by now had abandoned him, and Gaveston was tried and hanged. Replacing Gaveston were the Despensers (father and son) who were only after wealth and power. Isabella by now had had enough. It was during the civil war, while awaiting the birth of her child in the Tower of London that she encountered Roger Mortimer, Lord of Chirk and his nephew Roger Mortimer - both imprisoned in Tower under sentence of death. The older Roger died, but the death sentence was postponed on younger Roger, who then escaped to France. Isabella's second brother Philip V was now King of France, her father and older brother had died (1314 and 1316 respectively): he acted against Edward, confiscating Edward's French possessions. Isabella went to France to act as a mediator between her brother and her husband. Once there, she requested that her 15yo son Edward be sent to France to do allegiance to her brother the King. When young Edward arrived in France Isabella announced that neither would be returning to England till Despensers were banished. Edward wrote letters, referring to Isabella's evil behavior with Mortimer. On reading these letters the King of France refused to support his sister - she had apparently convinced him she was an innocent victim in this matter.

Isabella landed in England (1326) with her son, her lover Roger Mortimer, Lord William of Hainault (father of Philippa of Hainault, future wife of her son Edward) and almost 3000 men. Many flocked to her cause. Edward tried to escape, but was captured and sent to Kenilworth Castle. The Despensers were duly executed. Edward II was formally deposed and her son was acknowledge as Edward III. Mortimer and Isabella became Regents of England. Then followed the mysterious death of Edward II in Berkeley Castle. With her husband out of the way, Isabella arranged the marriage of Edward III to Philippa of Hainault.

But by now her popularity waning - especially after the death of Edward. Edward III became of age and was now in command (1327). He had Mortimer arrested and hanged. Isabella's wealth was confiscated and her income limited, and she was confined to Castle Rising (Norfolk) - no visitors were permitted. Here at Castle Rising Isabella was to remain for 31 years. It was during this confinement that she was said to have become deranged (lamenting the loss of the power that she once held). Here Isabella died. Her body taken to Grey Friars and buried beside Mortimer. Soon after Edward III ascended to the throne of England (1327), Charles IV, King of France died, leaving no direct heir. Edward III claimed throne of France through his mother Isabella (as dead King's sister) - and so began what is known as the Hundred Years' War.