King Edward Plantagenet II [18449]

  General Notes:

King of England and Scotland, Lord of Ireland, Prince of Wales, Duke of Acquitaine.

born April 25, 1284, Caernarvon, Caernarvonshire, Wales
died September 1327, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, Eng. (Murdered)

Edward of Caernarvon, King of England from 1307 to 1327. Although he was a man of limited capability, he waged a long, hopeless campaign to assert his authority over powerful barons.

The fourth son of King Edward I, he ascended the throne upon his father's death (July 7, 1307) and immediately gave the highest offices to Edward I's most prominent opponents. He earned the hatred of the barons by granting the earldom of Cornwall to his frivolous favorite (and possible lover), Piers Gaveston. In 1311 a 21-member baronial committee drafted a document-known as the Ordinances-demanding the banishment of Gaveston and the restriction of the King's powers over finances and appointments. Edward pretended to give in to these demands; he sent Gaveston out of the country but soon allowed him to return. In retaliation the barons seized Gaveston and executed him (June 1312).

Edward had to wait 11 years to annul the Ordinances and avenge Gaveston. Meanwhile, the Scottish king Robert I the Bruce was threatening to throw off English overlordship. Edward led an army into Scotland in 1314 but was decisively defeated by Bruce at Bannockburn on June 24. With one stroke, Scotland's independence was virtually secured, and Edward was put at the mercy of a group of barons headed by his cousin Thomas of Lancaster, who by 1315 had made himself the real master of England. Nevertheless, Lancaster proved to be incompetent; by 1318 a group of moderate barons led by Aymer de Valence, earl of Pembroke, had assumed the role of arbitrators between Lancaster and Edward. At this juncture Edward found two new favorites-Hugh le Despenser and his son and namesake. When the King supported the younger Despenser's territorial ambitions in Wales, Lancaster banished both Despensers. Edward then took up arms in their behalf. His opponents fell out among themselves, and he defeated and captured Lancaster at Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, in March 1322. Soon afterward, he had Lancaster executed.

At last free of baronial control, Edward revoked the Ordinances. His reliance on the Despensers, however, soon aroused the resentment of his queen, Isabella. While on a diplomatic mission to Paris in 1325, she became the mistress of Roger Mortimer, an exiled baronial opponent of Edward. In September 1326 the couple invaded England, executed the Despensers, and deposed Edward in favor of his son, who was crowned (January 1327) King Edward III. Edward II was imprisoned and in September 1327 died, nor by starvation as is often reported and first attempted, rather he was held down while a red hot poker was inserted into his bowels; thus he perished.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Length of Rule. Ruled England from 8 July 1307 to 25 January 1327 at which time he abdicated. Edward II was actually crowned on the 25 February 1308 at Westminster Abbey.

• Titles. King of England; King of Scotland; Lord of Ireland; Prince of Wales; Duke of Aquitane.

• Death. The Queen, Isabella, became acquainted with Roger Mortimer, whom she took as a lover. She and Roger had raised an army while she was in France for the purpose of disposing of Edward but the King of France (Charles IV) stood in her way for a time; but Isabella and Mortimer sailed for London, landing on 24 September 1326. It took a mere two months before they had Edward captive at Kenilworth Castle. Isabella called a parliament on 20 January 1327 to seek the deposition of Edward but the parliament had no authority for such decisions. Finally, under pressure, Edward capitulated in favor of his son on 25 January and Edward was transported to Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, where his rescue was attempted by Rhys ap Gruffydd. Isabella and Mortimer feared that Edward might yet make a resurgence, and so Mortimer arranged for Edward's death. He did not want it to appear that violence had been committed against the King. He was hoping for a natural death. So, he tried starving the King. It did not work. In the end Edward was held down while a red hot poker was inserted into his bowels.

He was buried at Gloucestershire Cathedral. It was not until 1330 that his death was avenged. Roger Mortimer was tried and executed and Queen Isabella was placed in confinement at Castle Rising in Norfolk. She lived on for thirty years after her husbands death, dying on 22 August 1358 and was buried at Greyfriars Church at Newgate Prison in London.

Edward married Isabella de France "The She-Wolf" [18450] [MRIN: 6295], daughter of King Philippe de France IV [18451] and Unknown, on 25 Jan 1308 in Boulogne Cathedral. (Isabella de France "The She-Wolf" [18450] was born in 1296 and died on 22 Aug 1358 in Hertford Castle.)