Edward II of England

 NAME Edward II of England

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Edward II is best known for his troubled reign as King of England from 1307 to 1327, marked by his reliance on male favorites, military failures against Scotland, and ultimately his deposition—the first English king to be forcibly removed from the throne.

BIRTH Edward II was born on April 25, 1284, in Caernarfon, Wales, to King Edward I and Eleanor of Castile.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Edward was the fourth son of Edward I, a formidable warrior-king, and Eleanor of Castile. However, with the deaths of his elder brothers, including Alfonso, he became the heir to the throne as an infant. His mother died when he was just five years old.

CHILDHOOD Edward’s early life was shaped by his father’s ambitions. Shortly after his birth, Edward I presented him to the Welsh chieftains, declaring "Eich Dyn" ("This is your Man"), a moment that established the tradition of the heir to the throne being known as the Prince of Wales.

Early 14th-century depiction of Edward I declaring his son Edward the Prince of Wales

EDUCATION His education was heavily focused on military training and statecraft, as Edward I believed a king should be skilled in warfare. However, despite this rigorous preparation, Edward II never demonstrated the same martial prowess as his father.

CAREER RECORD 1301: Proclaimed Prince of Wales: This marked a significant moment in Edward's life, as it solidified his position as heir to the throne and granted him a degree of autonomy and power.

1312: Following the death of his father, Edward I, Edward ascended to the throne, inheriting a kingdom facing numerous challenges, including ongoing conflicts with Scotland and France.

1314 a devastating defeat at the hands of the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn proved to be a turning point in Edward's reign, severely damaging his reputation and weakening his authority.

1327: In a dramatic turn of events, Edward was deposed by his wife, Isabella, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, who effectively seized control of the kingdom. This marked the end of Edward's reign and led to his imprisonment and eventual death.

APPEARANCE Edward was tall, majestic, handsome, and physically strong, much like his father.

Edward II shown receiving the English crown in a contemporary illustration

FASHION Unlike his warlike father, Edward was known for his extravagant, foppish clothing, favoring rich fabrics and elaborate styles.

CHARACTER Despite his imposing stature, Edward was introspective, insecure, and desperate for affection. His domineering father left him with little confidence, and he was easily influenced by stronger personalities, leading to his reliance on favorites.

SPEAKING VOICE Little is recorded about his voice, but given his upbringing in a royal court, he likely spoke with the refined, aristocratic English and Norman French of the time. 

SENSE OF HUMOUR Edward II had an eccentric sense of humour that often puzzled his court. He was known for his unusual antics, such as wheeling a tame lion around in a cart. His fondness for practical jokes and odd pastimes set him apart from his predecessors and contributed to the perception that he was not suited for kingship.

RELATIONSHIPS Edward had a turbulent personal life. His closest relationship was with Piers Gaveston, a charming Gascon knight whom he elevated to the rank of Earl of Cornwall and married off to his niece. This favouritism angered the English barons, leading to Gaveston's exile and eventual murder. 

Edward II married the beautiful Isabella of France, daughter of King Philip IV, on January 25, 1308 in Boulogne, northern France. The marriage was a political union aimed at strengthening ties between England and France. Isabella was only twelve years old at the time of the wedding, which was relatively young even by the standards of the period.

They were jointly crowned king and queen of England at Westminster Abbey on February 25, 1308.

Their marriage was far from idyllic. At his coronation, Edward displayed a greater interest in his close friend Piers Gaveston than in his new wife. He lavished lavish gifts upon Gaveston, including many of the wedding presents intended for Isabella. This blatant favoritism infuriated Isabella, who felt neglected and disrespected.

Throughout their marriage, Isabella continued to be overshadowed by Edward's male favorites. He spent much of his time with them, leaving Isabella feeling isolated and unloved. This neglect, coupled with Edward's extravagant spending habits and weak leadership, further strained their relationship.

Isabella, known for her extravagant fashion sense, found solace in the company of Roger Mortimer, one of Edward's disaffected barons. Their relationship blossomed into a passionate affair, eventually leading to a conspiracy that would topple Edward from the throne. 

Isabella depicted as queen in her Psalter, c. 1303–1308

Edward II and Isabella of France had four children together:

Edward III (born 1312) - He would go on to become King of England after his father's deposition.

John of Eltham (born 1316) - He was made Earl of Cornwall and served as regent during his brother's absences.

Eleanor of Woodstock (born 1318) - She married Reynald II, Count of Guelders.

Joan of the Tower (born 1321) - She became Queen of Scotland through her marriage to David II of Scotland

MONEY AND FAME Unlike his father, Edward I, who was a shrewd ruler, Edward II was seen as incompetent in financial matters. The Victorian historian William Stubbs called him "the first king after the Conquest who was not a man of business." His generosity towards his favourites, particularly Gaveston, led to widespread resentment. His reign was marked by military failures and a growing discontent among the nobility.

FOOD AND DRINK Edward was known for his simple tastes when it came to food. He preferred traditional English fare rather than the elaborate feasts favoured by many monarchs. 

MUSIC AND ARTS Edward had a deep love for music and drama. He enjoyed acting and singing, often taking personal pleasure in performances at court. While this artistic inclination made him unique among English kings, it also reinforced the perception that he was more interested in leisure than governance.

LITERATURE His reign did not see great literary advancements, as his focus was more on personal indulgences than intellectual pursuits.

Edward's signature is the earliest surviving royal signature before marks or seals were used.

NATURE Edward had an unusual fascination with manual labour and was known to dig ditches himself, much to the bewilderment of his subjects. Some saw this as a sign of eccentricity or even madness.

PETS Edward’s court featured an unusual sight: the king wheeling a tame lion in a cart. This display of exotic pets was in line with the medieval tradition of monarchs keeping wild animals as status symbols.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Edward was an active king when it came to leisure pursuits. He enjoyed horse racing, rowing, cricket and swimming. One of his more controversial actions was banning football in London in 1314. He did so because the game led to violent brawls, issuing a decree:

"For as much as there is a great noise in the city caused by hustling over large balls, from which many evils might arise which God forbid. We commend and forbid on behalf of the king on pain of imprisonment such game to be used in the city in future."

Edward hunted occasionally as part of royal duties, it doesn’t seem to have been a passion.

Edward (third from the left) hunting with Philip IV

SCIENCE AND MATHS Edward's practical skills extended to mechanical crafts. He had a fondness for handicrafts and took pleasure in working with his hands, which was unusual for a medieval king.

REIGN Edward II’s reign was a bit of a shambles from the start. Upon inheriting the throne in 1307, he promptly abandoned his father’s grand Scottish campaign, much to the irritation of everyone who had spent years preparing for it. Instead, he devoted his attention to his favorite courtier, Piers Gaveston, a man of such staggering arrogance that even his portraits seemed to sneer. Edward lavished him with gifts, titles, and—somewhat unwisely—his wife’s jewelry. The English barons, who had never been known for their patience, eventually had Gaveston murdered, which put something of a dampener on things.

Militarily, Edward was, to put it kindly, useless. His attempt to crush the Scots ended in 1314 at Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce gave him such a thorough thrashing that Edward barely escaped with his life. Eight years later, he tried again, marching north with great ceremony, only to return in disgrace with nothing to show for it except, quite literally, a single lame cow. Meanwhile, at home, his cousin Thomas of Lancaster led a rebellion against him, resulting in the Battle of Boroughbridge in 1322. Edward won, but only just, and promptly had Lancaster executed—though this did little to secure his reign.

Things really fell apart when his wife, Isabella of France, decided she had had enough of him. Teaming up with her lover, the ambitious Roger Mortimer, she launched an invasion in 1326 that led to Edward’s capture and, eventually, his forced abdication in favor of his son, Edward III. Imprisoned in Berkeley Castle, Edward met a particularly gruesome end in 1327, reportedly killed with a red-hot poker in a manner so undignified that it has lived on in infamy.

Curiously, despite a reign that consisted largely of disasters, Edward became something of a posthumous cult figure, with pilgrims flocking to his tomb at Gloucester. It seems that while people had little time for him in life, they found his grisly fate irresistible in death.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY  Unlike his father, Edward I, who was a lawgiver and a firm believer in the divine right of kings, Edward II showed little intellectual engagement with religious or philosophical matters. However, he was a devout Christian and maintained the traditional religious practices expected of a medieval English monarch.

POLITICS Edward II's reign was marked by political instability. The barons, led at different times by powerful nobles such as Thomas of Lancaster, continually challenged his authority. His favoritism toward Piers Gaveston and later Hugh Despenser the Younger led to deep divisions at court. His reliance on personal favorites and disregard for baronial concerns made him unpopular and ultimately led to his deposition.

SCANDAL Edward II's relationships with his male favorites, particularly Piers Gaveston, created scandal at court. Gaveston's rapid rise to power and arrogance angered the nobility. Edward’s open favoritism toward him, even at his own wedding, fueled rumors about the nature of their relationship. Isabella, Edward’s wife, was also embroiled in scandal when she openly took Roger Mortimer as her lover and conspired to overthrow her husband.

MILITARY RECORD Edward II’s military record was dismal compared to his father’s. One of his first acts as king was to abandon his father’s Scottish campaign in 1307. On June 23-24 1314, he suffered a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Bannockburn at the hands of Robert the Bruce. His later attempts to reclaim Scotland in 1322 resulted in failure, with the only significant loot being a lame cow. He eventually signed a truce with Bruce in 1323. 

His one military success was at the Battle of Boroughbridge in 1322, where he defeated and captured Thomas of Lancaster.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Edward was physically strong and enjoyed physically demanding activities such as rowing, swimming, and horse racing. However, his eccentric habits, including a love for ditch-digging, caused many to question his mental stability. His later years in captivity saw a decline in his health due to mistreatment.

HOMES Edward spent time in several royal residences, including the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, and Westminster. He also sought refuge in Caerphilly Castle from his wife and her forces but was ultimately forced to flee. His final days were spent imprisoned in Berkeley Castle, where he was brutally murdered.

TRAVEL Edward’s reign saw limited travel outside of England. His most notable journey was to France in 1325, where he sent Isabella to negotiate with the French court. However, this backfired as Isabella refused to return and instead plotted his overthrow with Mortimer.

DEATH Edward II was deposed in January 1327 and imprisoned in Berkeley Castle. His jailers initially attempted to starve him to death. On the night of September 21, 1327, he was murdered, reportedly by the gruesome method of a red-hot poker inserted into his rectum. Officially, his death was announced as natural, and he was buried in St. Peter’s Abbey in Gloucester (now Gloucester Cathedral), where his tomb later became a site of pilgrimage.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Edward II has been depicted in various plays, novels, and films. 

Christopher Marlowe’s 1592 play Edward II is one of the most famous depictions of his life, emphasizing his relationship with Gaveston. 

The 1991 film Edward II, directed by Derek Jarman, provided a modern, stylized retelling of his reign. 

He has also appeared in various historical fiction novels, including those by Maurice Druon and Edith Pargeter.

ACHIEVEMENTS Despite his disastrous reign, Edward left a legacy through his son, Edward III, who would go on to be one of England’s greatest medieval kings. 

His patronage of the arts and music, as well as his personal interests in crafts and mechanical innovations, left a cultural imprint despite his political failures.