The fourteen year old Prince Edward, Edward of Windsor as he was known, had been crowned king in February 1327 at Westminster. Of course, the real power lay with his mother Queen Isabella’s paramour, Roger Mortimer. However, he used his power to ill-effect. Mortimer’s first major gaffe was a poorly executed invasion of Scotland, ending …
King Edward was expecting an invasion and sent his ships out to sea in order to intercept Isabella’s convoy. But Isabella and Mortimer managed to avoid any of Edward’s ships, and landed in Suffolk on September 24th 1326. On the face of it, Isabella’s chances of unseating an incumbent king with her small force appeared …
‘Gay Paree! Oh gay Paree! That is the place where Roger Mortimer wished to be! Once there, he would, with the French king go hand in glove! Also, with the Queen of England he would find new love!’ Roger Mortimer received a fairly warm reception from the new king, Charles IV when he reached Paris. …
In May, Edward in triumphant mode, presided over a parliament at York. This was indeed the high water mark of his reign. ‘Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Allow me to remind you who it is that actually rules ya!’ The seal of King Edward II. Edward had never before known such a great triumph, nor would he …
‘For Edward, these were good times! Days that brought him pleasure! The not so distant future would bring hours to repent at leisure!’ The King was determined to wreak vengeance upon his enemies and his pre-emptive first strike occurred at Leeds Castle in Kent in October 1321. Queen Isabella, who was journeying to Canterbury on …
The rise of the indispensable Despensers It was a greatly demoralised king who met with the parliaments of late 1314 and February 1315. The scale of the military defeat in Scotland strengthened the hands of the Ordainers, who demanded that the king dismiss the chancellor and other officials. The king’s power was being eroded and …
In the second half of 1312 a number of factors conspired to prevent the widely predicted outbreak of civil war in England. Firstly, the king’s finances were in dire straits and in war, the victor is often the one who is able to outspend his opponents. Another consideration that discouraged both parties from conflict was …
‘Piers, for you the last toss of the dice! But the result was really nasty, not at all nice’! The return of Gaveston in January 1312, although not entirely unexpected, nevertheless did not sit well with the nobility. The king and Gaveston travelled north while the nobles, led by Thomas of Lancaster and Archbishop Robert …
‘Happy New Year! Please put away your fears! This year, Piers will prove himself, by far the greatest of his peers!’ Piers Gaveston As the debris from the Christmas festivities was cleared away from the Great Hall of the royal palace, Edward pondered the political situation. A parliament was to be held the following month …
During Gaveston’s absence, the king had acquired another unsavoury soulmate with whom to cavort, Hugh Despenser the younger. The nobility took a very dim view of Hugh Despenser’s elevation as royal favourite, because they regarded him as a Gaveston mark II. Edward appears to have had a constant need for a special male companion of …