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{{Redirect|Edward II}}
{{Infobox royalty
| type = monarch
| name = Edward II ''of Carnarvon''
| image = EdwardII-Cassell.jpg
| caption = Edward II, depicted in Cassell's History of England, published circa 1902
| succession = [[List of English monarchs|King of England]]
| moretext = [[Style of the British sovereign#Styles of English sovereigns|(more...)]]
| reign =7 July 1307 – 20 January 1327 ({{age in years and days|1307|7|7|1327|1|20}})
| coronation = 25 February 1308
| predecessor =[[Edward I of England|Edward I ''Longshanks'']]
| successor = [[Edward III of England|Edward III ''of Windsor'']]
| spouse = [[Isabella of France]]
| issue = [[Edward III of England|Edward III ''of Windsor'']]<br />[[John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall]]<br />[[Eleanor of Woodstock|Eleanor, Countess of Guelders]]<br />[[Joan of the Tower|Joan, Queen of Scots]]
| styles = King Edward II<br />The King<br />The Prince of Wales<br />Edward of Carnarvon
| house = [[House of Plantagenet]]
| father = Edward I ''Longshanks''
| mother = [[Eleanor of Castile (1246-1290)|Eleanor of Castile]]
| date of birth = {{birth date|1284|4|25|df=yes}}
| place of birth = [[Caernarfon Castle]], [[Gwynedd]]
| date of death = {{death date and age|1327|9|21|1284|4|25|df=yes}}?
| place of death = [[Berkeley Castle]], [[Gloucestershire]]
| place of burial = [[Gloucester Cathedral]], Gloucestershire
}}
'''Edward II''', (25 April 1284 &ndash; 21 September 1327) called '''Edward of [[Carnarvon]]''', was [[Kingdom of England|King of England]] from 1307 until he was [[deposition (politics)|deposed]] in January 1327. He was the seventh [[Plantagenet]] king, in a line that began with the reign of [[Henry II of England|Henry II]]. Interspersed between the strong reigns of his father [[Edward I]] and son [[Edward III]], the reign of Edward II was disastrous for England, marked by incompetence, political squabbling and military defeats.

Widely rumoured to have been either [[homosexual]] or [[bisexual]], Edward nevertheless fathered at least five children by two women. He was unable to deny even the most grandiose favours to his male [[favourite]]s (first a [[Gascony|Gascon]] knight named [[Piers Gaveston]], later a young English lord named [[Hugh Despenser the Younger|Hugh Despenser]]) which led to constant political unrest and his eventual deposition.

Whereas Edward I had conquered all of Wales and the Scottish lowlands, and ruled them with an iron hand, the army of Edward II was devastatingly [[Battle of Bannockburn|defeated at Bannockburn]], freeing Scotland from English control and allowing Scottish forces to raid unchecked throughout the north of England.

In addition to these disasters, Edward II is remembered for his probable death in Berkeley Castle, allegedly by murder, and for being the first monarch to establish colleges in the universities of [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] and [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]].

==Prince of Wales==
The fourth son of [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] by his first wife [[Eleanor of Castile (1241-1290)|Eleanor of Castile]], Edward II was born at [[Caernarfon Castle]]. He was the first English prince to hold the title [[Prince of Wales]], which was formalised by the [[Parliament of Lincoln]] of 7 February 1301.
[[Image:England Arms-blue label.svg|thumb|left|150px|Escutcheon (heraldry)|Shield as heir-apparent]]
The story that his father presented Edward II as a newborn to the [[Welsh people|Welsh]] as their future native prince is unfounded. The Welsh purportedly asked the King to give them a prince who spoke [[Welsh language|Welsh]], and, the story goes, he answered he would give them a prince that spoke no [[English language|English]] at all.<ref>{{cite book|last=Crofton|first=Ian|title=The Kings and Queens of England|publisher=[[Quercus Publishing PLC|Quercus]]|location=21 [[Bloomsbury Square]], [[London]]|date=2007|pages=84|chapter=[[Edward I of England|Edward I]]|isbn=1847240658|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=GdMzXfsKioAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Kings+and+Queens+of+England&sig=w8EE1-yEaj12vl785WPCeDpLj6Y#PPA84,M1|accessdate=2008-06-23}}</ref> This story first appeared in the work of 16th century Welsh "[[antiquary]]" [[David Powel]].{{Fact|date=February 2008}}

Edward became heir at just a few months of age, following the death of his elder brother [[Alphonso, Earl of Chester|Alphonso]]. His father, a notable military leader, trained his heir in [[warfare]] and [[public policy|statecraft]] starting in his childhood, yet the young Edward preferred [[boating]] and [[Handicraft|craftwork]], activities considered beneath kings at the time.

The prince took part in several [[Scotland|Scots]] campaigns, but despite these martial engagements, "all his father's efforts could not prevent his acquiring the habits of extravagance and frivolity which he retained all through his life".<ref name="NNDB">{{cite web|url=http://www.nndb.com/people/710/000093431/|title=King Edward II|publisher=[[NNDB]]|accessdate=2008-06-23}}</ref>

The king attributed his son’s preferences to his strong attachment to [[Piers Gaveston]], a [[Gascony|Gascon]] [[knight]], and Edward I [[exile]]d Gaveston from court after Prince Edward attempted to bestow on his friend a title reserved for royalty. Ironically, it was the king who had originally chosen Gaveston in 1298 to be a suitable friend for his son due to his wit, courtesy and abilities.

Edward I knighted his son in a major ceremony in 1306 called the Feast of the Swans whereby all present swore to continue the war in Scotland.

==King of England==
Edward I died on 7 July 1307 en route to another campaign against the Scots, a war that became the hallmark of his reign. One chronicler relates that Edward had requested his son "''boil his body, extract the bones and carry them with the army until the Scots had been subdued.''" But his son ignored the request and had his father buried in [[Westminster Abbey]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Hudson |first=M.E. |coauthors=Mary Clark |title=Crown of a Thousand Years |publisher=Crown Publishers, Inc. |year=1978 |pages=48 |isbn=0-517-534525}}</ref> Edward II immediately recalled Gaveston, created him [[Earl of Cornwall]], gave him the hand of the king's niece, [[Margaret de Clare|Margaret of Gloucester]], and withdrew from the Scottish campaign.

[[Image:England COA.svg|Edward's Coat of Arms as King|thumb|150px]]

Edward was as physically impressive as his father, yet he lacked the drive and ambition of his forebear. It was written that Edward II was "the first king after the Conquest who was not a man of business".<ref name="NNDB" /> His main interest was in entertainment, though he also took pleasure in [[Athletics (track and field)|athletics]] and mechanical crafts. He had been so dominated by his father that he had little confidence in himself, and was often in the hands of a court favourite with a stronger will than his own.

On 25 January 1308, Edward married [[Isabella of France]] in Boulogne, the daughter of King [[Philip IV of France]], "Philip the Fair," and sister to three [[French people|French]] kings in an attempt to bolster an alliance with France. On 25 February the pair were crowned in Westminster Abbey.

The marriage, however, was doomed to failure almost from the beginning. Isabella was frequently neglected by her husband, who spent much of his time conspiring with his favourites regarding how to limit the powers of the [[Peerage]] in order to consolidate his father's legacy for himself.

Nevertheless, their marriage produced two sons, [[Edward III of England|Edward]], who would succeed his father on the throne as Edward III, and [[John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall|John of Eltham]] (later created Earl of Cornwall), and two daughters, [[Eleanor of Woodstock|Eleanor]] and [[Joan of the Tower|Joanna]], wife of [[David II of Scotland]]. Edward had also fathered at least one illegitimate son, [[Adam FitzRoy]], who accompanied his father in the Scottish campaigns of 1322 and died shortly afterwards.

==War with the Barons==
{{Main|Ordinances of 1311}}

When in 1308 Edward travelled to [[Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne]] to marry Isabella, he left Gaveston to act as regent.

Some English barons grew resentful of Gaveston's power, and began to insist he be banished through the [[Ordinances of 1311]]. Edward recalled his friend, but could do little to prevent Gaveston being captured in 1312 under the orders of the [[Thomas Plantagenet, 2nd Earl of Lancaster|Earl of Lancaster]] and his allies, who claimed that he had led the king to folly. He was captured first by the Earl of Warwick, who he was seen to have offended, and handed over to two Welshmen. They took him to [[Blacklow Hill]] and murdered him; one ran him through the heart with his sword and the other beheaded him. A monument called [[Gaveston's Cross]] remains on the site, outside [[Leek Wootton]].

Edward's grief over the death of Gaveston was profound. He kept the remains of his body close to him for a number of weeks before the Church forcibly arranged a burial.

Immediately following this, Edward focused on the destruction of those who had betrayed him, while the barons themselves lost impetus (with Gaveston dead, they saw little need to continue). By mid-July, [[Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke]] was advising the king to make war on the barons who, unwilling to risk their lives, entered negotiations in September 1312.

In October, the Earls of Lancaster, Warwick, Arundel and Hereford were forced to beg Edward's pardon.

===Edward and Piers Gaveston===
Several contemporary sources criticised Edward's seeming infatuation with [[Piers Gaveston]], to the extent that he ignored and humiliated his wife. Chroniclers called the relationship ''excessive'', ''immoderate'', ''beyond measure and reason'' and criticised his desire for ''wicked and forbidden sex''<ref>Flores Historiarum</ref>. The Westminster chronicler claimed that Gaveston had led Edward to reject the sweet embraces of his wife; while the Meaux Chronicle (written several decades later) took concern further and complained that, ''Edward took too much delight in sodomy''. While such sources do not, in themselves, prove that Edward and Gaveston were lovers, they at least show that some contemporaries and later writers thought strongly that this might be the case.

Gaveston was considered to be athletic and handsome; he was a few years older than Edward and had seen military service in [[Flanders]] before becoming Edward's close companion. He was known to have a quick, biting wit, and his fortunes continued to ascend as Edward obtained more honours for him, including the [[Earl of Cornwall|Earldom of Cornwall]]. Earlier, [[Edward I]] had attempted to control the situation by exiling Gaveston from England. However, upon the elder king's death in 1307, Edward II immediately recalled him. Isabella's marriage to Edward subsequently took place in 1308. Almost immediately, she wrote to her father, [[Philip the Fair]], complaining of Edward's behavior.

Although the relationship that developed between the two young men was certainly very close, its exact nature is impossible to determine. The relationship may have had a sexual element, though the evidence for this is not conclusive. Both Edward and Gaveston married early in the reign. There were children from both marriages - Edward also had an illegitimate son, Adam. While some of the chroniclers' remarks can be interpreted simply as [[homosexuality]] or [[bisexuality]], too many of them are either much later in date or the product of hostility. It has also been plausibly argued that the two men may have entered into a bond of [[adoptive brotherhood]].<ref name="ReferenceA">''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University, 2004</ref>

The relationship was later explored in a [[Edward II (play)|play]] by the dramatist [[Christopher Marlowe]]. This is unusual in making explicit reference to an open [[homosexual|sexual]] relationship between king and favourite. More frequently the nature of the relationship between the two is only hinted at, or is cited as a dreadful example of the fate that may befall kings who allow themselves to be influenced by favourites, and so become estranged from their subjects.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

==Defeat in Scotland==
[[Robert I of Scotland|Robert the Bruce]] had been steadily reconquering [[Scotland]]. Each campaign begun by Edward, from 1307 to 1314, had ended in Robert clawing back more of the land that Edward I had taken during his long reign. Robert's military successes against Edward II were due to a number of factors, not the least of which was the Scottish king's strategy. He used small forces to trap an invading English army, took castles by stealth to preserve his troops and he used the land as a weapon against Edward by attacking quickly and then disappearing into the hills instead of facing the superior numbers of the English.

Bruce united Scotland against its common enemy and is quoted as saying that he feared more the dead Edward I than the living Edward II.{{Fact|date=December 2008}} By June 1314, only [[Stirling Castle]] and [[Berwick-upon-Tweed|Berwick]] remained under English control.

On 23 June 1314, Edward and an army of 20,000&nbsp;foot soldiers and 3,000 cavalry faced Robert and his army of foot soldiers and farmers wielding 14-foot-long pikes. Edward knew he had to keep the critical stronghold of Stirling Castle if there was to be any chance for English military success. The castle, however, was under a constant state of siege, and the English commander, Sir Phillip de Mowbray, had advised Edward that he would surrender the castle to the Scots unless Edward arrived by 24 June 1314, to relieve the siege. Edward could not afford to lose his last forward castle in Scotland. He decided therefore to gamble his entire army to break the siege and force the Scots to a final battle by putting its army into the field.

However, Edward had made a serious mistake in thinking his vastly superior numbers alone would provide enough of a tactical advantage to defeat the Scots. Robert not only had the advantage of prior warning, as he knew the actual day that Edward would come north and fight, he also had the time to choose the field of battle most advantageous to the Scots and their style of combat.

As Edward moved forward on the main road to Stirling, Robert placed his army on either side of the road north, one in the dense woods and the other placed on a bend on the river, a spot hard for the invading army to see. Robert also ordered his men to dig potholes and cover them with bracken in order to help break any cavalry charge.

By contrast, Edward did not issue his writs of service, calling upon 21,540 men, until 27 May 1314. Worse, his army was ill-disciplined and had seen little success in eight years of campaigns. On the eve of battle, he decided to move his entire army at night and placed it in a marshy area, with its cavalry laid out in nine squadrons in front of the foot soldiers. The following battle, the [[Battle of Bannockburn]], is considered by contemporary scholars to be the worst defeat sustained by the English since the [[Battle of Hastings]] in 1066.

==Reign of the Despensers==
Following Gaveston's death, the king increased favour to his nephew-by-marriage (who was also Gaveston's brother-in-law), [[Hugh Despenser the Younger]]. But, as with Gaveston, the barons were indignant at the privileges Edward lavished upon the Despenser father and son, especially when the younger Despenser began in 1318 to strive to procure for himself the earldom of [[Gloucester]] and its associated lands.

[[Image:Westminster Hall edited.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Westminster Hall]]

By 1320, the situation in England was again becoming dangerously unstable. Edward had been challenged by [[John Deydras]], a royal pretender; although Deydras was ultimately executed, the rumours surrounding the case highlighted Edward's unpopularity.<ref>Doherty, Paul. (2003) ''Isabella and the Strange Death of Edward II.'' London: Robinson, p.61; Weir, Alison. (2006) ''Isabella: She-Wolf of France, Queen of England.'' London: Pimlico, p.117.</ref> Edward ignored the law in favour of Despenser: when Lord de Braose of Gower sold his title to his son-in-law, an action entirely lawful in the Welsh Marches, Despenser demanded the king grant Gower to him instead. The king, against all laws, then confiscated Gower from the purchaser and offered it to Despenser; in so doing, he provoked the fury of most of the barons. In 1321, the [[Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford|Earl of Hereford]], along with the [[Thomas Plantagenet, 2nd Earl of Lancaster|Earl of Lancaster]] and others, took up arms against the Despenser family, and the King was forced into an agreement with the barons.

On 14 August at [[Westminster Hall]], accompanied by the Earls of Pembroke and Richmond, the king declared the Despenser father and son both banished.

The victory of the barons proved their undoing. With the removal of the Despensers, many nobles, regardless of previous affiliation, now attempted to move into the vacuum left by the two. Hoping to win Edward's favour, these nobles were willing to aid the king in his revenge against the barons and thus increase their own wealth and power. In following campaigns, many of the king's opponents were murdered, the Earl of Lancaster being beheaded in the presence of Edward himself.

With all opposition crushed, the king and the Despensers were left the unquestioned masters of England. At the [[York Parliament]] of 1322, Edward issued a statute which revoked all previous ordinances designed to limit his power and to prevent any further encroachment upon it. The king would no longer be subject to the will of [[British Parliament|Parliament]], and the Lords, Prelates, and Commons were to suffer his will in silence.

===Isabella leaves England===
A dispute between France and England then broke out over Edward's refusal to pay homage to the French king for the territory of [[Gascony]]. After several bungled attempts to regain the territory, Edward sent his wife, Isabella, to negotiate peace terms. Overjoyed, Isabella arrived in France in March 1325. She was now able to visit her family and native land as well as escape the Despensers and the king, all of whom she now detested.

On 31 May 1325, Isabella agreed to a peace treaty, favouring France and requiring Edward to pay homage in France to her brother, [[Charles IV of France|King Charles]]; but Edward decided instead to send his son to pay homage. This proved a gross tactical error, and helped to bring about the ruin of both Edward and the Despensers, as Isabella, now that she had her son with her, declared that she would not return to England until Despenser was removed.

===Invasion by Isabella and Mortimer===
When Isabella's retinue - loyal to Edward, and ordered back to England by Isabella - returned to the English Court on 23 December, they brought further shocking news for the king: Isabella had formed a liaison with [[Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March|Roger Mortimer]] in Paris and they were now plotting an invasion of England.

[[Image:Philip iv and family.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Isabella, third from left, with her father, Philip IV, her future French king brothers, and King Philip's brother Charles of Valois]]

Edward prepared for the invasion but was betrayed by those close to him: his son refused to leave his mother - claiming he wanted to remain with her during her unease and unhappiness. Edward's half-brother, the Earl of Kent, married Mortimer's cousin, Margaret Wake; other nobles, such as [[John de Cromwell]] and the Earl of Richmond, also chose to remain with Mortimer.

In September 1326, Mortimer and Isabella invaded England. Edward was amazed by their small numbers of soldiers, and immediately attempted to levy an immense army to crush them. However, a large number of men refused to fight Mortimer and the Queen; Henry of Lancaster, for example, was not even summoned by the king, and he showed his loyalties by raising an army, seizing a cache of Despenser treasure from [[Leicester Abbey]], and marching south to join Mortimer.

The invasion soon had too much force and support to be stemmed. As a result, the army the king had ordered failed to emerge and both Edward and the Despensers were left isolated. They abandoned London on 2 October, leaving the city to fall into disorder.

On 15 October a London mob seized and beheaded without trial John le Marshal (a Londoner accused of being a spy for the Despensers) and Edward II's Treasurer, [[Walter de Stapledon]] Bishop of Exeter, together with two of the bishop's squires.<ref>Ian Mortimer ''The Greatest Traitor: The Life of Sir Roger Mortimer, Ruler of England 1327-1330 (London, 2004) pp. 155-156''</ref> The king first took refuge in Gloucester (where he arrived on 9 October) and then fled to [[South Wales]] in order to make a defence in Despenser's lands.<ref>Ian Mortimer ''The Greatest Traitor' p.154'</ref> However, Edward was unable to rally an army, and on 31 October, he was abandoned by his servants, leaving him with only the younger Despenser and a few retainers.

On 27 October, the elder Despenser was accused of encouraging the illegal government of his son, enriching himself at the expense of others, despoiling the Church, and taking part in the illegal execution of the Earl of Lancaster. He was [[hanging|hanged]] and beheaded at the Bristol Gallows. Henry of Lancaster was then sent to Wales in order to fetch the King and the younger Despenser; on 16 November he caught Edward, Despenser and their soldiers in the open country near [[Tonyrefail]], where a plaque now commemorates the event. The soldiers were released and Despenser was sent to Isabella at Hereford whilst the king was taken by Lancaster himself to [[Kenilworth]].

===End of the Despensers===
[[Image:BNMsFr2643FroissartFol97vExecHughDespenser.jpg|thumb|110px|Execution of Hugh Despenser the Younger]]

Reprisals against Edward's allies began immediately thereafter. The [[Earl of Arundel]], Sir [[Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel|Edmund Fitz Alan]], an old enemy of Roger Mortimer, was beheaded on 17 November, together with two of the earl's retainers, John Daniel and Thomas de Micheldever. This was followed by the trial and execution of Despenser on 24 November.<ref>The Magna Charta Sureties, 1215; Adams and Weis; pg 111</ref><ref>Ian Mortimer ''The Greatest Traitor'pp. 160-162 '</ref>

Hugh Despenser the younger was brutally executed and a huge crowd gathered in anticipation at seeing him die—a public spectacle for public entertainment. They dragged him from his horse, stripped him, and scrawled Biblical verses against corruption and arrogance on his skin. They then dragged him into the city, presenting him (in the market square) to Queen Isabella, Roger Mortimer, and the Lancastrians. He was then condemned to hang as a thief, be [[castration|castrated]], and then to be [[drawing and quartering|drawn and quartered]] as a traitor, his quarters to be dispersed throughout England. Despenser's vassal Simon of Reading was also hanged next to him, on charges of insulting Queen Isabella.<ref>Ian Mortimer ''The Greatest Traitor'' pp. 159-162.</ref>

Edward II's Chancellor, [[Robert Baldock]], was placed under house arrest in London, but a London mob broke into the house, severely beat him, and threw him into [[Newgate Prison]], where he was murdered by some of the inmates.<ref>Ian Mortimer ''The Greatest Traitor'' p. 162.</ref>

==Abdication==
With the King imprisoned, Mortimer and the Queen faced the problem of what to do with him. The simplest solution would be execution: his titles would then pass to Edward of Windsor, whom Isabella could control, while it would also prevent the possibility of his being restored.

Execution would require the King to be tried and convicted of treason: and while most Lords agreed that Edward had failed to show due attention to his country, several Prelates argued that, appointed by God, the King could not be legally deposed or executed; if this happened, they said, God would punish the country. Thus, at first, it was decided to have Edward imprisoned for life instead.

However, the fact remained that the legality of power still lay with the King. Isabella had been given the [[Great Seal of the Realm|Great Seal]], and was using it to rule in the names of the King, herself, and their son as appropriate; nonetheless, these actions were illegal, and could at any moment be challenged.

In these circumstances, Parliament chose to act as an authority above the King. Representatives of the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] were summoned, and debates began. The [[Archbishop of York]], [[William Melton]] and others declared themselves fearful of the London mob, loyal to Roger Mortimer. Others wanted the King to speak in Parliament and openly [[abdication|abdicate]], rather than be deposed by the Queen and her General. Mortimer responded by commanding the [[List of Lord Mayors of London|Lord Mayor of London]], Richard de Betoyne, to write to Parliament, asking them to go to the Guildhall to swear an oath to protect the Queen and Prince Edward, and to depose the King. Mortimer then called the great lords to a secret meeting that night, at which they gave their unanimous support to the deposition of the King.

Eventually Parliament agreed to remove the King. However, for all that Parliament had agreed that the King should no longer rule, they had not deposed him. Rather, their decision made, Edward was asked to accept it.

[[Image:Kenilworth Castle keep from south.jpg|thumb|left|Kenilworth Castle's [[keep]] from the south]]

On 20 January 1327, Edward II was informed at [[Kenilworth Castle]] of the charges brought against him: The King was guilty of incompetence; allowing others to govern him to the detriment of the people and Church; not listening to good advice and pursuing occupations unbecoming to a monarch; having lost Scotland and lands in Gascony and [[Ireland]] through failure of effective governance; damaging the [[Catholicism|Church]], and imprisoning its representatives; allowing nobles to be killed, disinherited, imprisoned and exiled; failing to ensure fair justice, instead governing for profit and allowing others to do likewise; and of fleeing in the company of a notorious enemy of the realm, leaving it without government, and thereby losing the faith and trust of his people.

Edward, profoundly shocked by this judgment, wept while listening. He was then offered a choice: he might abdicate in favour of his son; or he might resist, and relinquish the throne to one not of royal blood, but experienced in government&mdash;this, presumably, being Roger Mortimer. The King, lamenting that his people had so hated his rule, agreed that if the people would accept his son, he would abdicate in his favour. The lords, through the person of [[Sir William Trussel]], then renounced their homage to him, and the reign of Edward II ended.

The abdication was announced and recorded in London on 24 January 1327, and the following day was proclaimed the first of the reign of [[Edward III]]&mdash;who, at 14, was still controlled by Isabella and Mortimer. Edward II remained imprisoned.

==Death==
The government of Isabella and Mortimer was so precarious that they dared not leave the deposed king in the hands of their political enemies. On 3 April, Edward II was removed from Kenilworth and entrusted to the custody of two subordinates of Mortimer, then later imprisoned at [[Berkeley Castle]] in Gloucestershire where, it was generally believed, he was murdered by an agent of Isabella and Mortimer on 11 October 1327.

<blockquote>
''On the night of 11 October while lying on a bed [the king] was suddenly seized and, while a great mattress... weighed him down and suffocated him, a plumber's iron, heated intensely hot, was introduced through a tube into his anus so that it burned the inner portions beyond the intestines''. — [[Thomas de la Moore]].
</blockquote>

De la Moore's account of Edward's murder was not written until after 1352 and is uncorroborated by other contemporary sources. No-one writing in the 14th century knew exactly what had happened to Edward. The closest chronicler to the scene in time and distance, [[Adam Murimuth]], stated that it was 'popularly rumoured' that he had been suffocated. The [[Lichfield chronicle]], equally reflecting local opinion, stated that he had been strangled. Most chronicles did not offer a cause of death other than natural causes. Not until the relevant sections of the longer [[Brut chronicle]] were composed by a Lancastrian (anti-Mortimer) polemicist in the mid-1430s was the story of a copper rod in the anus widely circulated.

[[Image:Edward II tomb.jpg|thumb|250px|Edward II's tomb at [[Gloucester Cathedral]]]]

[[Ian Mortimer (historian)|Ian Mortimer]] has put forward the argument that Edward II was not killed at Berkeley but was still alive at least until 1330.<ref>Ian Mortimer, 'The Death of Edward II in Berkeley castle', ''[[English Historical Review]]'' cxx (2005), pp. 1175-1224</ref> In his biography of Edward III<ref>Mortimer, ''The Perfect King''</ref> he explores the implications of this, using evidence including the [[Fieschi Letter]], concluding Edward II may have died in Italy around 1341. In her biography of Isabella, [[Alison Weir]] also considers the [[Fieschi Letter]] narrative - that Edward escaped imprisonment and lived the rest of his life in exile. Other historians, however, including [[David Carpenter (historian)|David Carpenter]]<ref>http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n15/letters.html#letter9</ref> have criticised Mortimer's methodology and disagree with his conclusions.

Following the public announcement of the king's death, the rule of Isabella and Mortimer did not last long. They made peace with the Scots in the [[Treaty of Northampton]], but this move was highly unpopular. Consequently, when Edward III came of age in 1330, he executed Roger Mortimer on fourteen charges of treason, most significantly the murder of Edward II (thereby removing any public doubt about his father's survival). Edward III spared his mother and gave her a generous allowance, but ensured that she retired from public life for several years. She died at Hertford on 23 August 1358.

===Edward in popular culture===
{{Main|Cultural depictions of Edward II of England}}

Edward II of England has been portrayed in popular culture a number of times. The most famous fictional account of Edward II's reign is [[Christopher Marlowe]]'s play ''[[Edward II (play)|Edward II]]'' (c. 1592). It depicts Edward's reign as a single narrative, and does not include Bannockburn.

In 1991 English filmmaker [[Derek Jarman]] adapted the Christopher Marlowe play into a [[Edward II (film)|film]] featuring [[Tilda Swinton]], [[Steven Waddington]], [[Andrew Tiernan]], [[Nigel Terry]], and [[Annie Lennox]]. The film specifically portrays a homosexual relationship between Edward II and Piers Gaveston.

Edward II was portrayed as an effeminate homosexual in ''[[Braveheart]]''. Edward II's Death and Sexuality are mentioned a number of times in [[Michael Crichton]]'s novel ''[[Timeline (novel)|Timeline]]''.

===Ancestry===
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<div style="background: #ccddcc; text-align: center; border: 1px solid #667766" class="NavHead">'''Ancestors of Edward II of England'''
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|1= 1. '''Edward II of England'''
|2= 2. [[Edward I of England]]
|3= 3. [[Eleanor of Castile]]
|4= 4. [[Henry III of England]]
|5= 5. [[Eleanor of Provence]]
|6= 6. [[Ferdinand III of Castile]]
|7= 7. [[Jeanne of Dammartin]]
|8= 8. [[John of England]]
|9= 9. [[Isabella of Angoulême]]
|10= 10. [[Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence]]
|11= 11. [[Beatrice of Savoy]]
|12= 12. [[Alfonso IX of León]]
|13= 13. [[Berenguela of Castile]]
|14= 14. Simon de Dammartin, Count of Ponthieu
|15= 15. [[Marie of Ponthieu]]
|16= 16. [[Henry II of England]]
|17= 17. [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]]
|18= 18. Aymer Taillifer, Count of Angoulême
|19= 19. Alix de Courtenay
|20= 20. [[Alfonso II, Count of Provence]]
|21= 21. Garsenda II of Sabran
|22= 22. [[Thomas I of Savoy]]
|23= 23. Marguerite of Geneva
|24= 24. [[Ferdinand II of León]]
|25= 25. [[Urraca of Portugal]]
|26= 26. [[Alfonso VIII of Castile]]
|27= 27. [[Leonora of England]] (daughter of 16)
|28= 28. Alberic, Count of Dammartin
|29= 29. Maud de Ponthieu
|30= 30. [[William IV of Ponthieu]]
|31= 31. [[Alys, Countess of the Vexin]]
}}</center>
</div></div>

==Titles, styles, honours and arms==
==See also==
*[[History of sex#Same-sex relations]], specifically the note on historiographical considerations
*[[Cultural depictions of Edward II of England]]
*[[Vita Edwardi Secundi]]
*[[List of unusual deaths]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Sources==
* Blackley, F.D. ''Adam, the Bastard Son of Edward II'', 1964.
*{{cite book|first=James Conway|last=Davies|authorlink=James Conway Davies|title=The Baronial Opposition to Edward II: Its Character and Policy, a Study in Administrative History|publisher=Cass|location=London|year=1967|origyear=1918|isbn=}}
* Doherty, Paul. ''Isabella and the Strange Death of Edward II''. Constable and Robinson, 2003. ISBN 1841193011
* Fryde, Natalie. ''The Tyranny and Fall of Edward II: 1321-1326''
*{{cite book|first=Roy Martin|last=Haines|authorlink=Roy Martin Haines|title=King Edward II: Edward of Caernarfon, His Life, His Reign, and Its Aftermath, 1284&ndash;1330|publisher=McGill-Queens University Press|location=Montreal, London|year=2003|isbn=9780773524323}}
*{{cite book|first=M.|last=McKisack|authorlink=May McKisack|title=The Fourteenth Century: 1307&ndash;1399|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|year=1959|isbn=0-19-821712-9|oclc=183353136}}
*{{cite book|first=J.R.|last=Maddicot|authorlink=John Maddicott|title=Thomas of Lancaster, 1307&ndash;1322|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|year=1970|isbn=0198218370|oclc=132766}}
* Mortimer, Ian. ''The Greatest Traitor: the Life of Sir Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, Ruler of England 1327-1330''. Thomas Dunne Books, 2003. ISBN 0-312-34941-6
* Mortimer, Ian. ''The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III Father of the English Nation''. Jonathan Cape, 2006. ISBN 9780224073011 Appendix 2: The fake death of Edward II; Appendix 3: A note on the later life of Edward II
* Mortimer, Ian.[http://www.ianmortimer.com/EdwardII/death.htm 'Note on the deaths of Edward II'] (2008)
*{{cite book|first=J.R.S.|last=Phillips|authorlink=J. R. S. Phillips|title=Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke 1307&ndash;1324|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|year=1972|isbn=0198223595|oclc=426691}}
*{{cite book|first=M.C.|last=Prestwich|authorlink=Michael Prestwich|title=The Three Edwards: War and State in England 1272&ndash;1377|publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson|location=London|year=1980|isbn=0297777300|oclc=185679701}}
*{{cite book|last=Prestwich|first=Michael|authorlink=|title=Plantagenet England: 1225-1360|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|date=2007|edition=new|isbn=0198228449}}
*{{cite book|first=Anthony|last=Tuck|authorlink=Anthony Tuck|title=Crown and Nobility 1272-1461: Political Conflict in Late Medieval England|publisher=Fontana|location=London|year=1985|isbn=0006860842}}
* Weir, Alison, 'Isabella, She-Wolf of France', Jonathan Cape, 2005, ISBN 0224063200

==External links==
*{{Genealogics name|id=00000810}}
*[http://edwardthesecond.com/ King Edward II]: a website examining the issues, events and personalities of Edward II's reign
*[http://edwardthesecond.blogspot.com/ Edward II]: a blog related to the website
*[http://edwardii.justforum.net/index.htm/ Edward II]: an Edward II discussion forum
*[http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Berkeley%20Castle&w=all Flickr images tagged Berkeley Castle]
*[http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Edward%20II&w=all Flickr images tagged Edward II]
{{start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Plantagenet]]| 25 April|1284|21 September|1327?}}
{{s-reg|}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Edward I of England|Edward I]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of English monarchs|King of England]]<br />[[Duke of Aquitaine]]<br>[[Lordship of Ireland|Lord of Ireland]]|years=1307 &ndash; 1327}}
{{s-aft|rows=2|after=[[Edward III of England|Edward III]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Eleanor of Castile|Eleanor]] '''and''' [[Edward I of England|Edward I]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Count of Ponthieu]]|years=1290&ndash; 1327}}
{{s-roy|en}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Alphonso, Earl of Chester]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of heirs to the English and British thrones|Heir to the English Throne]]<br />''as [[heir apparent]]''|years=19 August 1284 - 7 July 1307}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk]]}}
|-
{{s-vac|last=[[Llywelyn the Last]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Prince of Wales]]|years=1301 &ndash; 1307}}
{{s-vac|next=[[Edward, the Black Prince]]}}
|-
{{end}}
{{English and British monarchs}}
{{Norman Dukes}}
{{House of Plantagenet|edward2}}
{{1911}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edward 02 Of England}}
[[Category:1284 births]]
[[Category:1327 deaths]]
[[Category:1327 crimes]]
[[Category:English monarchs]]
[[Category:English murder victims]]
[[Category:Earls in the Peerage of England]]
[[Category:English people of Spanish descent]]
[[Category:English people of French descent]]
[[Category:House of Plantagenet]]
[[Category:Murdered monarchs]]
[[Category:People from Caernarfonshire]]
[[Category:People murdered in England]]
[[Category:People of the Wars of Scottish Independence]]

[[ar:إدوارد الثاني ملك إنجلترا]]
[[bs:Eduard II, kralj Engleske]]
[[br:Edouarzh II (Bro-Saoz)]]
[[bg:Едуард II (Англия)]]
[[ca:Eduard II d'Anglaterra]]
[[cs:Eduard II.]]
[[cy:Edward II, brenin Lloegr]]
[[de:Eduard II. (England)]]
[[et:Edward II]]
[[el:Εδουάρδος Β' της Αγγλίας]]
[[eo:Eduardo la 2-a (Anglio)]]
[[es:Eduardo II de Inglaterra]]
[[eu:Eduardo II.a Ingalaterrakoa]]
[[fr:Édouard II d'Angleterre]]
[[ga:Éadbhard II Shasana]]
[[gl:Eduardo II de Inglaterra]]
[[ko:에드워드 2세]]
[[hr:Edvard II.]]
[[id:Edward II dari Inggris]]
[[it:Edoardo II d'Inghilterra]]
[[he:אדוארד השני, מלך אנגליה]]
[[ka:ედუარდ II (ინგლისი)]]
[[la:Eduardus II (rex Angliae)]]
[[lv:Eduards II Plantagenets]]
[[hu:II. Eduárd angol király]]
[[nl:Eduard II van Engeland]]
[[ja:エドワード2世 (イングランド王)]]
[[no:Edvard II av England]]
[[pl:Edward II]]
[[pt:Eduardo II de Inglaterra]]
[[ro:Eduard al II-lea al Angliei]]
[[ru:Эдуард II]]
[[simple:Edward II of England]]
[[sk:Eduard II. (Anglicko)]]
[[sr:Едвард II Плантагенет]]
[[sh:Edvard II.]]
[[fi:Edvard II]]
[[sv:Edvard II av England]]
[[th:สมเด็จพระเจ้าเอ็ดเวิร์ดที่ 2 แห่งอังกฤษ]]
[[tr:II. Edward]]
[[uk:Едуард II]]
[[zh:爱德华二世 (英格兰)]]

Revision as of 11:56, 31 March 2010

thisss is fakee. :]

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