Edward II of England (1284 - 1327)

Edward II of England

Background:  Edward II was the fourth son of Edward I and his first wife, Eleanor of Castile.  His father was the King of England and had also inherited Gascony in South Western France, which he held as the feudal vassal of the King of France, and the Lordship of Ireland.  His mother was from the Castilian royal family, and held the County of Ponthieu in Northern France.  Edward I proved a successful military leader, leading the suppresion of the baronial revolts in the 1260s and joining the Ninth Crusade.  During the 1280s he conquered North Wales, removing the native Welsh princess from power and in the 1290s he intervened in Scotland's civil war, claiming suzerainty over the country.  He was considered an extremely successful ruler by his contemporaries, largely able to control the powerful earls that formed the senior ranks of the English nobility.  The historian Michael Prestwich describes Edward I as "a King to inspire fear and respect," while John Gillingham characterises him as an efficient bully.

Despite Edward I's successes, when he died in 1307 he left a range of challenges for his son to resolve.  One of the most critical was the problem of English rule in Scotland, where Edward's long, but ultimately inconclusive military campaign, was on going when he died.  Edward's control of Gascony created tension with the French Kings.  They insisted that the English Kings give homage to them for the lands; the English Kigns saw this demand as insulting to their honour, and the issue remained unresolved.  edward I also faced increasing opposition from his barons over the taxation and requisitions required to resource his wars, and left his son debts of around 200,000 pounds on his death.

Caefarnon Castle, North Wales | Edward's Birthplace

Birth:  Edward II was born in Caernarfon Castle in North Wales on 25 April 1284, less than a year after Edward I had conquered the region, and as a result is sometimes called Edward of Caernafon.  The King probably chose the castle deliberately as the location for Edward's birth as it was an important symbolic location for the native Welsh, associated wtih Roman imperial history, and it formed the center of the new royal administration of North Wales.  Edward's birth brought predictions of greatness from contemporary prophets, who believed that the last days of the world were imminent, declaring him a new King Arthur, who would lead England to glory.  David Powel, a 16th century clergyman, suggested that the baby was offered to the Welsh as a prince "that was born in Wales and could speak never a word of English," but there is no evidence to support this account.

Edward's name was English in origin, linking him to the Anglo-Saxon saint Edward the Confessor, and was chosed by this father instead of the more traditional Norman and Castilian names selected or Edward's brothers.  Edward had three elder brothers:  John and Henry, who had died before Edward was born, and Alphonso, who died in August 1284, leaving Edward as the heir to the throne.  Although Edward was a relatively healthy child, there were enduring concerns throughout his early years that he too might die and leave his father without a male heir.  After his birth, Edward was looked after by a wet nurse called Mariota or Mary Maunsel for a few months until she fell ill, when Alice de Leygrave became his foster mother.  He would have barely known his natural mother Eleanor, who was in Gascony with his father during his earliest years.  An official household, complete with staff, was created for the new baby, under the direction of a clerk, Giles of Oudenarde.

Childhood, personality, and appearance:  Spending increased on Edward's personal household as he grew older and, in 1293, William of Blyboroughtook over as it's administrator.  Edward was probably give a religious education by the Dominican friars, whom his mother invited into his household in 1290.  he was assigned one of his grandmother's followers, Guy Ferre, as his magister, who was responsible for his discipline, training him in riding and military skills.  It is uncertain how well educated Edward was; there is little evidence for his ability to read and write, although his mother was keen that her children were well educated, and Ferre was himself a relatively learned man for the period.  Edward likely spoke Anglo-Norman French in his daily life, in addition to some English and possibly Latin.

Edward had a normal upbringing for a member of a royal family.  The prince was interested in horses and horsebreeding, and became a good rider; he also liked dogs, in particular greyhounds.  In his letters, he shows a quirky sense of humour, joking about sending unsatisfactory animals to his friends, such as horses who disliked carrying their riders, or lazy hunting dogs too slow to catch rabbits.  He was not particularly interested in hunting or falconry, both popular activities in the 14th century.  He enjoyed music, including Welsh music and the newly invented crwth instrument, as well as musical organs.  He did not take part in jousting, either because he lacked the aptitude or because he had been banned from participating for his peronal safety, but he was certainly supportive of the sport. 

Edward grew up to be tall and muscular, and was considered good looking by the standards of the period.  He had a reputation as a competent public speaker and was known for his generoisty to household staff.  usually, he enjoyed rowing, as well as hedging and ditching, and enjoyed associating with laboureres and lower-class workers.  This behaviour was not considered normal for the nobility of the period and attracted criticisim from contemporaries.

In 1290, Edward's father confirmed the Treaty of Birgham, in which he promised to marry his six year old son to the young Margaret of Norway, who had a potential claim to the crown of Scotland.  Margaret died later that year, bringing an end to the plan.  Edward's mother, Eleanor, died shortly afterwards, followed by his grandmother, Eleanor of Provence.  Edward I was distraught at his wife's death and held a huge funeral for her; his son inherited the County of Ponthieu from Eleanor.  Next, a french marriage was considered for the young Edward, to help secure a lasting peace wtih France, but war broke out in 1294.  The idea was replaced with the proposal of a marriage to a daughter of the Count of Flanders, but this too failed after it was blocked by King Philip IV of France.