Edward II the Man: A Doomed Inheritance

Edward II is one of the most controversial kings of English history. On numerous occasions he brought England to the brink of civil war. Author Stephen Spinks argues that Edward and the later murdered Piers Gaveston were lovers, not merely "brothers-in-arms." Influenced by successive royal favorites and with a desire for personal vengeance, his rule became highly polarized and unstable. His own wife took a lover and invaded his kingdom resulting in his forced abdication--the first in British history. Edward's prevailing legacy remains the warning that all kings can fall from power. And yet . . . war, debt, and baronial oppression before 1307 ensured that Edward II inherited a toxic legacy that any successor would have found almost impossible to wrestle with. Stephen Spinks explores that legacy using contemporary and later sources. By focusing on Edward's early years as much as on his reign, and exploring the conflicting influences of those around him, Stephen shows the human side of this tale against a backdrop of political intrigues and betrayals.