EDWARD I & EDWARD II

EDWARD I:

After reading Edward’s description we can understand why even before being crowned, he held the
respect of his subjects for the way he embodied the medieval ideal of kingship, as a soldier and as a
man of politics. He joined the fight against Simon de Montfort. Montfort was defeated at the Battle of
Evesham in 1265, and within two years the rebellion was extinguished. He was also respected as a man
of faith. With England pacified, Edward left on a crusade to the Holy Land. The crusade accomplished
little, and Edward was on his way home in 1272 when he was informed that his father had died.

During his reign, he is also credited with many accomplishments including restoring royal authority after
the reign of Henry III, establishing parliament as a permanent institution and thereby also a functional
system for raising taxes, and reforming the law through statutes.

EDWARD II:

Between the strong reigns of his father Edward I and son Edward III, the reign of Edward II was
considered by some to be disastrous for England, marked by alleged incompetence, political squabbling
and military defeats.

Widely rumoured to have been either homosexual or bisexual, Edward also fathered at least five children
by two women. His inability to deny even the most grandiose favours to his male favourites (first
a Gascon knight named Piers Gaveston, later a young English lord named Hugh Despenser) led to
constant political unrest and his eventual deposition.

Edward married Isabella of France, the daughter of King Philip IV of France. 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 to consolidate his father's legacy (or political power)
for himself.

A dispute between France and England then broke out over Edward's refusal to pay homage to the
French king. 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 King,
whom she now detested. While she was in Paris, she formed a liaison with Roger Mortimer (her lover). 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.
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