EDWARD II. (1284-13271. King of England from 1307 to 1327. Ile was the son of Edward I., and was born at Carnarvon, April 25, 1284. In 130] he was created Prince of Wales, being the first heir apparent to the English throne who bore that title. lle accompanied his father on his expeditions into Scotland; but after the loath of the latter he abandoned the personal conduct of the war and returned to England. At home Edward's mode of life was contemptible. While still a youth he had conceived an extraor dinary admiration and fondness for a witty, clever, but dissolute courtier called Piers de I:aye-4°11.i he son of a Gaston knight. A fter Edward became King there was 110 limit to the honors heaped on the favorite. When the King went to France, in the beginning of 1308. to conclude a marriage with Isabella, daughter of Philip the Fair, O•veston was left as guardian of the kingdom. The nobles were indignant, and demanded his banishment. Twice (;aveston was forced to leave England. but as often he was recalled by the weak mimareh, whose love for him amounted to sheer infatuation. At last the nobles rose in arms. besieged (:aveston in Searsborough Castle, and, having forced him to surrender, hanged him June 19, 1312. Two years after this Edward in vaded Scotland at the head of a great army, amounting, according to some historians, to 100, 000 men. At Bannockburn, on June 24, 1314, he was encountered by Robert Bruce (q.v.) and de feated with immense slaughter. Finally, in 1319, after non erous petty successes on the part of the scotch. Edward concluded a truce with them for two years. once inure he fell under the in fluence of unscrupulous favorites. the persons elected on this occasion being the two Despen sers. Once more the nobles rebelled, and both
_Hugh le and his father were banished. in July, 1:321: but some months after they were recalled! by Edward. Many of the rebellions nobles, among others the Earl of Lancaster, were beheaded iu the following year. Immediately thereafter Edward invaded Scotland for the last time: but having achieved no sucee-s, concluded a trice with that country for thirteen years and returned to England. dispute now arose be tween him and Charles TV. of France. brother_ of his wife, Isabella, in regard to the territories which the English King held in that country. When Charles seized the lands in question, Ed ward sent over Isabella to remonstrate. and. if possible, to effect an amicable arrangement be tween them. Isabella. it would appear, despised her husband and disliked the Despensers. Meet ing at the French Court many English nobles who had left their country to avoid the enmity of the favorites, she was easily induced to make com mon cause with them against her husband and the Despensers. She obtained possession of the young Prince of Wales (afterwards Edward III.), and landed at Orwell, in Suffolk, Septem ber 24, 1326. The Queen and the banished nobles were soon joined by all the influential persons in England. Edward fled. but was taken pris oner. The Despensers, father and son, were exe cuted, and the monarch himself, after being for mally deposed by Parliament, January 20.1327. was murdered in Berkeley Castle on September 21st of the same year. Ile left two sons and two daughters. Consult Stubbs, Constitutional His tory of England. yol. ii. (Oxford, 1874). See