The coronation of a king is a sacred affair marking a moment of great divinity and splendour. It is a highly crafted event. The medieval mind was a superstitious and devout one, and then more than now, the coronation literally as well as spiritually heralded the moment when the king was set above his people by … More Edward II & the Holy Oil of St Thomas Becket
Thomas of Lancaster, a man of royal birth and immense wealth, power and position, met a grisly end on this day, 22 March 1322; 695 years ago. He was not killed in battle, died of plague or old age, but rather on the order of his cousin King Edward II, Thomas was executed outside the … More A Royal Traitor: The Life & Execution of Thomas of Lancaster
By the dawn of 1318, Edward II’s royal favourites, Roger Damory, Hugh Audley the Younger and William Montacute still dominated at court. Thomas of Lancaster, the king’s cousin, remained in the north, isolated from his peers and repeatedly refusing to attend upon the king because of his suspicions of Edward’s motives for revenge for the … More All the King’s Men: The Forgotten Royal Favourites (Part Two)
Last week I was fortunate enough to have been granted special permission by Lord and Lady Berkeley to visit their magnificent home, Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, which is closed to the public during winter. Berkeley has a rich heritage and is perhaps most infamous for the traditional tale of the murder of Edward II, held … More Berkeley Castle: A ‘Murderous’ Prison Cell
Following on from part one, those called to parliament still have much to do and many rules to abide by. The studious clerk who started penning his treatise must have been either very keen, on a good commission or had underestimated the enormity of his task. There are still nine ‘rules’ left to discuss. He … More How to hold a Medieval Parliament: By those who were there (Part Two)
At some point during the reign of Edward II a studious clerk, most likely between 1316-1324, sat down to work one evening and took his pen to parchment and wrote a treatise. This treatise set out, rather helpfully for us seven hundred years later, the ‘dos’ and ‘dont’s’ of holding a medieval parliament as dictated … More How to hold a Medieval Parliament: By those who were there (Part One)
Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser the Younger are two names that are synonymous with Edward II. The first, the royal favourite and lover who was brutally murdered for his control of royal patronage and in consequence of his dramatic elevation to the highest ranks of medieval fourteenth century English society, still dominates the popular imagination. … More All the King’s Men: The Forgotten Royal Favourites (Part One)
Guest Post by Sara Hanna-Black. Artwork by Matthew Ryan. Every so often something really special happens. Not so long ago, I was introduced to the highly talented writer, blogger and historian Sara Hanna-Black. Over the last few months we have, rather excitingly, spent many happy hours talking specifically about all things Edward II related, which includes of … More “The King of Folly”: The death of Roger Mortimer, 1st earl of March
The tomb of Edward II is spectacular. Edward’s burial site at St Peter’s Abbey, refounded as Gloucester Cathedral during the Reformation in the sixteenth century, sits under an arch on the north side of the Presbytery adjacent to the Ambulatory, up near the high altar. Other than occupying the central position directly in front of the altar … More The Tomb of Edward II
As we saw in part one, Edward had a large group of siblings. He only knew his sisters and half brothers, Thomas and Edmund, his elder brothers perishing long before his birth, or in the case of Alfonso, within a year. His sisters were to remain close to him throughout their lives and these bonds … More Edward II & his Siblings (Part Two)
I was fortunate enough to be asked with my heritage professional hat on, to undertake some work for the Dean of Gloucester Cathedral recently, and so I took the opportunity on All Souls’ Day (2 November) whilst I was visiting the cathedral to take lots of photos. Gloucester has a very special place in my heart … More Gloucester Cathedral – A Heavenly Masterpiece
I was recently asked if I spend my entire spare time in a dusty archive, pouring over beautiful illuminated manuscripts, letters or household accounts in order to conduct my research for my up coming book. Whilst this occasionally happens, they were sad to hear that most of these beautiful relics of our cultural heritage are … More Writing Tips #1: Research
Edward II was, despite what some may think, not the first or only son of Edward I and his queen Eleanor of Castile. In fact by the time of Edward II’s birth, he was the fourteenth child of potentially sixteen. To say that the legendary marriage of his parents was a love affair that was … More Edward II & his Siblings (Part One)
So after a month of craziness, I finally bid my wonderful team at the National Trust in North Warwickshire a temporary, but nevertheless, three month farewell as I take extended leave to put much thought, hard work and a lot of determination no doubt into completing my book Edward II the Man: A Doomed Inheritance. There’s … More A Writer’s Journey #1
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