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King Edward II of England, also known as Edward of Caernarvon
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1284 - 1327 (43 years)-
Name King Edward II of England Suffix also known as Edward of Caernarvon Birth 25 April 1284 Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd, Wales 
Gender Male Name 22 May 1306 (22 years) [Title] Prince of Wales In a private ceremony, knighted his 22-year-old son, the first-ever Prince of Wales at Feast of the Swans Name 22 May 1306 (22 years) [Event] Feast of the Swans 22 May 1306, Palace of Westminster, London The Feast of the Swans was a chivalric celebration of the knighting of 267 men at Westminster Abbey on Whitsunday in 1306. It followed a proclamation by Edward I that all esquires eligible for knighthood should come to Westminster to be knighted in turn by their future king, and to march with him against the Scots.[1] The King first knighted his son Edward, Prince of Wales, who in turn knighted the 266 others.[2]
Among those knighted were Piers Gaveston, Hugh le Despenser, John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey, Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March and his uncle, Roger Mortimer of Chirk.
In a private ceremony, knighted his 22-year-old son, the first-ever Prince of
Wales at Feast of the SwansName 7 Jul 1307 (23 years) [Title] Lord of Ireland King of England Lord of Ireland 1307–1327 Name 7 Jul 1307 (23 years) [Title] King of England King of England Lord of Ireland 1307–1327 Legal,Law,Arrest 1308 (23 years) In 1308, Edward's marriage to Isabella of France proceeded.[92] Edward crossed the English Channel to France in January, leaving Gaveston as his custos regni in charge of the kingdom.[93] This arrangement was unusual, and involved unprecedented powers being delegated to Gaveston, backed by a specially engraved Great Seal. Married 25 Jan 1308 (23 years) Edward and Philip IV did not like each other, and the French king drove a hard bargain over the size of Isabella's dower and the details of the administration of Edward's lands in France.[95] As part of the agreement, Edward gave homage to Philip for the Duchy of Aquitaine and agreed to a commission to complete the implementation of the 1303 Treaty of Paris.[96]
The pair were married in Boulogne on 25 January.[97] Edward gave Isabella a psalter as a wedding gift, and her father gave her gifts worth over 21,000 livres and a fragment of the True Cross.[98] The pair returned to England in February
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Isabella was only twelve at the time of her wedding, young even by the standards of the period, and Edward probably had sexual relations with mistresses during their first few years together.[104][105] During this time he fathered an illegitimate son, Adam, who was born possibly as early as 1307.[104][105] Edward and Isabella's first son, the future Edward III, was born in 1312 amid great celebrations, and three more children followed: John in 1316, Eleanor in 1318 and Joan in 1321.[105][106]Legal,Law,Arrest 25 Feb 1308 (23 years) After some delays, the ceremony went ahead on 25 February at Westminster Abbey, under the guidance of Henry Woodlock, the Bishop of Winchester.[100] As part of the coronation, Edward swore to uphold "the rightful laws and customs which the community of the realm shall have chosen".[101] It is uncertain what this meant: It might have been intended to force Edward to accept future legislation, it may have been inserted to prevent him from overturning any future vows he might take, or it may have been an attempt by the king to ingratiate himself with the barons.[102][l] The event was marred by the large crowds of eager spectators who surged into the palace, knocking down a wall and forcing Edward to flee by the back door.[103] Legal,Law,Arrest 1321 (36 years) Edward and the Despensers strengthened their grip on power, revoking the 1311 reforms, executing their enemies and confiscating estates. Legal,Law,Arrest 21 January 1327 (42 years) Shortly after this, a representative delegation of barons, clergy and knights was sent to Kenilworth to speak to the king.[293] On 20 January 1327, the Earl of Lancaster and the bishops of Winchester and Lincoln met privately with Edward in the castle.[294] They informed Edward that if he were to resign as monarch, his son Edward would succeed him, but if he failed to do so, his son might be disinherited as well, and the crown given to an alternative candidate.[295] In tears, Edward agreed to abdicate, and on 21 January, Sir William Trussell, representing the kingdom as a whole, withdrew his homage and formally ended Edward's reign.[296] A proclamation was sent to London, announcing that Edward, now known as Edward of Caernarvon, had freely resigned his kingdom and that his son Edward would succeed him. The coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on 1 February 1327.[297] Name 21 Jan 1327 (42 years) [Title] King of England Edward agreed to abdicate, and on 21 January, Sir William Trussell, representing the kingdom as a whole, withdrew his homage and formally ended Edward's reign Death 21 September 1327 (43 years) Berkeley Castle, Berkeley, Gloucestershire On 23 September Edward III was informed that his father had died at Berkeley Castle during the night of 21 September.[304]
Most historians agree that Edward II did die at Berkeley on that date, although there is a minority view that he died much later.[305][q] His death was, as Mark Ormrod notes, "suspiciously timely", as it simplified Mortimer's political problems considerably, and most historians believe that Edward was probably murdered on the orders of the new regime, although it is impossible to be certain.[306] Several of the individuals suspected of involvement in the death, including Sir Thomas Gurney, Maltravers and William Ockley, later fled.[307][r] If Edward died from natural causes, his death may have been hastened by depression following his imprisonment.[309]Death 21 Sep 1327 Berkeley Castle, Berkeley, Gloucestershire Occupation 1307 (22 years) - When Edward of Caernarfon demanded an earldom for his favourite Piers Gaveston, the King erupted in anger and supposedly tore out handfuls of his son's hair.[190]
according to one chronicle, Edward gathered around him Henry de Lacy, 3rd Earl of Lincoln; Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick; Aymer de Valence; and Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford, and charged them with looking after his son Edward. In particular they should make sure that Piers Gaveston, whom he had banished earlier that year,[331]
At a young age, Gaveston made a good impression on King Edward I, who assigned him to the household of the King's son, Edward of Caernarfon. The prince's partiality for Gaveston was so extravagant that Edward I sent Gaveston into exile, but he was recalled a few months later, after the King's death led to the prince's accession as Edward II7 Jul 1307 (23 years) - [Title] King of England - also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne following the death of his older brother Alphonso1321 (36 years) - The Despenser family, in particular Hugh Despenser the Younger, became close friends and advisers to Edward, but in 1321 Lancaster and many of the barons seized the Despensers' lands and forced the King to exile them. In response, Edward led a short military campaign, capturing and executing Lancaster. 1321–1322 (37 years) - [Event] The Despenser War (1321–1322) 18 September 1322 (38 years) - accompanied his father in the Scottish campaigns of 1322, and died shortly afterwards on 18 September 1322; Adam died during the campaign, of unknown causes, and was buried at Tynemouth Priory on 30 September 1322; his father paid for a silk cloth with gold thread to be placed over his body. 1326 (41 years) - Isabella allied herself with the exiled Roger Mortimer, and invaded England with a small army in 1326. Edward's regime collapsed and he fled into Wales, where he was captured in November. 21 Jan 1327 (42 years) - [Title] King of England - Opposition to the regime grew, and when Isabella was sent to France to negotiate a peace treaty in 1325, she turned against Edward and refused to return. Isabella allied herself with the exiled Roger Mortimer, and invaded England with a small army in 1326. Edward's regime collapsed and he fled into Wales, where he was captured in November. Edward was forced to relinquish his crown in January 1327 in favour of his son, Edward III of England, and he died in Berkeley Castle on 21 September, probably murdered on the orders of the new regime. Association Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall; friend of Edward II (Relationship: Piers Gaveston; friend of Edward II possibly sworn brother) Association Henry Tyes/de Tyes/le Tyes, executed for treason (Relationship: putative Despenser War; Second phase: 13 October 1321 – 16 March 1322) Person ID I15542 AHP Last Modified 2 Mar 2026
Father King Edward I, also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, b. 17/18 June 1239 d. 7 Jul 1307 (Age 68 years) Relationship Birth Mother Eleanor, the half-sister of King Alfonso X of Castile, of Castile, b. Abt 1241 d. 28 Nov 1290 (Age 49 years) Relationship Birth Marriage 1 November 1254 Age at Marriage He : 15 years and 5 months - She : ~ 13 years and 11 months. Family ID F4438 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family 1 Marriage Abt 1306 Children 1. Adam (son of Edward II), Ade filio domini Regis bastardo, b. 1307 d. 18 Sep 1322 (Age 15 years) [Father: Birth] Family ID F4440 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 2 Mar 2026
Family 2 Isabella of France (sometimes described as the She-Wolf of France, b. 1295 , Paris, France d. 22 Aug 1358, Hertford Castle, Hertford, Hertfordshire (Age 63 years) Marriage 25 January 1308 Age at Marriage He : 23 years and 9 months - She : ~ 13 years and 1 month. Children 1. King Edward III of England, b. 13 Nov 1312 d. 21 Jun 1377 (Age 64 years) [Father: Birth] [Mother: Birth] 2. John of Eltham, Never married. No issue., b. 15 Aug 1316, Eltham Palace, Kent d. 13 Sep 1336, Perth, Scotland (Age 20 years) [Father: Birth] [Mother: Birth]3. Eleanor of Woodstock (daughter of Edward II)/Reinoud II of Guelders, b. 18 Jun 1318 d. 22 Apr 1355 (Age 36 years) [Father: Birth] [Mother: Birth] 4. Queen of Scots Joan of the Tower (daughter of Edward II)/Married David II of Scotland, b. 5 Jul 1321 d. 7 Sep 1362 (Age 41 years) [Father: Birth] [Mother: Birth] Family ID F4439 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 2 Mar 2026
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Event Map 
Name - The Feast of the Swans was a chivalric celebration of the knighting of 267 men at Westminster Abbey on Whitsunday in 1306. It followed a proclamation by Edward I that all esquires eligible for knighthood should come to Westminster to be knighted in turn by their future king, and to march with him against the Scots.[1] The King first knighted his son Edward, Prince of Wales, who in turn knighted the 266 others.[2] Among those knighted were Piers Gaveston, Hugh le Despenser, John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey, Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March and his uncle, Roger Mortimer of Chirk. In a private ceremony, knighted his 22-year-old son, the first-ever Prince of Wales at Feast of the Swans - 22 May 1306 - [Event] Feast of the Swans 22 May 1306, Palace of Westminster, London 
Death - On 23 September Edward III was informed that his father had died at Berkeley Castle during the night of 21 September.[304] Most historians agree that Edward II did die at Berkeley on that date, although there is a minority view that he died much later.[305][q] His death was, as Mark Ormrod notes, "suspiciously timely", as it simplified Mortimer's political problems considerably, and most historians believe that Edward was probably murdered on the orders of the new regime, although it is impossible to be certain.[306] Several of the individuals suspected of involvement in the death, including Sir Thomas Gurney, Maltravers and William Ockley, later fled.[307][r] If Edward died from natural causes, his death may have been hastened by depression following his imprisonment.[309] - 21 September 1327 - Berkeley Castle, Berkeley, Gloucestershire Death - 21 Sep 1327 - Berkeley Castle, Berkeley, Gloucestershire = Link to Google Earth Pin Legend 
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Histories 
Vowing on the swan The Quern-Dust Calendar
Arthur was the hero of the biggest best-seller of the day, Geoffrey of Monmouth’s
“History of the Kings of Britain”. In it is this prophecy by Merlin: “A Mountain Ox shall put
on a Wolf’s head and grind its teeth white in the Severn’s workshop. The ox will collect
round itself the flocks of Albany and those of Wales; and this…Earl of Cornwall | Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall - Wikipedia
On 6 August 1307, less than a month after succeeding, Edward II made Piers Gaveston Earl of Cornwall
On 18 May 1308, Edward consented to send Gaveston into exile
Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall; friend of Edward IIGaveston Cornwall charter The initial from the charter granting the earldom of Cornwall to Piers Gaveston on 6 August 1307
The initial from the charter granting the earldom of Cornwall to Piers Gaveston on 6 August 1307. The top coat of arms is that of the king of England, Edward II, while the lower one is Gaveston's arms impaled with those of the de Clare family. At the top of the initial is a Cornish Chough. The impalement is not done consistently; while the de…