Edward II's Dangerous Favour: Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser

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  • čas přidán 26. 08. 2021
  • I saw quite a few requests for this video after I mentioned the topic in my Ranulf Flambard one. We’re not just looking at Hugh Despenser though, we’ve got Piers Gaveston as well…
    I hope you enjoy this video and find it interesting!
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    Also, if you want to get in touch, please comment down below or find me on social media:
    Instagram: katrina.marchant
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    Email: readingthepastwithdrkat@gmail.com
    Intro / Outro song: Silent Partner, "Greenery" [ • Greenery - Silent Part... ]
    SFX from freesfx.co.uk/Default.aspx
    Linked videos and playlists:
    “Escape the Tower: Ranulf Flambard”: • Escape the Tower: Ranu...
    Images (from Wikimedia Commons, unless otherwise stated):
    Early fourteenth-century manuscript initial showing Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile wearing their crowns. Originally reproduced in Morris, Marc (2008) A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain (updated ed.), London: Hutchinson, p. illustrations btw. pp. 142 & 143.
    Edward I creating his son, Edward of Caernarvon (the later King Edward II), Prince of Wales, 1301. Text reads "Eduuardus factus est princeps Wallie" (Edward is made Prince of Wales). (British Library, MS Cotton Nero.D.II. fol. 191v).
    The painting ”Edward II and his Favourite, Piers Gaveston” by Marcus Stone (1872). Held in an unknown private collection.
    Philip IV of France and his family: l-r: his sons, Charles IV of France and Philip V of France, his daughter Isabella of France (wife of Edward II of England), himself, his eldest son and heir the King of Navarre, Louis X of France, and his brother, Charles of Valois. This copy is listed as being from mariegalatee.typepad.com/astro.... Original vellum manuscript dated 1313, filed as Ms Lat 8504 f.1v, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France. Author anonymous.
    An illuminated detail from BL Royal MS 20 A ii, Chronicle of England [folio 10], showing Edward II of England receiving his crown (between c. 1307 and c. 1327). Held and digitised by the British Library.
    Guy de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick standing over the decapitated body of Piers Gaveston from the Rous Rolls by John Rous (15th century). Scanned from Hicks, Michael (1991) Who's Who in Late Medieval England (1272-1485), Who's Who in British History Series, 3, London-Walwyn, p. p. 45.
    Detail of an illustration from Froissart's Chronicles of a meeting between Isabella of France, Queen of England, and her brother, Charles IV of France, in 1325 (1475). Originally reproduced at: expositions.bnf.fr/flamands/gr...
    A miniature showing the future Edward III giving homage to Charles IV of France under the guidance of Edward's mother, and Charles' sister, Isabella, in 1325 (15th century). Originally from visualiseur.bnf.fr/ConsulterEl... original filed as MS Fr. 2662, Bibliothèque Nationale France.
    Isabella landing in England with her son, the future Edward III in 1326, from Grandes Chroniques de France, fol. 338 verso (c.1460). Held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
    Siege of Bristol in 1326 by Queen Isabella, where Edward II, his counsellors and favourites (the Despensers) have taken up refuge (15th century). Held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (Panel 4 of BnF MS fr 2663 f.6r).
    Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel and Hugh Despenser the Elder (or Hugh Despenser the Younger) before Queen Isabella. 15th-century manuscript illumination from Froissart's Chronicles by the Boethius Master. Originally from The Online Froissart.
    Detail showing the arrest of Edward II (15th century). Originally from visualiseur.bnf.fr/ConsulterEl... original filed as Bibliothèque Nationale MS Fr. 2675, France.
    15th-century manuscript illustration that depicts Isabella and allegedly Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March at Hereford; the execution of Hugh Despenser the Younger can be seen in the background (between 1471 and 1483). Held by the British Library. Royal MS 14 E IV, fol. 316v.
    Illustration of the execution of Hugh the Younger Despenser, from a manuscript of Froissart (1470s). Held by the Bibliotheque Nationale MS Fr. 2643, folio 11r.
    Quoted texts:
    The Chronicle of Lanercost - available at: archive.org/details/chronicle...
    ODNB entry on Hugh Despenser the Younger by J. S. Hamilton.
    #History #EdwardII #Treason

Komentáře • 357

  • @jaycorwin1625
    @jaycorwin1625 Před 2 lety +56

    This sounds like a Medieval version of a trailer park with gang leaders, gangs, rumors, spite, caterwauling and pettiness that lead to assassinations.

    • @lvmyfam11
      @lvmyfam11 Před rokem +1

      Welcome to the Medieval world!

  • @charlotte-mg9wj
    @charlotte-mg9wj Před 2 lety +29

    When I was 6 i was given a children's book on kings and queens which said Edward was murdered with a red hot iron. At the time I remember thinking, " ow, nasty way to die, being hit over the head with a red hot iron..." it wasn't till I heard the story again when I was older I realised that's not what was implied.

  • @RetiredVDI
    @RetiredVDI Před 2 lety +78

    It seems rather likely Edward II was at least bi-sexual. It is also entirely possible to father children while being gay. Having a son was considered a duty and Edward obviously respected Isabella enough to do his “job”.

    • @naurrr
      @naurrr Před 2 lety +17

      I also got the bisexual vibe from him!! how often do historians just sweep this under the rug as "well we can't just extrapolate sexuality since society's expectations were so different" when it could EASILY be explained by a queer theory perspective?? short sighted to just ignore the possibility at all.

    • @MTCason
      @MTCason Před 2 lety

      It isn’t likely. There is no historical evidence on which to make that assumption. To do so is to project 21st Century social liberalism on a FAR more restrictive 14th Century personality. That is revisionism of the worst kind.

    • @RetiredVDI
      @RetiredVDI Před 2 lety +4

      @@MTCason - Why isn’t it likely? Believe it or not there were gay people in the 14th century and his obvious “patronage” of Piers Galveston goes way beyond “friendship”. And also, being gay or bi-sexual does not make one a “liberal”. I think it more a case of projecting 21st century bigotry rather than “social liberalism”. There’s no direct evidence either way. That is why I said “rather likely” than “He was certainly”.

    • @MTCason
      @MTCason Před 2 lety

      @@RetiredVDI In what sense is it 'obvious' that his patronage of Piers went beyond friendship? There were no signs of that and no reports from contemporary chroniclers to suggest it. There's nothing to make it 'rather likely', least of all when Edward produced five children and one of them illegitimate. I'm not a bigot in the slightest but I don't believe in assuming the sexual identity of people who are dead and gone beyond what is evident. Edward I was criticized for his own favoritism towards certain close associates, as was Edward III in his own turn. It was a well-known latter Plantagenet fault, especially after the turbulence reigns of Henry III and Edward II bred natural suspicion and a tendency to distrust those beyond the men (and believe it or not, most of those who had cogent political and military power at the time were MEN) they could trust. The foundation of the Order of the Garter was foremost to bind a select group of knights to Edward III who he could trust to command his armies in France. That certainly doesn't make him homosexual any more than Gaveston or the Despensers do his father.

    • @IlexOpacaLP
      @IlexOpacaLP Před 2 lety +6

      @@MTCason Aren't you also assuming the sexual identity of a dead person though? It makes just as much sense for him to have been bisexual or gay considering the historical record as it does for him to have been straight. Assuming heterosexuality as the default state doesn't do historical study any favors.

  • @jfs59nj
    @jfs59nj Před 2 lety +226

    I was drinking tea when you whispered “incredibly seriously” and did a spit take. Thank you for the laugh. I love your work, Dr. Kat!!

    • @made-line7627
      @made-line7627 Před 2 lety +4

      Are you British? This comment is so British haha 💜

    • @ladysiam3024
      @ladysiam3024 Před 2 lety +8

      That was funny. I don't drink tea but I did spit out my coffee!!

    • @robertdudley4017
      @robertdudley4017 Před 2 lety +3

      Edward was a weak king, he could never live up to his father, he made a lot of bad decisions, ultimately he paid a very heavy price,the dispensers and gaviston just used him to their advantage. Thank you Dr kat, well. Presented and narrated.

    • @4supernatural
      @4supernatural Před 2 lety +1

      I was actually brushing my teeth ….and went what?? Lol 😂 …as I love to listen to Dr. Kat in the mornings. 👍🏻✨🤩✨

    • @ffotograffydd
      @ffotograffydd Před rokem +1

      @@made-line7627 Not all Brits drink tea, just saying. 😉

  • @kimberlyperrotis8962
    @kimberlyperrotis8962 Před 2 lety +70

    Can’t wait for the continuation, Isabella & Mortimer, Edward III’s self-emancipation, etc. English history is so fascinating, as the say “you couldn’t make this stuff up, no one would believe it possible”, but it really happened.

    • @elenaderoet4926
      @elenaderoet4926 Před 2 lety +3

      My family includes John of Gaunt and Katharine Swynford. It is so much drama, lmao.

  • @avalonseer
    @avalonseer Před 2 lety +221

    I'd love to hear more about the Queens of England who have been titled "She-wolves" or the like because they were not willing to just be swept into the quiet meek wife role. As usual fantastic video!

    • @MazMedazzaland
      @MazMedazzaland Před 2 lety +38

      There is a book called 'She Wolves: The Women who ruled England before Elizabeth' by Helen Castor which includes Isabella, Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Margaret of Anjou. I haven't read it yet (on my shelf waiting) but I have been told it is very good.

    • @avalonseer
      @avalonseer Před 2 lety +7

      @@MazMedazzaland oh I'll have to add that to my reading list! Thank you :)

    • @kateh2007
      @kateh2007 Před 2 lety +15

      @@avalonseer
      Helen Castor also hosted a TV series based on the book.
      It was broadcast on the BBC Iplayer, not sure if it's still available there!!

    • @avalonseer
      @avalonseer Před 2 lety +2

      @@kateh2007 oh I'll have a look! Thanks again.

    • @EmoBearRights
      @EmoBearRights Před 2 lety +7

      I have read it and can confirm it is worth it.

  • @eluap71
    @eluap71 Před 2 lety +75

    The way Piers would come back after exile like, “I’m back, B****es!!”
    Oh, how he must’ve loved being a royal pain in the arse!! 😂

    • @serendpity3478
      @serendpity3478 Před 2 lety +18

      Gaveston is Boris Johnson's historical hero. Says a lot about both of them if you ask me.

    • @--enyo--
      @--enyo-- Před 2 lety +11

      @@serendpity3478 Seriously? Oh dear. That's actually hilarious.

    • @eluap71
      @eluap71 Před 2 lety +7

      @@serendpity3478 Very telling, indeed!

    • @allangibson2408
      @allangibson2408 Před 2 lety +1

      He was called back by Edward II…

    • @elenaderoet4926
      @elenaderoet4926 Před 2 lety

      Lmao, are you a fan of team four star, by chance?

  • @theodosiasnudpuckle7372
    @theodosiasnudpuckle7372 Před 2 lety +37

    Edward II was not the sharpest tool in the shed.
    Isabella sounds like a very smart strong and impressive woman

    • @leonieromanes7265
      @leonieromanes7265 Před 2 lety +6

      I think so too, Edward allowed his lovers to become too powerful, which put them in danger. Isabella put up with an awful lot of disrespect from Edward, before she turned on him. She was an impressive woman.

  • @OhSkyeLanta
    @OhSkyeLanta Před 2 lety +27

    I saw you cover this subject and immediately had to watch it. Isabella and her relationships with Edward and his relationships with Gaveston and Despenser is some of my favorite medieval dramas to relate to friends and family not in the know. People think history is boring, but honestly Edward II had the social life of a reality tv show.

  • @bajubner
    @bajubner Před 2 lety +98

    Isabella is one of my favourite historical figures. We stan a woman saying "enough is enough, I'm in charge now"

    • @Laramaria2
      @Laramaria2 Před 2 lety +3

      She was remarkable!

    • @kelly-annejenner486
      @kelly-annejenner486 Před 2 lety +3

      I feel ashamed I have never heard of her before! But she definitely sounds like my kind of woman and would love to hear more about her! I might just have to go and do some investigating myself this weekend 🙂

    • @bajubner
      @bajubner Před 2 lety +2

      @@kelly-annejenner486 there was a series of documentaries here on CZcams about the English queens that had been dubbed "she-wolves"! I can't remember the exact name but I'm sure it would be easy to find!

    • @kelly-annejenner486
      @kelly-annejenner486 Před 2 lety +4

      @@bajubner I will look it up! I absolutely adore the Tudor period, mainly because it’s all gory and there’s no messing about like there is nowadays, but also thanks to Queen Elizabeth the first! To rule back in those times in married is, in my opinion amazing! But then I think Queen Victoria and our current Queen are also very strong women to look up to and are good role models to how the monarchy should be. Thank you for letting me know about that though I’ll go find it and add to my watch list 🥰

    • @beth7935
      @beth7935 Před 2 lety +1

      @@kelly-annejenner486 It's a great doco, & it's based on a book of the same name, "She-Wolves" by Helen Castor, which is one of the most enjoyable history books I've ever read. It's also about Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine & Margaret of Anjou; other fascinating & powerful queens.

  • @historybuff7491
    @historybuff7491 Před 2 lety +60

    I think the Despensers thought their favor with the King put them above everyone else and therefore protected. Yes, I think they ignored what happened to Gaveston, and thought they could get anything they wanted. 2. Yes, please have more videos on this time and the She-wolf.

    • @theodosiasnudpuckle7372
      @theodosiasnudpuckle7372 Před 2 lety +7

      That kind of behavior and thought still happens today

    • @michaelbaughman4017
      @michaelbaughman4017 Před 2 lety +7

      "Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

    • @kweejibodali7009
      @kweejibodali7009 Před 2 lety +3

      they engaged in criminal actions and as is the nature of most criminals, they think that they will get away with it despite the fate of all those before them. the despenser s had no right to all the properties and power that they grabbed and only the kings power allowed their actions. talk about absolute power corrupting absolutely ...!

  • @nikkibaugher2427
    @nikkibaugher2427 Před 2 lety +92

    We need to start a Dr Kat "Fan Club"

  • @jeanetteflood5959
    @jeanetteflood5959 Před 2 lety +60

    I'd vote for another video on Edward II and Isabella (though with as little detail about his gruesome end as possible). I'm more interested in how accurate Marlow's play is.

    • @pat412pear
      @pat412pear Před 2 lety +6

      "gruesome end" indeed. Sorry for the pun. I don't really think his "end" was involved in his death.

    • @CashelOConnolly
      @CashelOConnolly Před 2 lety +2

      You can’t clean up history because of peoples sensibilities

  • @Dreymasmith
    @Dreymasmith Před 2 lety +42

    You forgot Edward's love of making dry walls and breeding sheep. I love that aspect of him. He's a complicated person. The nobles didn't know when they were well off with Piers - greddy arrogant party boy, but the Despensers were so much more and so much worse.

    • @Anna_Key
      @Anna_Key Před 2 lety +3

      Are the Despensers the ancestors of Diana, Princess of Wales?

    • @WhiteCamry
      @WhiteCamry Před 11 měsíci +3

      @@Anna_Key They have a common ancestor: Thomas le Despenser, of Elington (d. 1218). One son Sir Hugh le Despencer fathered his namesake descendants, while another son Geoffrey (possibly named Galfridus) produced what eventually became the present Earl Spencer line.

  • @prettypic444
    @prettypic444 Před 2 lety +19

    Eward's "strange hobbies" reminds me of George III's interest in agriculture and animal husbandry. I feel like there's a correlation between unconventional rulers and pastoralism...

    • @erraticonteuse
      @erraticonteuse Před 2 lety +7

      See also: Louis XVI's clockmaking and Marie Antoinette's dairy farm

    • @danielasarmiento30
      @danielasarmiento30 Před 2 lety +7

      Also the tsar Nicholas II and his love for manual labor. Apparently he really enjoyed chopping wood

  • @melenatorr
    @melenatorr Před 2 lety +27

    Thank you for this one: it takes me back. Piers was an early historical obsession of mine, and I remember gathering many bits of documentation about him. In 1980, after graduating Brooklyn College, I was in England on a small Shakespeare scholarship, and one of my friends there drove us both to Warwick Castle, where we looked in vain for Blacklow Hill so that I could properly mourn the event. To my recollection, Piers was overweening, and foolish in the way he gathered enemies, but he had a knack for governing (during his exile to Ireland, he actually did a fairly good job at representing and defending his king without offending the people in power in Ireland), and, had things been more intelligently handled, he might have had a long and successful career. I had a simultaneous obsession with another royal favorite, don Alvaro de Luna, who flourished and fell under the reign of Juan II of Castile. He lasted a lot longer than Piers, though undergoing a similar number of exiles forced upon him by his enemies. I remember drawing up a lot of comparisons between the two sets of relationships.

    • @melenatorr
      @melenatorr Před 2 lety

      @@markanderson0022 Thank you so very much, Mark! I'm doing very well, hoping the same by you.

    • @melenatorr
      @melenatorr Před 2 lety

      @@markanderson0022 Great to hear! I'm Maria, from Brooklyn.

  • @charlotteillustration5778
    @charlotteillustration5778 Před 2 lety +22

    Fascinating, thank you! And, I must confess, a relief to be away from the Tudors, who seem to dominate everywhere…

    • @annmorris2585
      @annmorris2585 Před 2 lety +3

      Thank you for saying that! I always say that there are other dynasties besides the bloody Tudors. More Plantagenets please!!

  • @mickeykolody7773
    @mickeykolody7773 Před 2 lety +17

    I always found it interesting that Edward II was so influenced by the Dispensers after the "sticky" end Gaveston had. Logical thought would be he would have learned the lesson of how favorites can negatively influence his court and governance. But in fact he traded one bad influence for an even worse one. Great video, Dr. Kat! And super interesting part of history.

    • @myrnaskogland1268
      @myrnaskogland1268 Před 2 lety +1

      He did not have the intelligence to rule in the first place, incest breeding at it's best outcome, keep the line noble gave some very mentally unstable people

    • @mellie4174
      @mellie4174 Před 2 lety +8

      I don't think he was mentally unstable at all. I think he was just very human and probably gay. In love with these men but obliged by society and his rule to have a wife and several heirs, he was blinded by love. We always say love is blind and humans will usually put pleasure and love before obligation i think.

  • @BevMargaret
    @BevMargaret Před 2 lety +37

    The idea that she is remembered as a she wolf makes me think. I think it’s pretty easy to look back at what she did and say how could she do that or frame her as being violent if you don’t think about what was her alternative. Do we really think she would’ve lived a really long time if she hadn’t taken out those who were moving against her and her children? Was she looking at two choices -one where she was ruthless and put her son on the throne and the alternative being letting her sonCome under the influence and control of the DeSpensers? If she was a man of the time these kinds of political ploy’s were completely acceptable and normal. I think she would make a great subject for a shortseries!!!

    • @svargyle
      @svargyle Před 2 lety +4

      She was a woman of her time and those kinds of political ploys were indeed considered acceptable and normal. Being called a she-wolf is not derogatory. It means she was a force to be reckoned with. Her story would make a fantastic series, if done correctly.

    • @BevMargaret
      @BevMargaret Před 2 lety +3

      @@svargyle I watched a documentary series I think called she wolves, England’s early Queens that pretty much put for the term as being negative and derogatory. It was hung on a lot of these early powerful women and I don’t think it was positive at least according to that doc you series. I do know that you can’t trust one series on a subject though.I would be interested to have a reading the past on the term and the Queens it’s often applied to.

    • @meeeka
      @meeeka Před 2 lety +3

      @@BevMargaret it was a great series and early in English history, while there were only 3 "she-wolves" officially, basically almost any Queen from France who acted on her own agency was called a "she-wolf."

    • @svargyle
      @svargyle Před 2 lety +2

      @@BevMargaret I would be interested in what contemporaries thought of her as well. If they were against her, politically, they would certainly say negative things, just as anyone would now. Her friends probably were more positive. I suspect a bigger deal was probably made because of her adultery with Mortimer, even if everyone 'understood' why that might happen. I think this subject would make an interesting Dr. Kat video. :)

  • @svargyle
    @svargyle Před 2 lety +23

    I love that you're going back further in to the middle ages. I find this era much more fascinating since there is necessarily more conjecture, since there are far fewer original sources. I know this isn't a book review channel, but Ian Mortimer's book; Edward III: The Perfect King, has some interesting opinions about this time period and Edward II's fate.

  • @kathleenkaar6557
    @kathleenkaar6557 Před 2 lety +15

    Oh Dr Kat, I just feel like a little girl listening to her Mom when you tell these amazing tales of history!

  • @lpcherry2324
    @lpcherry2324 Před 2 lety +31

    You are one of the most interesting people I’ve ever listened to, and I’ve learned so much. Thank you!

  • @mac7406
    @mac7406 Před 2 lety +11

    Oh yes, please do carry on with another about the end of Edward II, and more about Queen Isabella!

  • @ingridgeertsema4302
    @ingridgeertsema4302 Před 2 lety +11

    YES, a video on Isabella of France please, she was definitely a game changer in English history.

  • @itsmainelyyou5541
    @itsmainelyyou5541 Před 2 lety +11

    The she-wolves would be a welcome addition and I would love to see your presentation on the subject. The emancipation of Eddie III would be a fun one, as well.

  • @kathyastrom1315
    @kathyastrom1315 Před 2 lety +5

    I’ve been reading up on this ever since I found out that Edward’s cousin, Henry Earl of Lancaster, was my 22nd great-grandfather. Apparently, he was the one who captured Edward and Hugh the Younger in Wales, and then later headed the regency council of Edward III and (spoilers!) then had Mortimer declared traitor and executed.

  • @kelleysmith7345
    @kelleysmith7345 Před 2 lety +5

    I love this particular medieval drama!

  • @deniecezinnecker9630
    @deniecezinnecker9630 Před 2 lety +5

    Don't leave us hanging! Please continue with the story of Queen Isabelle and Mortimer!

  • @BTScriviner
    @BTScriviner Před 2 lety +12

    Thank you for delving further back into English history. The Tudors get so much more attention.

    • @barbarak2836
      @barbarak2836 Před 2 lety +3

      Too much, I think. Just about all of English history is fascinating!

    • @naurrr
      @naurrr Před 2 lety +1

      agreed!! this is fascinating and underrated

  • @ellybelly5876
    @ellybelly5876 Před 2 lety +4

    Yes please to a follow up video on Isabella!

  • @ffotograffydd
    @ffotograffydd Před rokem +1

    I already knew I had a connection to Edward II, my 20th great-grandmother was his sister, Elizabeth. I recently found out that my 21st great-grandmother Eleanor Despenser, wife of Sir Hugh de Courtenay, was the aunt of Hugh Despenser! I was already a fan of medieval history, but those added connections make it even more interesting.
    I know I’m only one of many thousands of descendants, and my family line is predominantly through daughters and younger sons, so there are no titles, land, or money, but it is still fascinating! I only found through a DNA match with a more recent ancestor who’d still had enough social status to have been written about in the 18th century.

  • @Sistererica
    @Sistererica Před 2 lety +2

    I don't know why these stories don't get the "publicity" that the Tudors do. Queen Isabella and the Edwards were just as interesting and dramatic. Thanks for the vid!

  • @jared1870
    @jared1870 Před 2 lety +8

    Thank you for another great video. I think all rulers have had favorites from the beginning of time until the present. Edward II was an ineffectual ruler who couldn't conceal his overt favoritism nor keep his barons in check. And yes, I would LOVE to see a video of the legacies of Edward II and Isabella.

  • @sheilatruax6172
    @sheilatruax6172 Před 2 lety +13

    That was great! Could we have another about Henry II and Thomas a Beckett?

  • @revade6698
    @revade6698 Před 2 lety +10

    Hi, Dr. Kat. Another video triumph, as always. Definitely, when it comes to Edward II, the apple fell a LONG way from the tree. Longshanks must have been spinning in his grave. Too bad Isabella couldn't have been his daughter - she would have been a much more capable ruler than that milque-toast son ever was. Anyway, please count me in for another video like this - great stuff! BTW, please give my best to Jamie and Gabriel. 👍😁

  • @margaretschembridalli5218
    @margaretschembridalli5218 Před 2 lety +15

    Oh Dr Kat, do please continue Queen Isabella's story I am fascinated by the queens England has had. Why were most of them vilified? Was Eleanor of Aquitaine really such a horrible example of womanhood? What about Mathilda? Strong women in history like Margaret Beaufort or Margaret of Anjou are generally dipicted as unnatural.

  • @MrMarcelWiel
    @MrMarcelWiel Před 2 lety +2

    If Edward II had been an effective ruler, military commander and administrator, he could have been bonking the palace butcher's donkey, eight choirboys AND Gaveston ... the nobility wouldn't have given two hoots.

    • @mtngrl5859
      @mtngrl5859 Před 2 lety +1

      Part of it was his lack of discretion. King James l interests didn't seem to create many issues.

  • @obcl8569
    @obcl8569 Před 2 lety +3

    Oh this is going to be *GOOD!!!*
    Clicked before I'd even read the entire title lol
    (To be fair, I do that with all Dr Kat videos)

  • @jamest2401
    @jamest2401 Před 2 lety +4

    I would love to see you produce a video explaining why and how 'Canterbury', and the 'Archbishop of Canterbury', became the center and head of the Church of England, both before, and after the Protestant Reformation. (❤️ your channel.)

  • @heckofabecca
    @heckofabecca Před 2 lety +5

    I'd love to hear more about Edward II and Isabella!!

  • @canadian0245
    @canadian0245 Před 2 lety +3

    I do wish there was more discussion about how Homophobia shaped both the response to Piers Gaveston at the time and in the scholarship that has come after. In particular how many of the poor decisions are assumed to be at his instigation (he monopolized the King's attention, not the King was only interested in Piers). I agree that the Despensers actions are straight forwardly self serving and cruel but Piers seems much more debatable.

  • @siegfried923
    @siegfried923 Před 2 lety +2

    Local interest in the Dispensers has increased recently with the finding of parts of The Youngers body buried by the High Altar at Hulton Abbey in Stoke This is due to his wifes connection with the Audley family on whose lands the monks built their Abbey. Very little of the Abbey remains apart from the graveyard and layout of the foundations of the main church The remains fit exactly with the description of what were given back to his wife for burial at Tewkesbury, as only a few could be find to give to her.

  • @scribetoscholar656
    @scribetoscholar656 Před 2 lety +3

    I really enjoy (admire) how you can tell the story of a man and give insights into women’s history. Likewise, tell the stories of monarchs and nobles and give insights into social history. Brava!

  • @annmhenson
    @annmhenson Před rokem +1

    Thank you so much for this video. I know I’m late to the party, but as Hugh deSpencer came up as one of my ancestors in my latest foray, I was really curious and I love that one of my favorite creators has done a video about him!

  • @TheGipper4prez
    @TheGipper4prez Před 2 lety +14

    Piers got banished like 5 times. READ THE ROOM DUDE. He was playing with fire and got burned 🤷‍♀️ literally no one feels bad for him. The De spencer's were equally unwise for not learning from the fate of Piers. When power becomes more important than safety, you choose your fate.

  • @camilledvorak7151
    @camilledvorak7151 Před 2 lety +6

    Edward underestimated his wife, not the first, or last man to do so, to his detrimate. Sadly, she decided to make up for lost time and went a bit power mad herself.

  • @CashelOConnolly
    @CashelOConnolly Před 2 lety +1

    I’ve just been looking at portraits of Gaveston painted when he was alive,I can see why Edward liked him 😜

  • @elizabethbower2168
    @elizabethbower2168 Před 2 lety +5

    I am currently reading Les Rois Maudits by French historian Maurice Druon which covers the reigns of Philippe lr Bel of France and Edward II. I can thoroughly recommend it

    • @kamillavalter
      @kamillavalter Před 2 měsíci

      It is a really good book series, I’ve read it twice in my teens and watched a French TV series. But one should take it with a grain of salt, it is not that historically accurate and repeats some 20th century stereotypes (Isabella and Mortimer’s romantic relationship, portrayal of Hugh Despenser as an effeminate sugar baby etc.)

  • @GrainneDhu
    @GrainneDhu Před 2 lety +2

    Great video! I really appreciate how you provide context for each subject you discuss.
    I think that Piers Gaveston was such an obvious eejit that the Despensers thought they could easily manipulate Edward II in much the same way but without making the obvious mistakes Gaveston made. Frankly, Edward II strikes me as being far from the sharpest knife in the block--dangerous in that he seems to have lacked much in the way of forethought and was easily swayed by whoever had his ear at the time.
    The Despensers probably (and somewhat accurately) thought that the trick was to keep Edward' captivated so that no one else could catch his attention.

  • @stephenparker4083
    @stephenparker4083 Před 2 lety +2

    My own interest in Edward II, apart from Marlowe’s play, was piqued when I discovered my descent from Longshanks. This was an excellent account of a queen’s skillful use of her subservient position to wield considerable power informally. It is also a lesson about pride in politics and the seeking of power for its own sake rather than to serve the welfare of the many, from which servant leadership a sovereign’s power really flows.

  • @damogranheart5521
    @damogranheart5521 Před 11 měsíci

    The Hughes' weakness was thinking that they were smarter than Piers and would succeed where Piers had not. They were bullies of the worst sort and connivers in persuading the King to rely on their judgment of the Queen's loyalty to France.

  • @craigrm74
    @craigrm74 Před 2 lety +5

    Edward II has always had a fascinating story, even if he was a terrible king.
    One question about the Despensers: are they the forebears of the modern Spencer-Churchill family? Maybe there's a video in that somewhere...

    • @nancystuart438
      @nancystuart438 Před 2 lety +1

      I keep wondering if Lady Diana Spencer’s family is descended from the Despensers?

    • @viviancollick1721
      @viviancollick1721 Před 2 lety

      I feel like there was mention to this, in a past video, that there is a connection. Ahhhh, Escaping London Tower.... er..something similar. It was a little while ago.

    • @svargyle
      @svargyle Před 2 lety +2

      Not proven, or claimed by the current Spencers. The current Spencer-Churchill's can trace their line back to the 16th century, or maybe late 15th at the earliest. There was an attempt to claim decent to the earlier Spencers, but I believe that clam is generally rejected due to lack of evidence.

    • @ffotograffydd
      @ffotograffydd Před rokem

      I’ve tried to find out as part of my family tree research. I can’t find a link, but that does mean its not there.

  • @theaxe6198
    @theaxe6198 Před 2 lety +2

    Queen Isabella was amazing

  • @itsaDean
    @itsaDean Před 2 lety +2

    Why is there not a tv show about Edward II? It would be amazing!

  • @enitar8290
    @enitar8290 Před 2 lety +2

    Thanks for the video. The story of Edward, Isabella and Mortimer has always attracted me and it was very nice to listen to it

  • @Tsumami__
    @Tsumami__ Před 2 lety +3

    Personally, I would love being called the She Wolf of France. lol

  • @kaybrown4010
    @kaybrown4010 Před 2 lety +5

    As a fellow she-wolf, I’d like to hear more about Isabella!

  • @dawnmuse6481
    @dawnmuse6481 Před rokem

    I think the nobles assumed DeSpencer the younger was assumed to be Edward’s lover as he was not just eviscerated but also emasculated while still living.

  • @Amc933
    @Amc933 Před 2 lety

    Wonderful. Love this story. Many thanks!

  • @ingridgeertsema4302
    @ingridgeertsema4302 Před 2 lety

    Thank you SOOOOOO much, this is exactly what I requested/hoped for!!!

  • @KellyBurnett138
    @KellyBurnett138 Před 2 lety

    Love your story telling Dr. Kat!!! 🤗

  • @williamsmith5549
    @williamsmith5549 Před 2 lety

    Dr. Kat, this is one of your finest! Thanks for your continued hard work, can't wait for another!

  • @SyntaxError83
    @SyntaxError83 Před 2 lety +4

    Yassss, was hoping you'd end up doing this video!

  • @thomasllewelynjones5546
    @thomasllewelynjones5546 Před 2 lety +2

    A fantastic video as always! Very entertaining and informative, and your pronunciation of Llywelyn Bren was very good! (Da iawn ti!)
    Personally, I feel that the fault lay with Edward rather than Gaveston or the Despencers. I think that Edward was rather weak, seeing as his father was such a strong king, and never truly had the grit to rule England effectively at that time. I feel that Edward needed flattery and attention and he got that from Gaveston and the Despencers, and that Edward would’ve let them overstep the mark in fear of offending his ‘friends’. It’s a story I think we can see repeating with the Plantagenet dynasty, where a strong king is immediately followed by a weaker king then a strong one again.

  • @donnacarlin236
    @donnacarlin236 Před rokem

    Love you and your videos!! Please keep them coming.

  • @moeshe3746
    @moeshe3746 Před 2 lety +2

    Love your work!! I appreciate how effectively you outline the general history surrounding the reign of Edward II then dramatically & warmly provide details that inform on the personalities & complexities of Edward, Isabella, & others. You always make history into an enjoyably compelling story!!
    Have you or anyone read Ian Mortimer’s book on Edward III? In it he asserts that Edward II died years later (after 1330) than I previously thought. I’ve always loved medieval history but only started reading about it extensively in the last few years-maybe Edward II living long after he was deposed is old news but it’s the first I’ve read about it from a respected historian.

  • @mikkiduf
    @mikkiduf Před 2 lety

    Great video!!!! Fascinating story, thank you again Dr Kat!!!!

  • @philonutube100
    @philonutube100 Před 2 lety

    Absolutely fascinating......Love the channel.

  • @ninamolina1944
    @ninamolina1944 Před 2 lety +1

    Eeeeeeek! I just bumped into this and I’m so excited to watch it ! Getting into it now, thank you thank you thank you Dr. Kat!

  • @ladysiam3024
    @ladysiam3024 Před 2 lety +1

    I've been interested I'm English history since watching the Tudors. Thank you for making a subject which can be difficult and hard to follow come to life. You are the best!

  • @janiced9960
    @janiced9960 Před 2 lety

    Brilliant. Can't think of anything left out.

  • @lornaperryman489
    @lornaperryman489 Před 2 lety

    As usual, I've learned a lot from your lecture. I look forward to every presentation.

  • @laurenjeangreenbean6301

    First time viewer, now subscriber! You're an absolute delight! So many questions!

  • @jeffbrinkerhoff5121
    @jeffbrinkerhoff5121 Před 2 lety

    Wonderful presentation, please keep these stories coming.

  • @ElliotOracle
    @ElliotOracle Před 2 lety

    Dr. Kat… You are simply the best.

  • @hazels7447
    @hazels7447 Před 2 lety

    I was hoping you’d do this video, thank you!

  • @michellederus3655
    @michellederus3655 Před 2 lety

    This was excellent! Thank you!

  • @tricivenola8164
    @tricivenola8164 Před 2 lety

    Wow!! -- This actual tale is infinitely more exciting ad surprising than any movie of it so far. And so well told. Thanks again for your meticulous attention to detail, your accuracy, and the way you make it all so entertaining.

  • @shelbythe2ds526
    @shelbythe2ds526 Před rokem

    Great video. Enjoyed it very much. Thank you 😊

  • @maxiner4349
    @maxiner4349 Před 2 lety +2

    Great choice today, thank you xx

  • @thomasrandleman7057
    @thomasrandleman7057 Před 2 lety

    I love your videos. Your personality adds greatly to your presentation!

  • @anyahanley6698
    @anyahanley6698 Před 2 lety

    very good work! really enjoy you!

  • @kweejibodali7009
    @kweejibodali7009 Před 2 lety

    thank you so much for old information, clearly stated, good voice, not too fast, with decent audio, and no incredibly distracting music ! it is a doc., not a film... thanks again !

  • @doesthisfacemakemelooklike535

    Margaret de Clare, Countess of Gloucester is Oliver Hokanson's 20th great grandmother.
    Oliver Hokanson
    → Yada
    his mother → Nellie eldora Yada
    her mother → Mary Elvira Hurd
    her mother → Joseph Wiram Reed
    her father → Wealthy N. Reed
    his mother → Freeman Williams
    her father → Isaac Williams, II
    his father → Dorothy Williams
    his mother → John Freeman, I
    her father → Sgt. Joseph Freeman
    his father → John Edmund Freeman
    his father → Edmund Freeman
    his father → John Freeman
    his father → Henry Freeman
    his father → Lawrence Freeman
    his father → Sir John Freeman, Baron Fremingham of Glassenbury
    his father → Henry de Fremingham (Freeman)
    his father → Lady Agnes de Fremingham
    his mother → Earl Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford
    her father → Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford
    his father → Margaret de Audley, Countess of Stafford
    his mother → Margaret de Clare, Countess of Gloucester
    her mothe

  • @doesthisfacemakemelooklike535

    Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick is Oliver Hokanson's 20th great grandfather.
    Oliver Hokanson
    → Yada
    his mother → Nellie eldora Yada
    her mother → Mary Elvira Hurd
    her mother → Joseph Wiram Reed
    her father → Wealthy N. Reed
    his mother → Freeman Williams
    her father → Isaac Williams, II
    his father → Dorothy Williams
    his mother → John Freeman, I
    her father → Sgt. Joseph Freeman
    his father → John Edmund Freeman
    his father → Edmund Freeman
    his father → John Freeman
    his father → Henry Freeman
    his father → Lawrence Freeman
    his father → Sir John Freeman, Baron Fremingham of Glassenbury
    his father → Henry de Fremingham (Freeman)
    his father → Lady Agnes de Fremingham
    his mother → Earl Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford
    her father → Philippa de Beauchamp Countess of Stafford
    his mother → Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick
    her father → Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick
    his father

  • @Julie31168
    @Julie31168 Před 2 lety +1

    That was so interesting, thank you.

  • @michaelbaughman4017
    @michaelbaughman4017 Před 2 lety +1

    "Those who don't remember the past, are condemned to repeat it."

  • @4supernatural
    @4supernatural Před 2 lety

    Wow, Dr. Kat 🤩✨ you rock! again, Excellent. I am hooked ever time!! ✨👍🏻 I actually hadn’t heard this part of English Middle age in detail. It makes me interested in learning more of the roll these individuals played. ~ I believe the power and greed in which these favorites grasp, pushed boundaries, blindly believing no one would ever make them accountable, thus the Despeners, felt invincible. Edward ll same goes for him, just not clever enough to understand nor care. It’s clear Isabela was pushed into a corner and rightfully so ~ I do the same. ~ In which hope more of women behind the throne are recounted. 💜Thank you

  • @giigizx9408
    @giigizx9408 Před 2 lety

    Love your videos. Thank you for the research and efforts

  • @nataliesmith3429
    @nataliesmith3429 Před 2 lety

    I was so excited when I saw this video pop up! I love your videos!!

    • @nataliesmith3429
      @nataliesmith3429 Před 2 lety

      @@markanderson0022 I am doing great, thank you for asking. Hope all is well with you.

    • @nataliesmith3429
      @nataliesmith3429 Před 2 lety

      @@markanderson0022 I am from the US as well

  • @chrismurray2237
    @chrismurray2237 Před 2 lety +1

    Great review! It all finally makes sense! LOL. Thank you. 🌺🌸

  • @dianadeedy1025
    @dianadeedy1025 Před 2 lety +1

    Agree with your assessment of Gaveston and the Despensers…please do another video on Isabella and Edward!

  • @Lizzie-ve7kt
    @Lizzie-ve7kt Před 2 lety

    I love all of your videos and ability to analyze and debunk widespread misconceptions of primary sources. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how Catherine of Aragon is portrayed in the Spanish princess and if you believe she had lied about whether she and Arthur had consummated their marriage. I love hearing your thoughts on history could’ve gone in a completely different direction and would be curious to know more about what you think Henry Percy and Anne Boleyn’s relationship was really like. It would also be great to see videos analyzing Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort, and Elizabeth of York’s depictions in their various Philippa Gregory novels and what you believe the relationship between these women seemed to be, as well as how Elizabeth of York and Catherine of Aragon got along too.

  • @tensils
    @tensils Před 2 lety

    Excellent, Thanks

  • @beverlyfletcher4458
    @beverlyfletcher4458 Před 2 lety +2

    Interestingly, here is Cardiff there is a Despenser St but I've never bothered to find out if there is a connection to the monarchy or the Gloucester family to whom Cardiff was 'gifted' early in our civic history. Great video Dr Kat and typical of what you do well. (Any chance of the Loss of Calais, now? Please, pretty please...) Thank you.

  • @kwells179
    @kwells179 Před 2 lety +12

    There seems to be some difficulty from Piers in "reading the room". I wonder if maybe there was some neurodivergence going on there as well as maybe a mutual infatuation

  • @rochelleoconnor6676
    @rochelleoconnor6676 Před 9 měsíci +1

    ❤ your videos!!!

  • @susanbellefeuille
    @susanbellefeuille Před 2 lety

    Loved this video, very interesting.

  • @neilkoch5481
    @neilkoch5481 Před 2 lety

    I really enjoyed this i hope we hear more about isabella she sounds so amazing.

  • @halfmiledrift3514
    @halfmiledrift3514 Před 2 lety

    Yes please for a video about Isabella. This one was as always interesting and informative.