First news: I've decided to set up another website about Edward II, because I'm sick to death of all the inaccurate, uninformed and downright invented crap spewed out about him in books and online, such as the recent book which says that Isabella was besieged in the Tower of London by the earl of Pembroke in 1321, and the recent blog post which confidently asserts that Edward confined Isabella to the Tower in 1324/25 - I mean, where do people get this stuff? I want to flood the internet with correct information about Edward II, and I am a Woman On A Mission. (And possibly deranged, given how much time I spend obsessing about people who lived 700 years ago, but hey, at least I'm passionate.)
Second, great news: a Bristol film company is making a film about Edward II escaping from Berkeley Castle! It's called Uncertain Proof and features Manuele Fieschi, an Italian priest who wrote to Edward III in about 1336/37 to tell him that his father had escaped from Berkeley, went to Corfe Castle and then Ireland, visited the Pope in Avignon and ended up in Italy. (The letter is historical, not the scriptwriter's invention - you can see it here.)
The film tells the story of Fieschi, who finds clues which suggest Edward was not murdered at Berkeley, and becomes obsessed with tracking down the former king in the mountains of Italy. Events of Edward's life, his love for his favourites, Hugh Despenser's execution and so on, appear in flashback. Wonderful news! There's a short article about the film here, and lots more information here (PDF file; scroll down to page 18).
Recent blog searches:
2 guys 1 horse aftermath The mind boggles.
Edward II is desperate to be loved
hugh despenser courtisan edward II
edward the confessor statics of revenue
edward 1st why did the welsh hate him so much? Well, you know, conquering their country, imposing alien laws on them, building castles everywhere...
plantagenet isabel rain queen Aha, now we know who to blame for the awful weather in England from 1314-1316.
what did piers gaveston look like? I wish I knew!
piers gaveston welsh
margaret audley beheaded
play lord edward's bed
old english torture devices hot pokers in anus
medieval torture anus hot poker
queen isabella of spain Husband hot poker
poker up the bottom edward II And about ninety million similar searches.
pirate entrails
EDWARD THE GREAT BLOGSPOT Let it be known that anyone who wants to call Edward II 'Edward the Great' is OK by me.
book about isabella of mar arranged marriage king robert about a girl who can remember put in a cage
where did queen isabella's mom give birth to her
cool edward names for a website
beds in the 1308 -youtube medieval
funny information on the medieval cog information
who was queen isabella's mather
did queen elizabeth and queen isabella have anything in common?
silver spoons with robed men on end
tudors reis joans
Edward II Hampshire contact details If anyone knows how to contact Edward II in Hampshire, or indeed anywhere else, let me know immediately.
Awesome news!
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to both! :-)
Looking forward to it! (And to the cool Edward name you pick for it.)
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful news. Edward is definitely not going to be murdered in my story of him. Another website? It shall be added to my bookmarks forthwith!!!! Well, at least once it's up and running ;)
ReplyDeleteOooops...responded under my son's account by mistake. PAG is so much more distinguished ;)
ReplyDeleteCan't have too many good history websites, sez I. Go for it!
ReplyDeleteThat film certainly looks promising (sez she with fingers crossed) - and bristol is just down the road from me too. Might be worth an e-mail.
ReplyDeleteAnd, as always, really great searches - I love the silver spoons with robed men on the end one - I have a few of those in my kitchen drawer too!
As for the new website - yes, I shall be looking into ways to make it look fantastic over the next month!
Great news re new Edward II site. Can't wait to see what you two dynamic women will come up with! My favourite search was the youtube medieval. Oh I wish there had been such a thing at the time. I am sure Edward would have been blogging whilst on the run after his escape. A blog to annoy Roger and Isabella called (with respect to Carmen Sandiego) "Where in the world is Edward II". Wonderful stuff.
ReplyDeleteThanks, all! I'm glad people think the website is a good idea, and that Lady D are I are dynamic, rather than bonkers. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou 2 certainly are dynamic! Good luck with the new website - keep spreading th truth!:) Great news on the tv programme as well!
ReplyDeleteLove the 'Piers Gaveston - welsh' search - and no, it wasn't me:)
Dynamic and bonkers maybe? Good luck with the new site.
ReplyDeleteThe film sounds great too although I was a bit downheartened to see mention of the red-hot poker. Although I suppose the premise is Fieschi showing that to be untrue.
Thanks, Anerje! As far as I can tell, it's going to be a dramatic film rather than a factual one. Wonder who thought Piers might be Welsh?? There's a thought!
ReplyDeletePaul: meh, OK, we can be both. ;) I think they're going to show the red-hot poker death (not in close-up, I hope - bleugh) then Fieschi finds out later that it wasn't Ed II at all.
A couple of episodes ago on "The Tudors" the scriptwriters actually brought out a red-hot poker and used it Edward II-style. Someone must have been reading his Marlowe.
ReplyDelete