- According to the Westminster chronicle Flores Historiarum, Edward II often broke his word, "forgetting in the morning what he had said in the evening." This is somewhat reminiscent of what the author of the Song of Lewes said about his father Edward I: that he was inconstant and unreliable, making promises but forgetting them.
- After the battle of Bannockburn in June 1314, a member of Edward's own household was arrested for speaking "irreverent and indecent words" against the king: Robert le Messager commented that nobody could expect the king to win a battle when he spent all his time idling, digging and ditching, when he should be hearing Mass.
- For their wedding in Boulogne on 25 January 1308, Isabella wore a red mantle lined with yellow sindon, over a gown and tunic in blue and gold; fifty years later, she would be buried with the mantle. Edward wore a satin surcoat and cloak embroidered with jewels, and both wore crowns glittering with precious stones.
- Edward's cousin King Fernando IV of Castile asked him in the autumn of 1311 to donate money for a crusade. Edward politely refused, informing Fernando that "he has been so engaged with the war in Scotland and other matters that he is unable to accede to this request."
- On 9 October 1325, Edward gave ten shillings to Jack the Trumpeter of Dover, who had bought forty-seven caged goldfinches for Edward to give to his niece Eleanor Despenser, and also paid his clerk Will of Dunstable to look after the birds until Eleanor took possession of them.
- At least four fourteenth-century chronicles claim that Edward bribed Pope Clement V in 1313 to appoint his (Edward's) friend Walter Reynolds, bishop of Worcester, as archbishop of Canterbury. The Flores and Vita Edwardi Secundi both say that "a large amount of gold and silver" passed between king and pope. Bridlington puts the amount at 32,000 marks, Meaux at a mere 1000 marks.
- In May 1317, Edward gave twenty ells of striped cloth to William de Horsham and three others for "singing before the king in his chamber," and two pounds to his violist Richard to help support his wife and children.
- Edward (without his queen, as Isabella was visiting France) spent the end of March and beginning of April 1314 at St Albans Abbey, and made an offering of a gold cross decorated with precious stones, which contained relics of St Alban. The St Albans chronicler 'Trokelowe' comments approvingly on his munificence to the abbey.
- The Scalacronica of the 1360s says that Edward "amused himself with ships, among mariners, and in other irregular occupation unworthy of his station, and scarcely concerned himself with other honour or profit, whereby he lost the affection of his people."
- No less a person than Pope John XXII condemned Edward's "childish frivolities."
- In the spring of 1317, the king asked Tupholme Abbey to take in a former servant of his and give him "sustenance in their house for term of life," but they replied "although they would gladly obey him in all things, their very small income is already heavily burdened with the charge of finding a chaplain to say mass for the soul of Sir Piers Gaveston, formerly earl of Cornwall." They humbly asked Edward to understand and forgive their "trespasses." Evidently Edward did, and sent his servant, Robert de Crouland, to Reading Abbey instead.
- In May 1317, Edward gave twenty ells of striped cloth to William de Horsham and three others for "singing before the king in his chamber," and two pounds to his violist Richard to help support his wife and children.
- Edward (without his queen, as Isabella was visiting France) spent the end of March and beginning of April 1314 at St Albans Abbey, and made an offering of a gold cross decorated with precious stones, which contained relics of St Alban. The St Albans chronicler 'Trokelowe' comments approvingly on his munificence to the abbey.
- The Scalacronica of the 1360s says that Edward "amused himself with ships, among mariners, and in other irregular occupation unworthy of his station, and scarcely concerned himself with other honour or profit, whereby he lost the affection of his people."
- No less a person than Pope John XXII condemned Edward's "childish frivolities."
- In the spring of 1317, the king asked Tupholme Abbey to take in a former servant of his and give him "sustenance in their house for term of life," but they replied "although they would gladly obey him in all things, their very small income is already heavily burdened with the charge of finding a chaplain to say mass for the soul of Sir Piers Gaveston, formerly earl of Cornwall." They humbly asked Edward to understand and forgive their "trespasses." Evidently Edward did, and sent his servant, Robert de Crouland, to Reading Abbey instead.
3 comments:
Thats our Eddie! :-D
And just to show that not all other english kings were taking their job so serious all the time either, duty of the tenant of the manor of Hemingstone, Suffolk, was to leap, whistle and fart every christmas day for the "King's amusement". Yes, not send a knight to a war or any other duty, but to whistle and fart for the king in christmas day. And this king was not our Edward but earlier one.
I do like mentions of Edward digging ditches and mixing with mariners - sounds a bit like Price Harry! Hmmm,I expect Tupholme Abbey was tring to screw a bot of money out of Edward!
'According to the Westminster chronicle Flores Historiarum, Edward II often broke his word, "forgetting in the morning what he had said in the evening." This is somewhat reminiscent of what the author of the Song of Lewes said about his father Edward I: that he was inconstant and unreliable, making promises but forgetting them'
Interesting; it's not often that Edward II is said to be like his father...
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