King Edward II & Piers Gaveston

King Edward II & Piers Gaveston

King Edward II and his favourite, closest political and emotional ally, Piers Gaveston, are often thought to have been lovers.

The truth to their relationship will most likely never be known for sure.

Medieval chroniclers didn’t record what happened between the two men behind closed doors.

The chroniclers did comment on the exceptional closeness of the relationship.
They recorded the strength of Edward’s love for Gaveston, when they first met in about 1297.

Their love is often described at the time in fraternal terms, and they may have entered into a bond as ‘wed brothers’ or a ‘Bond of Brotherhood’.

In these times, it was a rite of passage for monarchs to keep mistresses, alongside their ever faithful wives.

While queens were expected to stay faithful or virginal, kings were expected to appoint a royal mistress, to the point that the role of maîtresse-en-titre was an important position at court.

The maîtresse-en-titre was expected to be educated, aristocratic and above all, female.

When King Edward II tried to treat his male ‘friends in the same way as female mistresses, there was a lot of resistance.

Edward never had a female mistress, and even at his wedding banquet the King is said to have given more attention to Gaveston than to his new Queen, Isabella of France.

Piers Gaveston first appears in the then Prince Edward’s household accounts in 1300, when Edward was 15 and Gaveston not much older.

By 1306, Edward’s father, the ageing King Edward I had banished Gaveston to France.

Devastated to be apart from his favourite, Edward lavished Gaveston with gifts and accompanied him to Dover to see him off.
Quite why the King wanted to separate his son from Gaveston is unclear.

As soon as Edward Longshanks died in 1307, Gaveston was reunited with Edward.
The ‘Trokelowe’s chronicle’ notes that the King ran to Gaveston, showering him in kisses.

The new king promptly made Gaveston Earl of Cornwall.

Gaveston stayed close to the King, even after Edward married Isabella of France.

After Edward and Isabella had a child, the future Edward III, the court and barons insisted that Gaveston be exiled from all royal lands.

Edward II eventually conceded and Gaveston fled to France.

However, the pair were not separated for long.
When Edward II allowed Gaveston to return to England, the northern earls attacked.

This forced the king, Gaveston and a heavily pregnant Isabella to flee the city.

Gaveston was eventually captured, and eXecuted as a traitor in 1312.

Edward II was said to be distraught, and swore revenge on those who had killed Gaveston.

However, a war in Scotland soon distracted the king and he moved on….eventually finding a replacement lover in 1318, when Hugh Despenser arrived at court.

🖤 The painting ‘Edward II and his Favourite, Piers Gaveston’ c.1872.
By Marcus Stone.