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

[@jaycorwin1625]

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

[@lvmyfam11]

Welcome to the Medieval world!

[@jfs59nj]

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]

Are you British? This comment is so British haha 💜

[@ladysiam3024]

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

[@robertdudley4017]

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]

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

[@ffotograffydd]

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

[@eluap71]

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]

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

[@--enyo--]

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

[@eluap71]

@@serendpity3478 Very telling, indeed!

[@allangibson2408]

He was called back by Edward II…

[@elenaderoet4926]

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

[@avalonseer]

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]

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]

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

[@kateh2007]

@@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]

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

[@EmoBearRights]

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

[@nikkibaugher2427]

We need to start a Dr Kat "Fan Club"

[@cplmpcocptcl6306]

I second this.👍🏻

[@_i_am_unceded]

So it is spoken, So it shall be done.

[@jfs59nj]

Absolutely!

[@johnguglielmini6658]

love her

[@conemadam]

Yessss!!!

[@vdimasteremeritus]

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]

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]

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.

[@vdimasteremeritus]

@@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]

@@vdimasteremeritus 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]

@@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.

[@charlotte-mg9wj]

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.

[@lesliemcelveen8318]

Lllllll lol llll

[@jasminak7342]

I think you're thinking of Richard II! I also made the mistake of remembering the rumor as being about Edward II, but when I went back to double check it was Richard.

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

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]

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

[@historybuff7491]

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]

That kind of behavior and thought still happens today

[@michaelbaughman4017]

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

[@kweejibodali7009]

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 ...!

[@prettypic444]

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]

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

[@danielasarmiento30]

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

[@Dreymasmith]

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]

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

[@WhiteCamry]

@@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.

[@OhSkyeLanta]

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.

[@jeanetteflood5959]

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]

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

[@CashelOConnolly]

You can’t clean up history because of peoples sensibilities

[@direfranchement]

Edward did not have a gruesome end. The hot poker story is just a myth that was propagated after his death. A way to explain a death that left no obvious external explanation. He was likely smothered or drowned.

[@melenatorr]

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]

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

[@melenatorr]

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

[@bajubner]

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

[@Laramaria2]

She was remarkable!

[@kelly-annejenner486]

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]

@@kelly-annejenner486 there was a series of documentaries here on KZbin 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]

@@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]

@@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.

[@charlotteillustration5778]

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

[@annmorris2585]

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

[@BevMargaret]

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]

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]

@@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]

@@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]

@@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. :)

[@theodosiasnudpuckle7372]

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

[@leonieromanes7265]

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.

[@mickeykolody7773]

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]

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]

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.

[@MrMarcelWiel]

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]

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

[@ingridgeertsema4302]

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

[@kathleenkaar6557]

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

[@mac7406]

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

[@svargyle]

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.

[@itsmainelyyou5541]

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.

[@lpcherry2324]

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

[@margaretschembridalli5218]

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.

[@Tsumami__]

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

[@kathyastrom1315]

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.

[@BTScriviner]

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

[@barbarak2836]

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

[@naurrr]

agreed!! this is fascinating and underrated

[@theaxe6198]

Queen Isabella was amazing

[@kelleysmith7345]

I love this particular medieval drama!

[@sheilatruax6172]

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

[@deniecezinnecker9630]

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

[@ffotograffydd]

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.

[@ellybelly5876]

Yes please to a follow up video on Isabella!

[@jared1870]

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.

[@revade6698]

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. 👍😁

[@heckofabecca]

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

[@Sistererica]

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!

[@camilledvorak7151]

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.

[@ffotograffydd]

As is always the way!

[@elizabethbower2168]

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]

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.)

[@siegfried923]

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.

[@jamest2401]

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.)

[@obcl8569]

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)

[@scribetoscholar656]

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!

[@foxenandfamily5060]

Gosh, but that was a good story! I love that Queen Isabella got her revenge on her husband. Either she had some natural pluck, or else someone taught her very well when she was a child, because I remember myself as a teenaged girl, not even knowing which end was up, let alone how to do all the things this superwoman did. I wish I'd known about her when I was a child; I would have made her my own role model!

[@craigrm74]

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]

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

[@viviancollick1721]

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]

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]

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.

[@stephenparker4083]

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.

[@annmhenson]

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]

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.

[@CashelOConnolly]

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

[@SyntaxError83]

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

[@GrainneDhu]

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.

[@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

[@kaybrown4010]

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

[@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

[@itsaDean]

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

[@beverlyfletcher4458]

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.

[@maxiner4349]

Great choice today, thank you xx

[@enitar8290]

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

[@MennaWilliams-xv2xf]

Thankyou. Good to learn about a less well known period of history. Keen to learn more.

[@Liutgard]

I did some work on Isabella, and I could find no mention of her being called the 'she- work' in any contemporary documents, etc. This not to say that it didn't happen- just that I couldn't find it. The first time I found her called that was in Marlowe's play on Edward II. The way Marlowe wrote Isabella, as well as calling her the 'She-Wolf of France', Suggests to me an agenda, not necessarily a sense of historical accuracy.

[@moeshe3746]

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.

[@ElliotOracle]

Dr. Kat… You are simply the best.

[@dianadeedy1025]

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

[@kweejibodali7009]

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 !

[@ladysiam3024]

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!

[@tricivenola8164]

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.

[@thomasllewelynjones5546]

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.

[@janiced9960]

Brilliant. Can't think of anything left out.

[@kwells179]

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

[@itsmainelyyou5541]

@nimbleneedle Yes.

[@Julie31168]

That was so interesting, thank you.

[@Rpboc]

❤ your videos!!!

[@chrismurray2237]

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

[@ninamolina1944]

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!

[@KatTheScribe]

Yes, please, to video on Edward II & Isabella! I am not sure what makes me feel this way, but I think the younger Despenser was planted, in order to help the family gain favoritism over others. Blew up in their faces, that's for sure. Thanks Dr. Kat! See you next week.

[@kamillavalter]

He was definitely planted, it’s a known fact that the barons in opposition to Edward II forced him to make Hugh his Chancellor. What they didn’t expect was Hugh becoming a new great favorite and starting to grab everything he could reach.

[@cassiemontgomery45]

Thank you for this video. Many historical monarch videos are usually about Henry VIII and it's nice to see a video about a monarch from another dynasty. As much as I enjoy listening to historical documentaries, I'm glad I wasn't around back then!

[@shelbythe2ds526]

Great video. Enjoyed it very much. Thank you 😊

[@Lizzie-ve7kt]

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.

[@jeffbrinkerhoff5121]

Wonderful presentation, please keep these stories coming.

[@donnacarlin236]

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

[@philonutube100]

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

[@Kamila_Koziol]

I've finally gotten a historical background to the story in The Accursed Kings. It was a very popular series here in Poland among history aficionados (popular on a similar level to Graves' I Claudius, I'd suppose), probably because of a TV show. I don't know if it was popular in England.

[@lornaperryman489]

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

[@angelasuezanne1736]

Very interesting story/video👍🏻❤️Would like to know more about Isabella.

[@jardon8636]

great professor, dr kat.... fab presentation as always, maybe the she wolf of france should be in detail too....

[@mikkiduf]

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

[@laurenjeangreenbean6301]

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

[@4supernatural]

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

[@ingridgeertsema4302]

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

[@williamsmith5549]

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

[@hazels7447]

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

[@KellyfromMemphisDD214]

Love your story telling Dr. Kat!!! 🤗

[@Amc933]

Wonderful. Love this story. Many thanks!

[@halfmiledrift3514]

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

[@mellie4174]

So yes please to a video on Isabella and Edward and a miniseries on the she wolves of england :) i have a great book that says that the medival period was not as repressive to women as we think and that women had a lot of power in many areas. I'd love to see videos about powerful women from this period

[@michellederus3655]

This was excellent! Thank you!

[@jannarkiewicz633]

This turned on as I was going to sleep. I'm a first timer. I made sure to restart so I could hear it. My current area of study (William I to Elizabeth I), Shouldn't you use Despensed not Despenser?

[@johnnyresistance]

Thank you for this video, very interesting! I've recently discovered Hugh Despencer the elder is my 23rd great grandfather via his son Phillip.