How Edward II's Private Life Nearly Cost The Throne | Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty | Chronicle

Dan Jones continues his compelling part-dramatised history of the Plantagenet dynasty with a look at the reign of Edward II. In a story of murder, intrigue, lust, betrayal and revenge, he explores what turned his queen, Isabella of France, from a loyal young wife into a bloodthirsty matriarch.
Welcome to Chronicle; your home for all things medieval history! With documentaries covering everything from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance, from Hastings to Charlemagne, we'll be exploring everything the Middle Ages have to offer.
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[@brittanysparks1906]

OMG a whole page dedicated to The Middle Ages! My journey down the rabbit hole commences😊

[@nikbear]

I know, but isn't it glorious? , like the history channel used to be before it turned crap! ⚔ 😉

[@ChronicleMedieval]

The journey has only just begun 😉

[@kbflorida888]

Yep, but it beats fly fishing…

[@g_g8537]

@@ChronicleMedieval it's not even your documentary stop stealing content.

[@karahershey]

me to

[@superwario2741]

These are fantastic. Dan Jones is great at narrating.

[@PerpetualAlfa]

Be sure to check out the sequel series “Britain’s Bloody Crown”

[@Angie2343]

Agreed!

[@antidoteforlife9460]

The production is superb, the reenactments are great. This is quality

[@ChronicleMedieval]

Stay tuned for more ⚔

[@tilesetter1953]

Give me a break, the music is F***ING horrible! What is it with that g.damned addiction in almost every "historical" video???? Stuff it.

[@KittyKat-xg4tx]

This is my favorite type of documentaries!

[@ChronicleMedieval]

More where that came from :)

[@sarahthomas7692]

Ah yes, Edward and Gaveston, those famous "friends."

[@MrShoryuken1]

Yes, not sure why they didn't explore their homosexual relationship further.

[@mangot589]

@420 rgb Where on earth did you hear THAT? Their stories have absolutely nothing in common lol.

[@silasmarner7586]

@@mangot589 W-w-w-whaaaat?? Didn't you know!!!????

[@mangot589]

@@silasmarner7586 I guess I’m out of the loop 🤣

[@caroledickerson5616]

Right. Wink wink.😃

[@mbgal7758]

I love Isabella, I’m sympathetic to her adultery. If I had been married to a man who was likely gay for over a decade and his lover took my children away I imagine if some sexy enemy of my husband popped up I would probably stray too. You don’t take a woman’s children and give them to your lover. I just wish she had done a better job at governing, would maybe have given women a bit more respect. She was definitely ruthless enough to be a Middle Ages monarch

[@michelleg7]

And the fact that she supported him even after he constantly humiliated her is something I can't say I was sorry she did. I think he was the worse king ever to rule England.

[@timhazeltine3256]

She was an absolutely incompetent ruler and no better than her husband in regard to bed hopping. Moreover, she was widely hated by the English leople.

[@mbgal7758]

@@timhazeltine3256 I never said she was good at ruling. I straight up said I wish she had been better at ruling. Her and Mortimer’s extravagance in a time when the treasury was still in shambles from Edward II was stupid. His “bed hopping” started long before hers and imo he pushed her beyond her limits when he seized her lands and her children to be raised by Despenser’s wife. The English people came to hate her but they were more than happy to hand the crown over to her, a foreign queen and her lover because Edward II was so hated.

[@barbaralamson7450]

Nothing quite like family. Excellent, thank you.

[@ChronicleMedieval]

Our pleasure!

[@courtneyst.julian8192]

These documentaries are riveting. The storytelling and plot lines are better than any work of fiction.

[@KittyKat-xg4tx]

Short Version: Huge Despenser disrespected the queen(The she wolf) and king Edward chose Despenser over her and their children after she risked her life multiple times through out their marriage for the king and her country, and then Despenser comes and takes her children away from her. He then uses the kids as leverage to make her do things he wants in his interest... She was sent back to France (her home country) to get the french to back up Edward in a war, and when she was gone for awhile Edward told her to come home she said no. But she wanted him to go there instead. The King and Despenser ended up sending the first born son of Edwards to france since the king or Despenser wouldnt go.. Once the son is in france with her, the queen said in front of the subjects of France that her husband(King Edward) was dead to her. She then became lovers with one of his enemies and raise an army against him. Britain welcomed the queen back and fought against Edward. So to get revenge on that same man that the king chose over her that caused her marriage, family and country to fall apart, she stood there at the top of the bridge walk way, watching Despenser getting the crap beat out of him, half way hung, his penis cut off and his intestines being pulled out, all while eating a plum with a smug look of happines on her face!

[@profitprophets1363]

Its so perfect what you wrote but because it is so perfect and detailed half way thru I cracked up laughing 🤣 thinking of you recalling this all from the clip and gifting us this summary. I love your work.

[@KittyKat-xg4tx]

@@profitprophets1363 thank you!! Its one of my favorite moments in history oddly lol

[@mish375]

Well let's be fair here: she was treated so ill and for a very long time that she would have snapped and wanted revenge. Especially after her children were taken away from her as blackmail. Plus she had the means to do it once her son was back. Such a bizarre note in human history, but honestly, kind of badass as well despite horrific execution.

[@LifeStrike2030]

The largest homophobic hatecrime ever

[@KittyKat-xg4tx]

@@LifeStrike2030 not necessarily, the king had lovers that were men through out his time but yet this is the only man she truely took out her anger on as he took her children and freedoms away and black mailed her. Its more of a karma thing than your sexual preference..

[@mnhunterjr]

Isabella is my new favorite… revenge is a dish best served cold…

[@ktom5262]

The young actress playing Isabella is lovely.

[@Malikin]

Its frightening how he is in the same room where a king was executed 800 years ago

[@gullwingstorm857]

Edward II wasn't much of a king though.

[@nicolawebb6025]

It's rather a nice place actually

[@makeupboss3568]

Gripping and riveting.. Middle Ages were a crazy time in England’s History. Not to mention a quite violent one, the things that Royals did to people were unfathomable .

[@peggysuejones4285]

I am really enjoying learning more about the Plantagenant dynasty. My father's paternal grandmother's line traces directly back to the Plantagenants while his maternal grandmother's line goes back to Robert the Bruce. Both sides fought each other at the Battle of Bannockburn.

[@courtneyvoiles5844]

Love this video and many of your others!

[@geoffreyeljefe4544]

Excellent work. Subscribed

[@ChronicleMedieval]

Welcome aboard!

[@cherylmacgregor5650]

I just discovered this channel. I’m reading the book by William Rosen, “The Third Horseman” which gives history of the time of Edward II. I thought I’d try to get some visuals to go along with my reading and tried KZbin. And here I am! Thanks very much for these videos. This time period interests me very much. Cheers from Florida!

[@flavio17021979]

Love it even so Tudors are mine favourite dynasty

[@cdc194]

"Buggered to death..." That's a new one.

[@ravenhines2799]

Actually, its a pretty old one.

[@lanaconin5704]

It sure is 😂💯

[@incanegrodelcampo9357]

Another materpiece With your help i Will increase my knowledge for good Knowledge IS power and with you ill be able to express myself with conviction on the grounds that your masterpiece IS a genuine and trustful testimony regards how the history was , and with so, understand the past and not repeat the same again and again You are 21th century heroes seeing that by watching your film you are telling us Believe in yourself and keep walking You are brillant BEST regards

[@frankmc5021]

This channel doesn't make this video's.

[@jrm1077]

Jeez, calm down.

[@Josway37]

Please tell me you're a bot designed to spew hyperbolic praise.

[@glorialange6446]

Excellent

[@danofyork]

Not sure why views not higher

[@jacksmythe2187]

It'a a re upload. Good documentary, but it's on quite a few channels already

[@davidhocde007]

There aren't any little cute cats, nor bodybuilders... History might not be fashionable enough...

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

A very superficial telling of the reign of Edward II and the death of Piers Gaveston. The death of Gaveston was much more interesting than given here. Edward II and Gaveston were at Knaresborough in January 1312 and were in Newcastle in May when Thomas of Lancaster force marched his men to the city, including the Earl of Pembroke, Henry Percy and Robert Clifford. The King and Gaveston barely escaped. They ended up in Scarborough and when the King left for York Lancaster placed his men between the two whilst the men under Pembroke, Percy, Clifford and Earl Warenne besieged Scarborough Castle. Gaveston surrendered and was taken to York, where negotiations with Edwatd II were to be conducted. Gaveston was be released on 1st August if negotiations with Edward II failed. He was then taken south to Oxfordshire, in Pembroke's custody to Deddington, where he was kidnapped by Thomas of Lancaster's men and taken to Warwick for his trial. Found guilty he was taken to the nearest piece if Lancaster's land and beheaded by 2 Welshmen. The kidnapping drove a wedge between Pembroke and Lancaster and made Pembroke the King's man. Much more interesting than the bland account given here. Hugh Despenser the Younger becomes a sea monster (ie a pirate) when he was banished. Lancaster was supposed to come to Badlesmere's aid but refuse because he didn't like Badlesmere. Lancaster was supposed to move to the Welsh Marches but did not, forcing the Mortimers (Roger of Chirk and his nephew Roger of Wigmore (the one that escaped from the Tower of London and allegedly became Queen Isabella's lover)) to surrender. One his escape from the Tower of London Roger of Wigmore fled to France, where he became the focal point of the resistance to Edward II, so much so that before Queen Isabella was allowed to go to France Roger and the other exiles had to be banished from France. The Mortimers claimed to be descended from the legendary King Arthur through Llewellyn the Great, his maternal grandfather. There was a legend that a son of the Mortimer house would one day be King of England. Thomas of Lancaster wasn't the King Arthur named in these letters. Thomas of Lancaster was captured the morning after the Battle of Boroughbridge. It took 3 blows to remove his head, he was dead after the 1st blow. The landings of Queen Isabella and Roger Moryimer of Wigmore was in the Orwell estuary, which us not known for white cliffs. They had come from Hainault with a small army, of about 4,000 men.

[@gullwingstorm857]

So where is your AMAZING video detailing it all?

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@gullwingstorm857 if you want 15+ hours then that can be arranged. But that would barely cover Puers Gaveston.

[@gullwingstorm857]

@@neiloflongbeck5705 No, that's fine. My comment was tongue-in-cheek. Gaveston got everything he deserved.

[@BeeIncarnate]

Edward & Gaveston were just friends like Bert & Ernie were just roommates

[@phillipstroll7385]

This just proves kings never really had any power at all.

[@StevenTorrey]

Marlow's play lends interesting insight to the knowledge of homosexuality, not only in Shakespeare's day but in Edward II's day as well.

[@pahanjayasooriya2513]

Sorry I'm late but I really enjoyed this

[@ChronicleMedieval]

Keep your eyes peeled for the last episode next week!

[@waynemarvin5661]

Story of your life, right? Being late.

[@pahanjayasooriya2513]

@@waynemarvin5661 shut up

[@petah-peoplefortheendlesst4668]

Here for Dan Jones

[@JonBlondell]

You have a new subscriber!

[@ChronicleMedieval]

Welcome aboard!

[@g_g8537]

Should sub to timeline history this channel just steals its content this documentary is couple years old

[@SaltRiverAmyJean]

Next time someone says to me, "You like history? But it's so boring." I'll just send them this video.

[@wonderbucket1242]

at 40:56 the executioner take his sword out from an invisible sheath. 😳

[@Malikin]

there's no sheath, he had just hooked his sword

[@Zoomer30_]

Real life Lannisters.

[@1952jodianne]

What a Family! By & large, our family get-togethers (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.) have always ended on less than a happy note; yet, I guess, through the generations, we have mellowed considerably. I'm a direct descendant of Henry II (big deal, so are about 100 million other North Americans) through his son John, grandson Henry III, & great-grandson Edmund, Earl of Lancaster & Leicester, father of Thomas of Lancaster. Nowadays, my little branch of the family are relatively lovey-dovey

[@davidhocde007]

Born in Angers like the Plantagenêt dinasty, worked in Fontevraud l'Abbaye, I can't help to think they turned bad after getting to Britain... Might be the climate.

[@lorirussell6679]

I enjoy these videos, but, the gaps keep me from fully enjoying them! Why was Richard and John, along with Edward Longshanks and others cut from this story? I am aware that there are other stand alone videos that feature them, but omitting them from the story of the Plantagenet dynasty really messes with the flow of the entire saga. I understand that it may just be me, but this is really bothersome!

[@PerpetualAlfa]

Renly Baratheon and Loras Tyrell

[@victorlui5955]

Hi Dan Jones. 😍❤🤘👊😊

[@AnnieVanAuken]

The executioner with the broadsword that we see twice sure looks like Tony Robinson!

[@amethyst5538]

So it wasn't just me?!

[@AnnieVanAuken]

@@amethyst5538 Alas, there's no actor list to verify this, not during closing credits or at IMDb.

[@kevinramsey417]

I have a cunning plan ...

[@AnnieVanAuken]

@@kevinramsey417 Praytell, Sire...

[@jenniferclark9842]

Edward II: Honey, can we talk about this?! Isabella: You had your chance, you blew it!

[@Nimrodbodeinejr]

Eddys “special “ friend

[@PSDuck216]

Why forget the padded/cloth coif under the maille coif? Very necessary. You’d pull your hair out in clumps taking it off, and alone, the maille without padding serves nearly no purpose. Hollywood and modern filmmaking seem to forget this salient piece of armor.

[@CASLUCASTON]

Handling those historic documents without gloves?...and nobody around to smack him behind the head!...

[@evcotter08]

Many archives allow this because gloves make you clumsy and clean hands don’t damage the documents. It’s a standard practice (for example at the university of Toronto’s rare book library)

[@LuvBorderCollies]

@@evcotter08 Cotton gloves are more abrasive than fingertips. Anyone who handles paper a lot get their fingerprints worn. You're right about clean hands. :)

[@juliovillarreal2504]

Politicians today need to judged similiarly to how they did in these days

[@angietyndall7337]

Traitors aren't tried or executed,not even in America anymore. Pathetic!!

[@Angie2343]

The actors playing Edward and adult Isabella make a great couple in real life.

[@mikenelson3338]

What a dark and strange time for humans.

[@the_rachel_sam]

I agree, but what about the Middle Ages? :P

[@joellaz9836]

@@the_rachel_sam Those were great times.

[@jvillanueva7707]

Apologies, your Majesty, but we are sold out of hot dogs. Perhaps a plum?

[@tubedweeb]

It’s difficult to separate fact from folklore with events that happened so long ago so we’ll probably never know the whole truth. However, I think it’s absurd to claim that Edward’s sexual orientation would have made no difference. Particularly if the charge was used to discredit him. It could be that he was truly in love and because he was apparently unwilling to hide his feelings and pretend the role the English and French nobles and the Church were against him from the start. Historians most often place the blame on King Edward and his relationship with Piers Gaveston but this could be an example of viewing historical events through “straight eyes.” What role did the machinations of the nobles and the Church, and later Queen Margaret, have on Edward’s ability to lead? Was his relationship with Gaveston merely used as a pretense for a power grab? And how much can we trust the documents from his day and subsequent years to give us a honest account of what really happened?

[@garyolsen3409]

you know more than I do. how do you trust any history?

[@jeffreymontgomery4091]

Wow, it will perhaps never cease to amaze me; the absolute inhumanity mankind has, is, and shall inflict upon our own kind... Brutal were those days, Brutal are these days, and Brutal shall be the days to come forever more. It seems to be written into our genetic code. Is it that the methods vary, or could it be society's view about the many methods of brutality that give the "illusion" of what degree we perceive and thus judge brutality by?

[@underworldblu]

Now, this is true reality TV. And this story is better than anything scripted. By the way, Dan Jones never changes clothes. Creepy. LOL

[@ob8620]

Did they speak French in medieval England?

[@kaloarepo288]

Edward II is reckoned to have been an effete and ineffectual king -dare I say it -a gay king -yet his son Edward III was one of the most effective and "manly" kings England ever had -quite a conundrum that one!

[@janejones5362]

Edward III had a strong mother.

[@margauxmurray8761]

Ungloved fingers and hands on historical scrolls

[@gullwingstorm857]

The staff clearly didn't give him any - which means they weren't concerned.

[@May-vf4mh]

Sometimes gloves can actually do more damage to historical documents.

[@olschoolTonyCarter]

Despenser's death was worse than a Mortal Kombat fatality 😆

[@Lucky_Chase]

Those Plantagenet kids...

[@palanthis]

The lesson - Never piss off a beautiful woman. They have far more influence than you realise.

[@marie-franceperrier6542]

What about the daughter nothing mentioned about her

[@loganmpe7559]

Isabella & Mortimer rode through the shire and supporters joined them .... Hobbits?

[@bryanguzik]

Forget measuring against other rulers, the guy seems oblivious to human nature. Almost transcending selfishness for genuine ignorance. If not for the misery his power allows you might feel sorry for him.

[@trentshaffer1362]

People were really fucked up to see this as entertainment.

[@jomon723]

This just don't make sense in some areas

[@catherinejohnson1354]

Don't these kings learn from their predecessors?

[@janejones5362]

Human nature being what it is...

[@francespowell6923]

I know that the Plantaganets were supposed to be impressive, but they legit seem to only throw out one decent one every few generations.

[@jean-louispirottin4144]

La langue française était la langue usitée par la noblesse franco-normande régnant en Angleterre !

[@jonathanturek5846]

Parlet vous francais ? Je jour au futbol

[@jonathanturek5846]

Aloha from Hawaii all the way around the globe !

[@2msvalkyrie529]

Je suis un rock star...!

[@Kevan808]

Friend with benefits.

[@janeeire2439]

12:25 25:15 28:11

[@Roseland8]

They were bummers

[@alleynealisleem9777]

💯🤣

[@BakerStreetSeries]

Gal pals!

[@waynemarvin5661]

I think this is an egregious over-simplification.

[@ktom5262]

How so?

[@Meow_Zedong_1949]

No crap, you have to condense a nearly 20 year reign into an hour long documentary with ads at three intervals within that hour.

[@Chloe-yp7gn]

Are we really not gonna talk about the fact that he was blatantly madly in love with him?

[@chris7921]

Yeah, I think that’s made pretty clear in the documentary

[@LifeStrike2030]

This is how historians express their homophobia. They refuse to acknowledge queerness and actively reduce the truth in their language

[@SGuyer1989]

And they were roommates

[@kierandrakos6024]

Clearly they was lovers

[@tonylam9548]

Maybe this king was the most brutal and treacherous in British history, but I bet you there were several Chinese emperors that will match or exceed that, and they have absolute power. They either were all powerful or they get defeated, none of them ever signed a document that clamped down on their powers. There is still effectively an emperor now, today, except he is not as powerful as before, he cannot dictate his son to succeed him, he changed his title to something more politically savvy, he must have at least 20, beginning with the Chairman of the Com party, What he says quietly will be quickly done, no one dare to argue with him. You can look at him now without permission but he cannot have you killed on the spot if you piss him off, you just disappear, or be in jail with some charges.

[@robertlukacs4954]

I would argue that King John was worse than Edward II. And when it comes to sheer brutality, I don’t think that Edward II was nearly as bad as most English kings.

[@dy9278]

Dear Lord. Let me not judge lest I be judged.

[@ruthalber4658]

Why can't you say dynasty not dynasty makes more sense

[@gullwingstorm857]

Edward and Gaveston got what they both deserved.

[@skydivingcomrade1648]

No I think it's justice not murder.

[@thomashernandez8700]

1308-speaking French in court?

[@robertlukacs4954]

Costumes in this are terrible, but amazing documentary and very informative.

[@alegnalowe3679]

Just a friend my ass!

[@sandraswannell4170]

Pretty bloody stupid that Plantaganet mob, yeah?

[@Katholikos78]

Lawd. I'm a descendant of both Edward 2nd and her (Edward the 3rd). 😩🤦‍♂️

[@culturecoroner]

So are probably most of us. It’s not rare.

[@davidwright7193]

Well you are a descendant of Isabell of France at least.

[@AnxiousJeff]

No TV and no internet in those days. But no problem! People could go see a guy's entrails pulled out. I wonder if popcorn was available at that time.

[@nefelh83]

Why do the actors speak in French?

[@catherineadair9078]

It was the language spoken by nobles at the time.

[@jonathanturek5846]

Atleast gaveston has a town named afrer him in Texas

[@kimberlywhalen8564]

I am a decent of these people wow I always knew I came from a rough crowd lol

[@ember-brandt]

It's taking me out of the drama so *hard* that Edward II was not portrayed here with his accurate shoulder-length blonde hair - buuuuuuuut I did really enjoy the overall presentation and dramatization, and thank you so much for clarifying at the very end there that the red hot poker anus torture was far more likely homophobic propaganda. I was really afraid you were going to pass that off as the actual event for a while there.

[@johncole4882]

Why are they speaking french?

[@johncole4882]

@@underwaterlaser1687 was it Norman conquest? I didn't realize that it changed the language. Was it just the kings and nobleman or was it the whole country? When did it switch back to English?

[@jean-louispirottin4144]

Underwater Laser .l'Anglais moderne est une langue créole, germanique par son vocabulaire de base et sa grammaire, hérités du vieil Anglais , et latine par son enrichissement en vocabulaire français et latin ( sans passer alors par le Français) ! Please = plaise , coward = couard , table = table , royal = royal , rich = riche , pour = pauvre , etc

[@LuvBorderCollies]

@@jean-louispirottin4144 I did not realize how many French words are in "English" until I got a French-English dictionary years ago. Wow!! was my reaction.

[@amethyst5538]

It was the court language.

[@jean-louispirottin4144]

Amethyst Blackstone oui, vous avez raison : la langue des conquérants franco-normands constituant la noblesse, la chevalerie et la cour !

[@erikalulea3608]

12 year old,,,, interesting. So do not want to hear a English hater of Islam go on about Aisha, At least she was 16-18 years old. :)

[@randykirkland3927]

Dress them anyway you want …… this is still a Timewatch rehash……..

[@bluebomb2478]

what if he was like, gay doe

[@bluebomb2478]

ok nvm they said possibly

[@alexhatfield4448]

So were they gay or is this just us viewing history through a modern lense like Alexander? (Who was not gay)

[@davidwright7193]

They were gay. There are contemporary sources that aren’t as euphemistic as the court records. Then there is the legend of Edwards killing which replicates the supposed punishment for sodomy in hell, whoever wrote that thought Edward was gay. There is also a Robin Hood Ballard that refers to Edward as Edward the comely. You do have to avoid Victorian sources or sources edited by Victorians who were trying to whitewash out any hint of homosexuality even from classical texts.

[@Immopimmo]

Those costumes are terrible! This documentary would've been better off without the actors because the props and costumes are so bad.

[@Nimrodbodeinejr]

Yeah they are barbaric compared to how extravagant the real clothes the royals wore back then even in 1100

[@johnny196775]

Your rendition of Edward's death is a myth that is largely discredited in academic circles. This is just worthless.

[@Tkb135]

You didn’t watch did you lol

[@cheriefoley7434]

He said as much in the video. You either didn't watch it all or missed that part.

[@johnny196775]

@@cheriefoley7434 What happened was that I became contemptuous of the author bringing up that particular story as there are many false stories told about many monarchs - but this one was mentioned... I take this as looking for clicks in a disgusting way. So I didn't watch it at all.

[@MrJking065]

Documents and DNA have proven I am from The Kings of the Plantagenets Dynasty. If these stories are true. Than my forefathers were real idiots.

[@justdeeznuts]

Dirty Ed and the boys gonna be putting some D's in some A's

[@sylvainfilion3822]

Edwards 2.0=Joe Biden!!!!

[@PeacockRhino]

I think he’s more similar to Henry VI who was a senile incompetent that lost a war and kept the kingdom implode!

[@skylarkportraitstudio]

Quiet down children.

[@vishal7arora]

Simple fact that changes how you represent Edward II unlike this video: History was written by powerful homophobic people.

[@janejones5362]

If everyone was gay, YOU would not exist. You may stand down now.

[@jomon723]

Wow...Kind of like Joe Biden