I was in the small town of Neath in South Wales the other day, admiring castle ruins and thinking about Edward II.
History is written by those who survive, and Edward II hasn't fared too well.
In my mind he is always "the Gay King", so I feel some sort of affection for him just on that basis, but the story is a little more complicated than that.
Edward was born in 1284, became King of England in 1307 (the sixth in the Norman-French Plantagenet line) and reigned until he was deposed and killed in 1327 by his wife Isabella in 1327. He was 43 at the time of his death.
While his homosexuality seems to be confirmed by numerous sources, Edward did father at least five children.
There appear to have been two key male lovers in his live - first Piers Gaveston, a knight from Gascony; and later Hugh Despenser, an English lord.
Compared to the strong reigns of his father Edward I and his son Edward III, the reign of Edward II is generally considered to have been a disastrous period in England's history - most notable for the defeat of his army at Bannockburn which ended English control over Scotland.
Edward's connections with Wales began with his birth at Caernarfon Castle, he was the first English prince to hold the title of Prince of Wales.
At that time marriages were an important and strategic business, and in a move to bolster alliances with France, in 1308 Edward married Isabella - the daughter of King Philip IV.
While Edward secured the alliance with France, he appointed his lover Gaveston as regent - a key position of power within the English court. Gaveston's elevation caused resentment within England's powerful barons and they secured his banishment in 1311 and in 1312 Gaveston was captured by the Earl of Warwick and killed. Edward was devastated by the death of his lover.
Hugh Despenser was Edward's nephew-by-marriage, and after the death of Gaveston, Edward favoured Despenser with titles and privileges - again angering the powerful barons and earls, and in the early 1320s England's court became embroiled in political intrigues and shifting alliances as various factions sought to build their power and control.
Around this time a dispute developed between France and England over the territory of Gascony. Edward sent his wife Isabella to France to negotiate peace terms. As part of the peace negotiations, Edward sent his eldest son to pay homage to the French king Charles - Isabella's brother. This proved to be a tactical blunder as Isabella, with her son now beside her, refused to return to England.
Isabella's next move was to join forces with Roger Mortimer and in September 1326 their combined forces invaded England with the aim of removing Edward from the throne.
Isabella's invasion quickly gathered momentum and support and Edward and Despenser were left isolated, abandoning London in October 1326 and heading to South Wales which was the stronghold of Despenser.
One of the castles where it's believed that Edward and Despenser took refuge was Neath. Originally established by Robert, the Norman Earl of Gloucester, some time between 1114 and 1130, today Neath's castle stands as ruins in the centre of town. It was reportedly destroyed during Isabella's pursuit of Edward, although was probably rebuilt and destroyed numerous times since then also.
Having failed to raise an army or any sort of defence, on 16th November Edward and Despenser were captured - most likely as they were traveling from Neath to Caerphilly.
Despenser was brutally executed on 24th November of that year. Executions at that time were often public affairs however Despenser's demise seems to have been elevated to a public spectacle. He was dragged from his horse, biblical verses were scrawled on his skin, he was condemned to hang as a thief, to be castrated, to be drawn and quartered as a traitor, and his body parts to be dispersed throughout England.
Edward was imprisoned in Kenilworth Castle. In January of 1327 he was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, Edward III, who was 14 at the time and controlled by Isabella and her ally Mortimer.
While he remained alive, Edward II remained a potential risk to the rule of Isabella. On 11th October 1327 Edward was murdered at Berkeley Castle near Gloucester and buried in the Gloucester Cathedral.
While contemporary chroniclers suggest that Edward was suffocated or strangled, the popular version of events is that he was killed by being impaled by a red hot poker shoved up his anus - while a graphic and horrific way to end a King's life, it's likely that this is anti-Edward propaganda playing on his sexuality.
I stood in the small town of Neath, admiring castle ruins and thinking about Edward II.