The indispensable Despensers
The rise of the indispensable Despensers
It was a greatly demoralised king who met with the parliaments of late 1314 and February 1315. The scale of the military defeat in Scotland strengthened the hands of the Ordainers, who demanded that the king dismiss the chancellor and other officials. The king’s power was being eroded and that of the Ordainers was increasing.
Edward II adorned in regal attire.
But in February 1315, Edward was tasked with the solemn duty of interring Gaveston. The bitter memories of his friend’s ignominious death flooding his grief-stricken mind and heart as he prepared for the final farewell.
The death of Piers Gaveston.
‘Oh Piers! Oh dear sweet Piers!
At your graveside, I will shed tears, bitter, sorrowful tears!’
The interment took place at King’s Langley in February 1315. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Walter Reynolds presiding over the solemnities. The tears ran down the king’s cheeks as Piers’ remains were lowered into their final resting place.
‘That happy day when you sprang from the womb!
And now you lie inside this cold, dank tomb!
But in my warm heart, for you Piers’, there will always be room!’
It was at this low point in what seemed to be the very abyss of his life, that his consort Queen Isabella came into her own. The Queen, an exceedingly beautiful woman possessed a will of iron and a great capacity for duplicity. As a faithful wife she encouraged Edward to resist what she regarded as unwarranted encroachment of royal authority by the Ordainers. Anyway in August 1316, Isabella bore Edward a second son, John, which pleased the king greatly.
In 1318 parliament appointed Hugh Despenser the younger, son of Hugh Despenser the elder, as the king’s Chamberlain. This was to have important ramifications for the remaining years of Edward’s reign. The position of Chamberlain was important because it gave Hugh Despenser the power to decide who would be allowed access to the king. Edward now became increasingly under the influence of Hugh the younger. The king, grateful for Hugh’s support, bestowed lands and honours upon the Despenser family. All of this caused great resentment amongst certain elements of the nobility and especially Thomas, Earl of Lancaster.
The coat of arms of Hugh Despenser the elder.
The king detested Lancaster for his role in the murder of Gaveston, and was determined to take revenge on his powerful kinsman. The tension between the king, supported by the Despensers and the Earl of Lancaster and his adherents, had reached boiling point. The Despensers revealed themselves to be incredibly greedy, persuading Edward to grant them more lands in their power base in the Welsh Marches. The Marcher Lords became increasingly anxious at this development. They feared that the Despensers might persuade the king to seize the lands of other Marcher Lords, and hand it over to this diabolical father and son double act.
In fact the anti-Despenser faction had an ally in the Queen who feared that Hugh the younger was becoming a Piers Gaveston Mark II. In an attempt to avoid history repeating itself, Isabella had implored her husband to exile the unsavoury pair.
‘Hugh the elder! Hugh the younger!
For the possessions of others, they both have an insatiable hunger!
Edward, my husband, you know what you have to do?
Get rid of both the two awful Hughs!
Because if you don’t, your throne you are bound to lose!
In July 1321, the Marcher Lords led by Lancaster, demanded that the Despensers be banished from the realm. Knowing that Lancaster had a large force at his disposal, Edward feared that he could be deposed if he were to deny this demand. The king reluctantly agreed and father and son were both duly exiled.
Little did anyone suspect but the scene was set for civil war!