Edward II belonged to the Plantagenet Dynasty. Born in 1284, he ascended to the throne in 1307 and died in 1327. He was preceded as monarch by Edward I and was succeeded by Edward III.
Edward was born at Carnarvon, the son of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile. Succeeding to the throne in 1307, he was under the influence of others from the start. A Gascon knight named Piers Gaveston was the first favorite, but he was defeated and executed by the barons, led by the king's uncle Thomas of Lancaster. Until 1322, Lancaster wielded real power, but in that year he defeated the barons at Boroughbridge and executed Lancaster. The Parliament of York reestablished the authority of the king.
His queen Isabella made common cause with the exiled nobles, and having secured possession of the young Prince Edward, landed on the coast of Suffolk on Sept 24, 1326. The king fled but was captured, forced to resign the crown, and murdered.
