Vengeful Facts About King Edward II, The Doomed Ruler
There have been some infamous kings throughout history, but I guarantee that no ruler caused as much balls-to-the-wall drama as King Edward II.
This problem child of the English throne grew into one of the shadiest, most vengeful, and unstable monarchs his country ever saw. And wow, did he ever pay the price for it.
1. He Was The Chosen One
People were mega excited about Edward’s birth—weirdly so. Even though Edward was only the fourth son of the famous King Edward Longshanks and his wife Eleanor, prophets of the time predicted that the boy would rise to become a just, powerful ruler akin to King Arthur. I’m here to tell you that this was definitely not the legacy Edward left.
2. He Had A Horrific Childhood
Although Edward supposedly lived a charmed life as a prince, his childhood was riddled with horrors. Not only did he barely get to know his mother Eleanor, who was away for most of his formative years and dead for the rest, three of his elder brothers had already passed before he even reached his first birthday. Well, that would mess up anyone.
3. He Was Stunningly Handsome
As Edward turned into an adolescent, he morphed into a strapping lad in the classic Plantagenet mode, the ancestral house of his father. He was tall, muscular, and good-looking, and took an avid interest in horses and dogs, particularly greyhounds. Yet for all these common medieval accomplishments, Edward had more controversial interests…
4. He Was An Eccentric
The young Prince Edward might have had good looks, but it soon became clear to everyone at court that he was quite the little eccentric. He didn’t care about hunting or falconry, he didn’t joust, and—gasp!
—he loved to hang out with the working classes, a pastime courtiers nearly fainted at. Yet as he got older, his singular tastes deepened.
