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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,320 DAN JONES: Out of the chaos, darkness, and violence 2 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,400 of the Middle Ages, 3 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:21,840 one family rose to seize control of England. 4 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:24,600 [Shouting] 5 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:28,320 Generation after generation, 6 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:32,160 they ruled the country for more than 300 years, 7 00:00:32,160 --> 00:00:37,720 ruthlessly crushing all competition, 8 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,720 to become the greatest English dynasty 9 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,560 of all time. 10 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:45,960 The Plantagenets. 11 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:49,000 [Shouting] 12 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:50,240 What I love about 13 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:51,560 the Plantagenets' story 14 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:53,200 is that it's more shocking, 15 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:54,400 more brutal, 16 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:55,760 and more astonishing 17 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:57,880 than anything you'll find in fiction. 18 00:00:57,880 --> 00:00:59,440 I want to show you the Plantagenets 19 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:00,880 as I see them -- 20 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,960 real living, breathing people, 21 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,360 driven by ambition, jealousy, 22 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:08,840 hatred, and revenge. 23 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,480 These kings murdered, betrayed, and tyrannized their way 24 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:14,760 to spectacular success. 25 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:16,400 For better and for worse, 26 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,360 the Plantagenets forged England as a nation. 27 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:22,880 This time, Edward II was the king 28 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:26,720 most famous for the story of his agonizing death. 29 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:31,800 But the story of his life is even more extraordinary, 30 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,440 one of obsession, bloodlust, political savagery, 31 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:38,480 and above all, revenge. 32 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:40,880 [Screams] 33 00:02:24,640 --> 00:02:28,080 July 11, 1307. 34 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,680 Prince Edward, the 20-year-old heir to the throne, 35 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:33,840 is near London as word of his father's death 36 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:35,800 races south to meet him. 37 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:39,520 [Speaking French] 38 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:54,280 This is the news that Prince Edward 39 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:56,400 has been waiting for all his life, 40 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:58,480 so the very first thing you'd expect him to do 41 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:00,920 is to saddle up, ride north, 42 00:03:00,920 --> 00:03:02,960 claim his birthright, and save his country. 43 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:04,600 But he doesn't. 44 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,400 In fact, the first thing he does 45 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:09,960 is to issue orders for the recall 46 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,160 of the most divisive man in the kingdom. 47 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:38,160 Piers Gaveston, Edward's best friend 48 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,840 and one of the finest knights around. 49 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:42,960 But he's been banished to France by the old king 50 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:44,200 for being a bad influence 51 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,160 on the prince. 52 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,400 Gaveston's insufferable arrogance 53 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,840 and his hold over Edward mean he is hated 54 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:53,640 by every noble in the land. 55 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,920 Gaveston doesn't have much time for them, either. 56 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:02,440 He's famous for making up rude nicknames for them. 57 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,560 He calls one "whoreson," another "burst-belly," 58 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:07,520 and a third "the black dog." 59 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:11,200 And of course that just makes them hate him even more. 60 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,560 Gaveston's return will clearly be nothing but trouble, 61 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:18,840 but Edward can't see it. 62 00:04:18,840 --> 00:04:21,200 All he cares about is getting his mate back. 63 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:22,840 Allez. 64 00:04:22,840 --> 00:04:27,160 Edward is the sort of guy who can only see one step ahead. 65 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,160 He wants what he wants now, 66 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,600 no matter what the cost. 67 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:34,800 He's utterly incapable of seeing 68 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,200 that all his actions have consequences -- 69 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,160 most of them bad ones. 70 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,680 This blindness will ultimately lead 71 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,840 both Edward and his kingdom to ruin. 72 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,160 And disaster looms right from the start. 73 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:02,880 Edward marries 12-year-old Isabella, 74 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,000 daughter of the king of France, a match designed 75 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:11,120 to shore up relations with the kingdom's biggest enemy. 76 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:16,440 Their joint coronation should be a moment of triumph and unity, 77 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,200 but it isn't. 78 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,920 This is the Great Hall at the Palace of Westminster, 79 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,600 where Edward and Isabella's coronation feast takes place. 80 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:30,200 There's lavish decorations, 81 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:32,200 fountains flowing with wine, 82 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:33,880 but there's one problem -- 83 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,200 this looks less like a coronation feast 84 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:37,680 for Edward and his queen 85 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:41,200 and more like a party for Edward and Gaveston. 86 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:47,440 Edward and Isabella's coats of arms should be on the walls. 87 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,640 Instead, it's Edward and Gaveston's. 88 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:55,320 Worse, Gaveston swans around in imperial purple, 89 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,160 a color only kings should wear. 90 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:00,480 Worse still, the king and his friend 91 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,800 talk to no one but each other throughout. 92 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,240 Isabella is stoic, 93 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:11,440 but the rest of the French nobles 94 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,160 are so incensed they storm out. 95 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,680 With them goes all the good will 96 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:21,320 the marriage was designed to create. 97 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,760 The English nobles are hacked off, too, 98 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,360 not least Edward's cousin, Thomas of Lancaster, 99 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,720 the most powerful earl in England. 100 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,480 Lancaster hates Gaveston, 101 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:37,440 and to him, the whole event is an outrage. 102 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:44,880 It's proof Edward can't see past his obsession with his friend 103 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,360 to the far more important job of being king. 104 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,480 And if Edward can't see it, 105 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:53,040 then Lancaster is going to make him see it. 106 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,560 Just three months later, 107 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:08,280 at Edward's first parliament, Lancaster 108 00:07:08,280 --> 00:07:11,360 and a group of other leading nobles turn up armed. 109 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:13,600 [Speaking French] 110 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:17,600 Their message to Edward is simple -- 111 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,520 Gaveston must go. 112 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:24,000 Edward responds by accusing them of treachery. 113 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,200 He gets a chilling reply. 114 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:35,720 It's an explicit threat. 115 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:37,320 "If you don't get rid 116 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:39,160 of him, we'll get rid of you." 117 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:40,640 [Speaking French] 118 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:45,000 But whatever Lancaster threatens him with, 119 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,840 on Gaveston Edward won't budge. 120 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:54,360 And Lancaster can't make him... yet. 121 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,160 But the battle lines have been drawn. 122 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,880 The bitter hatred between Edward and his cousin 123 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:04,680 and this fight over Gaveston 124 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:07,560 will define the whole future of the kingdom. 125 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,000 And bloody murder will now stalk England 126 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,080 for the rest of Edward's reign. 127 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:45,720 With Gaveston's help, Edward has very quickly 128 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:47,560 run the country into the ground. 129 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,720 The finances, security, 130 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:56,680 and political stability have all gone to the dogs. 131 00:08:56,680 --> 00:09:01,000 By 1310, Lancaster's patience is exhausted. 132 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:05,000 He comes up with a plan to tear Edward and Gaveston apart. 133 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:12,520 Lancaster has been conducting a whispering campaign 134 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:16,000 against the king, using popular hatred of Gaveston 135 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,080 to help sell his case. 136 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:20,160 He claims that Gaveston has been lining his pockets 137 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:21,840 at the king's expense. 138 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,040 Now, annoying as Gaveston is, that's probably 139 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:25,920 one of the few things he hasn't been doing. 140 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:27,880 But the mud sticks. 141 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:32,040 And by February 1310, Lancaster has a committed group of nobles 142 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,360 ready to stand up to the king. 143 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,160 And that allows him to do something extraordinary. 144 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,840 And the evidence exists here 145 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,960 in the National Archives. 146 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,040 He's going to crush Edward 147 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:49,240 and destroy Gaveston at the same time. 148 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:51,040 These are the Ordinances -- 149 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:53,920 41 articles which Lancaster claims will bring 150 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:56,360 stability and reform to the kingdom. 151 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:58,760 Sounds great, but taken as a whole, 152 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:01,520 they actually do something very different. 153 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:06,000 They strip Edward of pretty much all his powers as king. 154 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:09,480 It's an unprecedented attack. 155 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:12,480 The Ordinances take away the king's right 156 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:15,680 to impose taxation, raise armies, dispense justice, 157 00:10:15,680 --> 00:10:17,480 and make law. 158 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:21,880 All these rights will now rest with the nobles. 159 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,280 And Lancaster will be far more powerful than the king. 160 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:30,120 But even that's not enough for Lancaster, 161 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:31,880 because this is personal, 162 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:34,160 and there's a clause here that proves it. 163 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:36,160 It's nought to do with rights or laws. 164 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,960 It's to do with Gaveston. 165 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:42,760 This is it, clause 20. 166 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,400 It's even got Gaveston's name beside it. 167 00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:51,360 It says he has "malmenez," misled, 168 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:53,560 and "malconseillez," ill-counseled, 169 00:10:53,560 --> 00:10:57,520 "nostre seigneur le roi," our lord the king. 170 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:00,480 It orders his immediate exile. 171 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:06,120 It also says that if Gaveston returns, 172 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,120 he is to be treated as a traitor. 173 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:12,960 And the penalty for traitors is death. 174 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:14,720 So what does Edward do? 175 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:16,360 He should fight Lancaster 176 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:18,640 to protect his basic rights as king, 177 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:20,040 but he doesn't. 178 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,560 He seems perfectly happy to let his enemies 179 00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:25,320 strip away his right to make peace or war, 180 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:27,920 to dispense justice, to collect taxation, 181 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:32,840 so long as they drop clause 20 and leave his mate alone. 182 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:40,360 But Lancaster has Edward over a barrel. 183 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:42,440 If he doesn't agree to all the Ordinances, 184 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:44,360 then Lancaster and his new allies 185 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:46,560 will go to war against him. 186 00:11:46,560 --> 00:11:48,800 The king has no choice. 187 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:51,360 He turns his back on his friend. 188 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,440 He accepts the Ordinances, 189 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:56,840 and Gaveston is banished forever, 190 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:58,920 on pain of death. 191 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,280 It beggars belief that Edward would be willing 192 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,080 to give up all his power just to save his friend. 193 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:09,800 That's led people to suspect that Edward and Gaveston 194 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:14,480 were more than just friends, that they were lovers 195 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:16,840 and that Edward's desire for Gaveston 196 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:18,840 outweighed everything else. 197 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,320 So, is it true? 198 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:24,320 Well, possibly. 199 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:26,800 I don't think we'll ever really know what went on 200 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,120 behind the closed doors of the royal bedchamber, 201 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,880 but frankly, it didn't really matter. 202 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:35,080 To the people of the time, Edward could have been bedding 203 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:37,400 his priest, his pageboy, and his horse, 204 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:40,320 so long as he was governing the kingdom properly. 205 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:44,120 To the nobles' minds, Gaveston stopped Edward from doing that. 206 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:46,760 And that's why Gaveston had to go. 207 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:55,440 Lancaster may think he's finally got the king under control, 208 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:59,040 but he hasn't, because when it comes to Gaveston, 209 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,680 Edward is literally a law unto himself. 210 00:13:01,680 --> 00:13:03,920 Just three months later, 211 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:07,280 defying Lancaster and all sense, 212 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:12,560 Edward calls Gaveston back... again. 213 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:15,160 And if that wasn't crazy enough, 214 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:18,320 what Edward does next is utter insanity. 215 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:22,920 The king sends letters out across the country 216 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:24,920 announcing Gaveston's return 217 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:28,240 and adding that he's overturning the Ordinances -- 218 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:29,920 all of them. 219 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,880 When Edward's letter is read out in town squares like this, 220 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:40,600 it does two things. 221 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:44,360 First, it brings England to the brink of civil war. 222 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:48,360 And second, it paints a pretty big target on Gaveston's back. 223 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,320 So you'd be forgiven for thinking this is just the start 224 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,920 of some much bigger plan, but you'd be wrong, 225 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,520 because actually this isthe plan. 226 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:59,400 Edward is just going to overturn the Ordinances 227 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:00,800 and see what happens. 228 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:02,800 And that's Edward all over. 229 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:05,560 He's so fixated on what he wants today, 230 00:14:05,560 --> 00:14:10,080 he simply can't see what's obviously going to happen next. 231 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,920 Lancaster's response is no surprise to anyone -- 232 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,880 except the king. 233 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:21,320 Gaveston is hunted down and brought here 234 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:26,120 to Warwick Castle, home of one of Lancaster's allies. 235 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:34,840 The next day, he's hauled up 236 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:37,560 in front of a court organized by Lancaster. 237 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:41,400 It's composed entirely of nobles who detest him. 238 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:46,320 Gaveston isn't even allowed to speak in his defense. 239 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:51,120 It's a kangaroo court, pure and simple. 240 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:02,560 Make no mistake -- Lancaster is crossing a line here. 241 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:05,840 He's trying Gaveston under article 20 of the Ordinances, 242 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:07,840 which make it very clear -- 243 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:09,480 if Gaveston comes back to England, 244 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:11,480 he dies. 245 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:14,760 The problem is, Edward has overturned the Ordinances, 246 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:17,360 so this court held here at Warwick Castle 247 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:20,560 has about as much authority as a lynch mob. 248 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:26,000 Piers Gaveston, best friend and trusted adviser 249 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,760 to the king of England, is convicted of treason 250 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,160 and sentenced to death. 251 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:33,200 But however they want to dress it up, 252 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:34,960 this isn't justice. 253 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:36,920 It's political murder. 254 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:47,120 On the 19th of June, 1312, 255 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:49,120 Lancaster's men march Piers Gaveston 256 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:50,600 out of Warwick Castle 257 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:52,600 all the way to Blacklow Hill 258 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:55,120 for execution. 259 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:06,520 This monument marks the lonely spot 260 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:08,400 where Gaveston was killed. 261 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:16,400 He's brought here because, unlike Warwick Castle, 262 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:19,320 this land belongs to Lancaster, 263 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,000 and he wants to send the king a message. 264 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,800 He wants him to know who's doing this to him. 265 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:26,800 This is personal. 266 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:54,120 When Edward hears about Gaveston's death, 267 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:56,120 he goes half crazy with grief. 268 00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:02,280 First he blames Gaveston for getting caught. 269 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,880 Then, more reasonably, he blames Lancaster. 270 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:08,440 Interestingly, the only person he doesn't blame is himself. 271 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:12,520 But he's the one who brought Gaveston back again and again, 272 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:14,880 despite being warned very clearly 273 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:17,080 what would happen if he did. 274 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:20,760 He's the one who put his friend in danger. 275 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:24,160 He might not want to admit it, but the buck stops with him. 276 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:31,120 Edward swears revenge on Lancaster. 277 00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:33,880 But with the Ordinances reissued 278 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:35,920 and everyone against him, 279 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,560 the king is in no position to revenge himself on anyone. 280 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:44,160 And things are about to get even worse. 281 00:17:48,360 --> 00:17:52,280 Edward has been neglecting the never-ending war with Scotland. 282 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:55,400 By 1314, it's reached crisis point. 283 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:57,920 He has to march an army north immediately, 284 00:17:57,920 --> 00:17:59,920 or the war will be lost. 285 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:03,120 Now, for Edward, this is actually an opportunity. 286 00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:06,840 Winning in Scotland could really help turn things around for him. 287 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:10,360 But as ever, disaster is about to strike, 288 00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:13,320 and as ever, Edward can't see it coming. 289 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:24,120 In the crucial battle that decides the war, 290 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:26,040 Edward's army is massacred. 291 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,320 And it's all Lancaster's fault. 292 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:37,920 When Edward led his troops to Scotland, 293 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:42,120 Lancaster was legally obliged to bring his forces to support him. 294 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:49,400 The last thing Lancaster wants is to see Edward succeed, 295 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:52,440 so when the time came to march north, 296 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:56,600 Lancaster and his cronies simply didn't turn up. 297 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:00,120 The king suffers a historic defeat. 298 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:04,160 Most of his army are slaughtered. 299 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:06,280 Edward is lucky to escape with his life. 300 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:10,160 And there is now only one thing in his mind -- 301 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,840 he will do absolutely anything 302 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:15,880 to get revenge on Lancaster. 303 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,800 After Bannockburn, Edward is humiliated, 304 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:28,840 financially ruined, and friendless. 305 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:33,560 He desperately needs strong new allies to help him. 306 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,080 And here at Caerphilly Castle 307 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:39,800 in the wild west of medieval Britain 308 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:41,480 is where he finds them. 309 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,080 They're called the Despensers. 310 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,080 This castle tells you everything 311 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:55,320 you need to know about the Despensers. 312 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:57,800 In a place where neighbors are constantly at war 313 00:19:57,800 --> 00:19:59,600 over money and power, 314 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:03,880 the Despensers have the biggest, baddest castle of them all. 315 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,320 There are two of them, both called Hugh. 316 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:14,040 Dad is a longtime supporter of Edward. 317 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:16,720 But it's his son who's the driving force. 318 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:18,640 [Speaking French] 319 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:23,440 Hugh Despenser Jr. is as ruthless as he is ambitious. 320 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:26,320 He's not afraid to take on anyone, 321 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,160 and he's got the brains and muscle to back it up. 322 00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:31,880 [Speaking French] 323 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:35,080 The Despensers help Edward drag himself out of the mire, 324 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:37,280 restoring the royal finances 325 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:40,240 and getting the country up and running again. 326 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:46,760 In return, they get to do whatever the hell they like. 327 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:50,120 As soon as they've gained the king's confidence, 328 00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:53,160 the Despensers start snatching things for themselves. 329 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:57,880 Over the next three years, they grab territory after territory 330 00:20:57,880 --> 00:20:59,360 in the Welsh borders, 331 00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:03,000 trampling on anyone who gets in their way. 332 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,080 Edward must realize the Despensers 333 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:08,520 are massively destabilizing the balance of power in the kingdom, 334 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:11,400 and it must be obvious they're only out for themselves. 335 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:13,720 But I think as long as they ultimately 336 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:15,280 serve up revenge on Lancaster, 337 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,720 he doesn't care who they upset in the process. 338 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:22,280 He can't see how the effects of the Despensers' Welsh power grab 339 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,160 could possibly turn out badly for him. 340 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:31,600 But it does, because Edward backing the Despensers 341 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:34,600 creates a new and very dangerous enemy. 342 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:41,600 Roger Mortimer, one of the most powerful barons in the kingdom. 343 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:44,040 Up to this point, 344 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:47,520 he's actually been on Edward's side. 345 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:49,920 But when the Despensers grab a chunk of his turf 346 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:51,320 and the king does nothing, 347 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:53,760 Mortimer turns on him 348 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:55,600 and leads a popular uprising 349 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:58,440 against the Despensers and the king. 350 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:01,080 [Shouting] 351 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,720 Mortimer's men kick the Despensers out of Wales. 352 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:14,680 Then they march on London. 353 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:24,160 [Speaking French] 354 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:27,800 Mortimer demands that the Despensers are banished, 355 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:30,360 and that puts Edward in a hopeless position. 356 00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:32,640 The king cannot be seen to back down, 357 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:33,880 so he has to refuse. 358 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:35,440 [Speaking French] 359 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:38,040 But with Mortimer's army ready to sack London, 360 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:40,320 his refusal could easily get him killed. 361 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:46,440 Salvation comes from an unlikely source. 362 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:55,360 No longer a helpless child, 363 00:22:55,360 --> 00:22:58,120 25-year-old Queen Isabella falls to her knees 364 00:22:58,120 --> 00:23:00,800 in front of the court and begs Edward 365 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,440 to reconsider, for her sake. 366 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:08,200 So, just as Mortimer demanded, Edward banishes the Despensers, 367 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,240 but crucially, he's able to claim 368 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:13,400 he's doing it for his queen. 369 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,400 She's given her husband a face-saving 370 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:17,840 way out of a no-win situation. 371 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:22,000 And it finally spurs him into action. 372 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:37,480 JONES: With Isabella by his side, 373 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:40,440 the king is finally going to take the fight 374 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,120 to his enemies. 375 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,120 [Shouting] 376 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:19,640 In October 1321, Queen Isabella makes a surprise stop 377 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:22,120 here at Leeds Castle in Kent, 378 00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:25,400 seeking shelter on her way to Canterbury. 379 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,560 Leeds Castle is the stronghold of Bartholomew Badlesmere, 380 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:33,160 one of Mortimer's most prominent allies. 381 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:38,080 Unsurprisingly, when she gets to these gates, 382 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,880 Badlesmere's men refuse to let her in. 383 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:42,320 Isabella insists. 384 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:44,080 It turns nasty. 385 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,000 In the melee that follows, six of her people are killed. 386 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,880 Now, clearly, Isabella's got a core of steel, 387 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:52,160 but why would she come to this castle 388 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,800 owned by one of her husband's enemies? 389 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:57,880 Well, in reality, this is just a pretext. 390 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:00,480 Isabella is putting her life on the line 391 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,760 to give her husband an excuse to start a fight. 392 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:10,600 Just days later, Edward turns up with an army and siege engines, 393 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,480 and Leeds Castle surrenders. 394 00:25:16,120 --> 00:25:18,120 Edward and Isabella look on 395 00:25:18,120 --> 00:25:22,000 as 13 of Badlesmere's defenders are executed for resisting. 396 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:31,760 Watching with them are the Despensers, 397 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,760 Edward's ruthless enforcers, brought back from exile 398 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:37,920 to manage his campaign, because this 399 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:40,040 is just the start. 400 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,920 For the first time in his entire life, 401 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:46,040 Edward has a well-thought-out, strategic plan. 402 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:48,320 With the Despensers secretly recalled 403 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:49,880 and Isabella by his side, 404 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,400 he's going to pick off his enemies one by one. 405 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:54,640 First Badlesmere, then Mortimer, 406 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:58,360 and finally the real prize, Lancaster. 407 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:05,600 Edward heads to Wales, picking off Mortimer's allies 408 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:07,880 on the way. 409 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,800 The offensive catches Mortimer off guard. 410 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:12,760 Edward quickly captures him 411 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:15,360 and bangs him up in the Tower of London. 412 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:20,560 The momentum is now with the king. 413 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:22,680 But Lancaster has a big army 414 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:24,960 and powerful allies in the north. 415 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:28,840 He will be a much tougher proposition to take down. 416 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:32,240 Then something extraordinary happens 417 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:34,840 that absolutely no one saw coming. 418 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:37,600 One of Edward's supporters, 419 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,280 the Archbishop of York, receives a series of damning letters, 420 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,720 and they're here, copied into the government archives. 421 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:47,040 The letters are between two Scottish ministers. 422 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:50,320 Here you can see the name of one of them -- Sir James Douglas. 423 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:53,080 And they refer to an agreement with an English noble 424 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:57,000 who's named as "King Arthur." 425 00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,600 What he's doing is guaranteeing he won't support 426 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:01,520 any English invasion of Scotland. 427 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:05,520 There's only one person that "King Arthur" could be -- 428 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:08,320 the king's cousin, Thomas of Lancaster. 429 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,480 So this is a smoking gun. 430 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:19,080 It's proof that Lancaster has been colluding with the enemy. 431 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:21,280 And that is treason. 432 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,480 Ever since Bannockburn, Edward has suspected 433 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,680 that Lancaster is in bed with the Scots. 434 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:30,040 Now he can prove it. 435 00:27:32,120 --> 00:27:35,760 The king immediately publishes the Lancaster letters, 436 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:39,840 then marches his army north. 437 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:43,720 As Edward approaches, Lancaster's support melts away. 438 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:45,840 No one wants to back a traitor. 439 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:49,200 The earl is captured, fleeing for his life. 440 00:27:55,360 --> 00:27:58,280 This is what remains of Lancaster's favorite castle, 441 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:00,880 Pontefract, and it's here 442 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,560 that he's brought in chains to face Edward. 443 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:08,760 [Bell ringing, man murmuring] 444 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:13,600 JONES: In a bitter irony, Edward locks him up 445 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:16,680 in a tower that Lancaster had himself built 446 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:19,800 specifically in anticipation 447 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:23,280 of imprisoning the king. 448 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:25,880 The next day, Lancaster is hauled from his tower 449 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:27,480 to face the court. 450 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:29,360 Now, this is the king's big chance 451 00:28:29,360 --> 00:28:31,520 to restore the rule of law to England 452 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:33,480 by giving his cousin a fair trial. 453 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:37,080 After all, the evidence is overwhelming. 454 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:38,880 Lancaster has committed treason, 455 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:40,880 and he would be found guilty. 456 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:43,400 But as ever, this is personal. 457 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:45,640 Edward is not interested in justice. 458 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:47,440 He wants what he's always wanted -- 459 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:49,120 revenge. 460 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:56,160 Lancaster is tried by a jury of his enemies, 461 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,720 no defense, no right to speak, 462 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,560 and sentenced to death. 463 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:01,640 Amen. 464 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:04,320 JONES: Judicial murder -- 465 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:09,040 exactly what he did to Gaveston. 466 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:16,240 It takes three blows of the sword to kill Lancaster. 467 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:18,120 [Sword strikes neck] 468 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:20,040 As the last blow lands 469 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:21,760 on Lancaster's neck, 470 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:23,560 Edward finally has his revenge 471 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:25,600 on the man who killed his friend. 472 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:27,440 But at what price? 473 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:30,480 The king of England has committed the political murder 474 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:33,960 of the country's premier earl, his first cousin, 475 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:37,080 a man with Plantagenet royal blood in his veins. 476 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:39,360 Pandora's box is open, 477 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:41,360 and no one is safe. 478 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:47,360 On the day of Lancaster's execution, 479 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:50,560 six of his supporters follow him to the gallows. 480 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:55,360 Another three are executed the next day. 481 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,360 In the months that follow, the executions continue. 482 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:01,480 No trial, no evidence, just the word of the king. 483 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:04,680 117 rebels have their lands confiscated, 484 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:09,000 and at least 15 others join Roger Mortimer in the Tower. 485 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,000 It must look to the whole kingdom 486 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,840 like Edward's bloodlust is insatiable. 487 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:15,800 But in reality, behind the scenes, 488 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,000 the Despensers are pulling the strings. 489 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:22,520 It's payback time for the humiliation of their exile. 490 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:26,920 Edward makes Hugh Despenser Jr. 491 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:28,720 Chamberlain of the Royal Household, 492 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,040 giving the Despensers complete control 493 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:32,720 of the machinery of government 494 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:36,080 and the country's finances. 495 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:42,720 Soon, all access to Edward has to go through them. 496 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:51,760 The Despenser regime makes them hated 497 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:53,120 right across the kingdom. 498 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:55,120 But the Despensers don't care. 499 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:58,080 The king is now their puppet. 500 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:01,560 And they're not done yet. 501 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:04,640 Two years later, in autumn 1324, 502 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,120 war breaks out with France, 503 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,240 and the Despensers get an opportunity 504 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:11,240 to move on the one person who could still 505 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:15,440 interfere with their control of the king -- Queen Isabella. 506 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:19,440 The king of France is Isabella's brother. 507 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:21,520 Technically, she's an enemy alien. 508 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:23,360 And that's how the Despensers treat her. 509 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:25,040 [Isabella speaking French] 510 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:27,480 On national security grounds, 511 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,040 they purge her household of French people, 512 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:32,440 confiscate her lands... 513 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,560 [Despenser shouting in French] 514 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:37,880 JONES: And her younger children are ripped from her, 515 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:40,120 to be looked after by Despenser's wife. 516 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:42,040 -[Children crying] -Non! 517 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:47,000 JONES: Edward does nothing to help her. 518 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:56,280 Imagine how Isabella must feel. 519 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,080 She's put up with the humiliation of Gaveston. 520 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:00,600 When Edward went after Lancaster, 521 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:02,080 she was right behind him. 522 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:03,800 She even put her own life on the line 523 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:05,560 at Leeds Castle. 524 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:08,280 She's done everything Edward could have asked of a queen 525 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:10,560 and more, and this is her reward. 526 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,120 Edward can't know it, but this is 527 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:20,880 the beginning of the end of his rule. 528 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:28,600 Six months later, Edward and the Despensers 529 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:30,440 are here in Dover. 530 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:33,800 The war with France is going disastrously wrong. 531 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:37,840 The king has no choice but to turn to his wife for help. 532 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:40,400 He sends Isabella to France 533 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:44,320 to negotiate a truce with her brother, King Charles. 534 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:47,120 When Isabella sails for France, she does so 535 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,560 knowing the Despensers have her children. 536 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:52,320 And that's why they're pretty confident she'll have to behave. 537 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:54,720 But they've massively underestimated her, 538 00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:56,560 because this is a woman who'll one day 539 00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:58,520 become known as "the She-Wolf," 540 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:02,240 and Edward and the Despensers are about to find out why. 541 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:11,960 In France, Isabella's influence with her brother does the trick. 542 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:14,040 She gets him to agree to a treaty. 543 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:16,240 But there's a catch. 544 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:19,560 The French king demands that Edward comes to France 545 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:21,240 to seal the deal. 546 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:26,680 Edward going to France is something 547 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:28,760 the Despensers simply can't allow. 548 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:30,280 Their control over the country 549 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:33,200 depends on having the king in their clutches. 550 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:35,680 Without him, the whole thing could unravel. 551 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,680 In desperation, the Despensers persuade Edward 552 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,160 to send a message claiming to be ill. 553 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:44,080 So they must be delighted when the reply comes back 554 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:48,400 expressing sympathy and saying that, under the circumstances, 555 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,520 the French king would be happy to accept the homage 556 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,600 of Edward's son, 12-year-old Prince Edward, instead. 557 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:56,080 Sounds reasonable. 558 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:04,800 So Edward sends the heir to the throne to France 559 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:08,720 along with a message telling Isabella to return immediately. 560 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:15,360 It's a massive miscalculation. 561 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,040 With Prince Edward safely by her side in Paris 562 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:24,600 here at the French court in the Conciergerie, 563 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:28,120 Isabella makes her move, and it's extraordinary. 564 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:55,520 JONES: As far as Isabella is concerned, 565 00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:58,320 until the Despensers are gone, 566 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:01,520 her husband is as good as dead. 567 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:03,720 Neither the king nor the Despensers 568 00:35:03,720 --> 00:35:06,280 has appreciated the danger of losing control 569 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:09,240 of both the queen and the heir to the throne. 570 00:35:09,240 --> 00:35:11,680 But with Isabella declared against them, 571 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:14,280 she quickly becomes the focus for opposition. 572 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:16,280 Edward and Hugh might have thought 573 00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:18,000 that by snatching her children, 574 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,080 they could force her to toe the line, 575 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:23,040 but they've no idea who they're dealing with. 576 00:35:27,720 --> 00:35:32,080 Isabella's opposition doesn't stop at speeches. 577 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:36,480 A month later, she's wearing her black robes of mourning 578 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:41,920 when she meets a rich, powerful, and charismatic man 579 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:46,280 who's just escaped from the Tower of London. 580 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:50,720 Roger Mortimer, her husband's bitterest enemy. 581 00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:53,920 The attraction is immediate. 582 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:59,120 Within weeks, they're lovers. 583 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:01,080 Even Paris is shocked. 584 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:07,200 Isabella, "the She-Wolf," 585 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:10,760 and Roger Mortimer, sworn enemy of the king. 586 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:16,000 For Edward II, they are a very dangerous combination. 587 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:43,240 In the autumn of 1326, 588 00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:46,160 Isabella and Mortimer head back to England 589 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:47,760 with one simple aim -- 590 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:50,080 regime change. 591 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:55,360 D-Day, September 24, 1326. 592 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:57,440 And even with Mortimer by her side, 593 00:36:57,440 --> 00:36:59,760 for Isabella this is a hell of a gamble. 594 00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:01,080 I mean, let's face it. 595 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:03,000 She's an adulterous foreign queen 596 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:05,200 with an escaped-convict lover, 597 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:07,160 backed by a handful of men 598 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:09,760 closer in number to a moderate house party 599 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:11,800 than a proper invasion force. 600 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:14,080 This has all the hallmarks 601 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:16,080 of a suicide mission. 602 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:23,880 But Isabella and Mortimer have called it right. 603 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:29,280 Popular hatred of the Despensers and the king is so deep 604 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:32,680 and so widespread that, as his wife and her lover 605 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:36,000 ride through the shires, supporters flock to their side. 606 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:40,600 In less than a month, the queen takes the country. 607 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:42,960 The king is forced to flee for his life. 608 00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:48,800 Edward is running out of options fast. 609 00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,800 He's supposed to be the anointed king of England, 610 00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:54,080 but now he's reduced to a man on the run. 611 00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:00,800 His only remaining supporter is a man who, if it's possible, 612 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:03,360 is hated even more than he is. 613 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:06,440 It's said he tried to get a message to Isabella -- 614 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:09,320 if only they could talk, maybe they could smooth things over. 615 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:13,840 The time for talking is long gone, 616 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:16,600 but as usual, Edward can't see it. 617 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:22,840 Edward and Hugh are captured, 618 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:27,320 running scared on a forest path in the Welsh mountains. 619 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:32,920 [Shouts] 620 00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:41,560 Isabella bangs Edward up in Kenilworth Castle. 621 00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:44,720 She hasn't decided what to do with him yet. 622 00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:50,800 But she's got big plans for Hugh Despenser. 623 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:56,480 Despenser Sr. has already been beheaded and fed to the dogs. 624 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:58,280 And he's the lucky one. 625 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:04,280 When Hugh the Younger arrives here in Hereford 626 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:06,920 and sees a 50-foot gallows being erected over the town, 627 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:08,560 he probably begins to suspect 628 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:10,560 that the trial he's about to receive 629 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:12,080 isn't going to be entirely fair. 630 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:16,920 And he's right. 631 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:18,880 Like Gaveston and Lancaster before him, 632 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:20,920 he's not allowed to speak in his own defense, 633 00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:23,680 and he's tried by people who hate him. 634 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:25,800 And the sentence he receives 635 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:28,920 is so spectacularly vicious and inhuman, 636 00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:31,560 he actually tries to starve himself to death 637 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:32,840 just to avoid it. 638 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:35,320 [Crowd shouting] 639 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:37,960 [Shouts] 640 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:40,760 JONES: In front of a huge crowd, 641 00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:43,400 Despenser is hung almost to the point of death. 642 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:48,000 But he's not getting off that lightly, 643 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,720 because Isabella has a point to prove. 644 00:39:51,720 --> 00:39:54,640 This is a very personal execution 645 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:59,200 and a very public statement. 646 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:02,200 Isabella has a ringside seat as Despenser 647 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:05,560 is strapped to a ladder for the next part of his ordeal. 648 00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:07,960 [Crowd cheers] 649 00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:10,360 JONES: The queen wants everyone to know 650 00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:13,560 the Despenser has come between her and her husband. 651 00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:16,080 He's damaged her marriage, 652 00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:17,720 and this is her revenge. 653 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:25,480 Despenser's genitals are cut off... 654 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:28,040 [Crowd cheering] 655 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:36,000 ...And burned in front of him. 656 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:39,080 Incredibly, Isabella 657 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:42,240 is eating as she watches it happen. 658 00:40:42,240 --> 00:40:44,240 Even more incredibly, 659 00:40:44,240 --> 00:40:46,000 throughout all of this, 660 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:48,000 Hugh Despenser never makes a sound. 661 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:51,960 But Isabella isn't done. 662 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:54,800 Despenser's entrails are pulled out 663 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:56,040 and shown to him. 664 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:58,440 Then he screams. 665 00:40:58,440 --> 00:41:00,760 [Despenser screaming] 666 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:06,080 JONES: Finally, almost mercifully, 667 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:07,920 he is beheaded. 668 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:11,520 Murderous personal vindictiveness has become 669 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:15,440 the defining characteristic of Edward II's reign. 670 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:18,440 The only person who could have stopped it was Edward. 671 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:20,640 Instead, he embraced it. 672 00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:23,920 And now it's coming for him. 673 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:33,880 Edward, who's being held here at Kenilworth Castle, 674 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:37,720 is Isabella and Mortimer's last remaining problem. 675 00:41:39,240 --> 00:41:40,720 He may be a defeated tyrant, 676 00:41:40,720 --> 00:41:43,040 but he's still the rightful king of England, 677 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:45,720 anointed by God. 678 00:41:45,720 --> 00:41:49,040 On the other hand, they've been so blatant about their adultery, 679 00:41:49,040 --> 00:41:51,240 they can hardly just give him his crown back. 680 00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:53,560 So Edward's wife and her lover 681 00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:56,320 have him declared incorrigible, and he's deposed 682 00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:59,080 by act of Parliament. 683 00:41:59,080 --> 00:42:02,240 Once king of England, 684 00:42:02,240 --> 00:42:04,560 he's now just plain Edward of Caernarfon, 685 00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:05,920 the place of his birth. 686 00:42:09,520 --> 00:42:11,520 For the first time since the Dark Ages, 687 00:42:11,520 --> 00:42:14,040 a reigning monarch has been forced from the throne. 688 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:17,240 England has a new king, Edward III, 689 00:42:17,240 --> 00:42:20,400 but it's Isabella as Regent who's really snatched the crown. 690 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:23,000 The She-Wolf has earned her name. 691 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:34,880 This is Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, and it's here 692 00:42:34,880 --> 00:42:38,760 the end game is played out. 693 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:42,200 Whilst he's still alive, the king remains a threat. 694 00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:46,800 There have already been three attempts 695 00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:48,480 to spring him from prison 696 00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:52,480 and restore him to power. 697 00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:55,800 In truth, he's been a dead man walking 698 00:42:55,800 --> 00:42:58,640 since his wife snatched the throne. 699 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:07,640 Publicly, it will be claimed that Edward 700 00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:09,520 has died of natural causes, 701 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:11,720 but as news of his death spreads, 702 00:43:11,720 --> 00:43:15,440 suspicion of murder grows. 703 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:18,120 The story we're told is that he's tortured and murdered 704 00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:21,040 by having a red-hot poker inserted 705 00:43:21,040 --> 00:43:23,000 via a trumpet device placed in rectum. 706 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:26,880 [Screaming] 707 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:31,320 Even after everything Edward had done, 708 00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:33,720 how could a king be tortured and killed 709 00:43:33,720 --> 00:43:35,520 in such a horrific fashion? 710 00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:38,600 The answer, of course -- he wasn't. 711 00:43:49,240 --> 00:43:51,840 This is the room where Edward II was murdered. 712 00:43:51,840 --> 00:43:53,440 Not killed with a poker. 713 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:55,680 Most probably smothered in his bed. 714 00:43:55,680 --> 00:43:58,560 [Muffled screaming] 715 00:43:58,560 --> 00:44:00,760 The poker story only came about 716 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:03,560 about 60 years after Edward was killed. 717 00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:05,280 But it's become the standard version. 718 00:44:05,280 --> 00:44:08,480 And that's because the idea of a humiliated, 719 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:11,640 emasculated, possibly homosexual king 720 00:44:11,640 --> 00:44:14,560 being buggered to death is too good a story 721 00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:17,360 to be troubled by the truth. 722 00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:19,040 Non! Non! 723 00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:20,480 Non! 724 00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:23,160 [Screaming] 725 00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:25,880 JONES: Next time... 726 00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:29,000 the Plantagenet story reaches its catastrophic climax 727 00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:31,720 as Richard II, the boy king 728 00:44:31,720 --> 00:44:33,480 who crushed the Peasants' Revolt, 729 00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:35,040 turns monstrous tyrant 730 00:44:35,040 --> 00:44:37,320 and Henry Bolingbroke rises up 731 00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:41,280 to bring the whole dynasty crashing down. 56369

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