This is a series of articles dealing with the British nobility beginning with William the Conqueror in 1066 and ending with Henry VIII circa 1530. The information within has been compiled from multiple resources and a bibliography will follow the completed work. Beginning with the Normans, the Plantagenets, the Lancasters, the Yorks, and then finally, the Tudors.
Edward II: A truly sad figure who saw his reign limited by parliamentary committee known as the Lords Ordainers. This was another attempt by parliament to control the royal power: a rather successful one. He first saw his "favorite" (another term for "lover") exiled by parliament to France, only to return and be kidnapped by the Kings opponents, then murdered. In 1314, he saw the defeat of his armies by Robert Bruce, finalizing Scottish independence. Through this, Edward's cousin, Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, has fostered resistance to the monarch and in 1322, led the Baron's Rebellion, which was crushed by British forces. After his wife left him, he was deposed by parliament in 1327 in favor of his son, Edward III, and subsequently murdered, reportedly on orders of his wife.