Was Edward II of England really gay?

Question

He was known to favour male friends over his child bride Isabella?
Opinions?

http://www.letterfrompoitou.co.uk

Answer 1

He was certainly known to favour (in particular) Piers Gaveston and Hugh le Despenser (both father and son) above all others:
http://britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon31.html

"Edward II was crowned at Westminster Abbey. During the ceremony Gaveston was given the honour of carrying the crown. During the banquet that followed the King spent much more time with Gaveston than his wife. The Queen's uncles, who had travelled with her from France, left to report back to the King of France of the King's favouritism for Gaveston over Isabella."
http://www.timeref.com/thr00018.htm

"However, Pierre Chaplais has suggested, in Piers Gaveston: Edward II’s Adoptive Brother (1994) another interpretation of the relationship, arguing that the two men entered into a brotherhood-in-arms at some point in the early 1300s, and that this compact is sufficient explanation for the intensity of their relationship, even to the extent that the King ignored and indeed humiliated his indignant spouse. Chaplais defines such a brotherhood as ‘some sort of very close relationship established formally between two persons of military status’."
http://www.historytoday.com/dt_main_allatonce.asp?gid=13886&g13886=x&g10730=x&g30026=x&g20991=x&g21010=x&g19965=x&g19963=x&amid=13886

This last is a fairly new theory which I think deserves closer attention; medieval thinking was very different from ours, especially in showing the emotions. Finally, though, the Despensers and Gaveston were executed, and Edward himself suffered a most ghastly murder in Berkeley Castle - where his screams are still said to be heard.

Answer 2

Gay King Of England

Answer 3

Christopher Marlowe certainly thought so when he wrote his play "Edward II". Edward has been seduced by a commoner called Piers Gaveston and the whole play is about how he causes his own downfall by preferring Gaveston to his wife Isabella, raising Gaveston over the old nobility and neglecting his duties as king. Here's an excerpt:

ISABELLA. Hark, how he harps upon his minion!
EDWARD. My heart is as an anvil unto sorrow,
Which beats upon it like the Cyclops' hammers,
And with the noise turns up my giddy brain,
And makes me frantic for my Gaveston.
Ah, had some bloodless Fury rose from hell,
And with my kingly sceptre struck me dead,
When I was forced to leave my Gaveston!

Sounds like true love to me. I don't know what the historical source is for this reading of Edward's character.

Answer 4

Marlowe evidently thought so, in his play 'Edward II: The Troublesome Reign and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England, with the Tragical Fall of Proud Mortimer ' (catchy little title), he portrays the King as having been ruled by his own 'lude' desires and for the most part controlled and manipulated by his homosexual lover (Gaveston).

There is no way to be absolutely sure, he married, he produced an heir, but most historians either allude to it or cite as fact.

Answer 5

This is what we read - in my opinion the interpretation of events depends on the views of the interpretor, so you would have to look at the life and times of those discussing this.
They do say that his sexuality influenced the manner of his death too - again though, that could just be wanting no visible marks on the body!!
As an aside - is being gay worse than wanting sex with his ''child-bride''?!! What would that make him?

Answer 6

Hang on and I'll ask him.

Um... he says "why does it matter who a man who lived seven hundred years ago fancied?"

Answer 7

Yeah marmite miner for sure read about it , the people think the same

Answer 8

Wikipedia infer it in there in their web article.

Answer 9

His *** is completely decomposed so no way of telling.

Answer 10

proper gender bender