Edward II of England

Edward II became King of England in 1307, the fourth son of Edward I who inherited only after his brother Alphonso died. He married Isabella of France in 1308 to ease tensions between the crowns, but his reign was defined by his bond with Piers Gaveston, a favourite whose arrogance enraged the barons. Forced to exile Gaveston repeatedly, Edward recalled him each time until his cousin Thomas of Lancaster had Gaveston executed in 1312. Military failure followed: Robert the Bruce crushed English forces at Bannockburn in 1314, famine spread, and Edward's authority crumbled. The Despenser family filled the void Gaveston left, and when the barons moved against them in 1321, Edward struck back - capturing and executing Lancaster, then ruling through a regime of confiscations and executions. Sent to France in 1325 to negotiate peace, Isabella refused to return, allied with the exiled Roger Mortimer, and invaded England in 1326. Edward's support evaporated, he fled into Wales, and was captured in November. Forced to abdicate in January 1327 in favour of his son Edward III, he died at Berkeley Castle that September, likely murdered.