Piers Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall, 1307-1312

Piers Gaveston is perhaps the most infamous royal favorite in English history. Elevated to the peerage as Earl of Cornwall by Edward II in 1307, he was an influential figure in the first years of the king's reign. Gaveston's brief but turbulent career culminated in his murder in 1312. Over the course of seven centuries, the image of Gaveston has been reduced to little more than a parody of the historical figure. He is commonly viewed as a sycophantic homosexual with a marked tendency towards avarice, nepotism, and excessive pride. As a result, it is difficult to assess Gaveston's impact on various aspects of Edward's reign, particularly the political developments. Using both documentary and narrative sources, J. S. Hamilton reconstructs an impartial account of Gaveston's life. He briefly traces the origins and activities of Gaveston's family in Gascony and in England and then chronicles Gaveston's public career. The examination of Gaveston's role in the early years of Edward's reign inevitably leads to broader questions of patronage, personality, and the nature of the baronial opposition to the crown. As a result, Hamilton adds a new dimension to a revisionist picture of Edward's troubled reign.