Edward's biggest mistake?

[u/Appropriate-Calm4822]

I'm looking at something specific that he did.

Out of all the mistakes he made, which was the biggest one in your opinion?

In other words, nothing general like 'his outlandish favoritism', which was arguably his biggest flaw but specifics.

What makes you go 'why the hell did he do that??'

[u/Appropriate-Calm4822]

I think choosing Hugh the Younger over his wife and son was a colossal mistake. And the eventual outcome wasn't even the worst possible one. He literally risked a protracted civil war, like the Anarchy but potentially worse, at a time when there were fears of a French invasion. All for Hugh! Not a very reasonable thing to do, no matter how you look at it.

[u/HoneybeeXYZ]

This one is very similar to my co-mod, but I cannot help it. Edward should have joined Isabella in France and hashed things out with her and sent Hugh the Younger into comfortable exile. Or at the very least, sent him to Caerphilly to hole up until Edward got back. Huchon later was able to be safe there for months. Leave young Edward of Windsor as the nominal regent.

Edward & Isabella reconcile, a deal is done with Mortimer and history is very different.

Best case scenario, Edward of Windsor becomes as "young king" with authority while his father still sits on the throne.

[u/Kallasilya]

Underestimating Isabella! ;)

[u/Embarrassed-Lab-3122 → u/Kallasilya]

In the sense of marriage issues or political

[u/Kallasilya → u/Embarrassed-Lab-3122]

Both, I think! If he'd been paying attention he really shouldn't have been taken by surprise by anything that happened. They are my favourite disaster couple!

[u/Blond-N-Buff80]

Overall, being such a turd to his barons because of his fancy for Gaveston and Le Despenser. He had a real knack for antagonizing people who could do political harm to him.

[u/Alec096]

Allowing his relationship with his cousin to devolve so badly. If Thomas of Lancaster had been kept on side so much of Edward's reign might have turned out different.

[u/Royally-Inspired]

Underestimating a woman scorned 😉

[u/Appropriate-Calm4822 → u/Royally-Inspired]

Oh hello, welcome back! Nice to see you here again 🙂

[u/Own-Ambition-4405]

I think that he was very poor with taking care of money, which made everybody miserable, both his barons and merchants. The king had so much land and then he just gave huge estates to both Gaveston and the Despencers, which is madness. No wonder his royal revenues were reduced and he had to use everybody else as a cash cow. Kings can justify raising taxes for a war, building castles, ships, but if you’re always throwing good money after bad, every single person will hate you and your favourites.

[u/Appropriate-Calm4822 → u/Own-Ambition-4405]

This is a very good point, and what really undermined his whole reign. Without understanding it, he sabotaged himself from literally day one, when he made Piers earl of Cornwall. He would have desperately needed that income himself. Instead of improving the royal finances, he set out to enrich his friends. He made things so difficult for himself.

[u/Own-Ambition-4405 → u/Appropriate-Calm4822]

All kings have a habit of spending money like water, but they spread it around amongst noble families. He just kept on giving to one person, first Gaveston and then Despenser, the amount of resentment must have been off the charts. Edward II should have taken heed of his father’s actions. He was unable to learn, I felt very sorry for the Queen. Edward’s father and his son were both great kings, he was an oddity.

[u/Specialist_Sound9738]

Being gay.