Gaveston
Piers Gaveston, of Gascon, spent a fair amount of time growing up with Edward II. He was educated at court with the young prince, and they were fast friends. This friendship concerned some, but it was not until the boys were in their late teens that it caused real concern. At some point, the two men swore themselves as brothers-in-arms, swearing to fight and protect each other as brothers and to share all their possessions. This oath enraged the king. Gaveston was too low born to have any claim to the lands of the kingdom. Edward II attempted to remedy this by giving Gaveston his own country, Ponthieu. Again, the king was outraged and called his son before him. When Prince Edward asked his father to bestow Ponthieu upon Gaveston, the king flipped out. "Upon hearing these words, spoken by the prince himself, the king flew into a rage, exclaiming, 'You wretched son of a whore! Do you want to give away lands now? You who have never gained any? As God lives, if not for fear of breaking up the kingdom, I would never let you enjoy your inheritance!' As he spoke the king seized hold of the prince's head by the hair and tore handfuls of hair out, then threw the prince to the floor and kicked him repeatedly until he was exhaused."
This request was what caused the banishment of Piers Gaveston.
The moment King Edward I died, in July of 1307, the newly crowned King Edward II recalled Gaveston from exile. When Edward left to marry Princess Isabella in France in January of 1308, less than a year later, he named Gaveston sole Regent of England for the two weeks until he returned. Angry and concerned for the Crown, the Earls of Lincoln, Surrey, Pembroke, and Hereford, along with the Bishop of Durham and five barons, decided that their loyalty lay with the Crown, not the king, and that if the king were to act in a way that they felt was against the nation they would have to correct him by force.
This request was what caused the banishment of Piers Gaveston.
The moment King Edward I died, in July of 1307, the newly crowned King Edward II recalled Gaveston from exile. When Edward left to marry Princess Isabella in France in January of 1308, less than a year later, he named Gaveston sole Regent of England for the two weeks until he returned. Angry and concerned for the Crown, the Earls of Lincoln, Surrey, Pembroke, and Hereford, along with the Bishop of Durham and five barons, decided that their loyalty lay with the Crown, not the king, and that if the king were to act in a way that they felt was against the nation they would have to correct him by force.