The following four kings all had relatively short reigns, so let us introduce you to three Edwards and a Richard, the kings of England and Wales.  

Edward I  
 

Quick Facts:  

Born: June 1239, Palace of Westminster, London 
Died: 7th July 1307 (aged 68), Burgh by Sands, Cumberland, England 
Reign: 20th November 1272 – 7th July 1307 
Parents:  Henry III and Eleanor of Provence 
Predecessor: Henry III (father) 
Successor: Edward II (son) 
Spouse: Eleanor of Castile (1254-1290) and Margaret of France (1299 – 1307) 
Children: Henry; Eleanor, Countess of Bar; Joan, Countess of Hertford; Alphonso, Earl of Chester; Margaret, Duchess of Brabant; Mary of Woodstock; Elizabeth, Countess of Hereford; Edward II King of England; Thomas, Earl of Norfolk; Edmund, Earl of Kent  
Royal House: Plantagenet / Normandy

The oldest son of Henry III, Edward I was born at the Palace of Westminster and was named after Edward the Confessor, who was hugely respected. He was away on crusade when his father died, and despite being named heir on Henry III's death, Edward didn't bother to return to England for another two years - choosing to stay on crusade instead. When he finally arrived back on English soil, Edward set the goal of creating a unified England, defeating the Welsh in one of his first battles and building a series of castles over the border, in which he installed members of the English nobility. He was so committed to unifying the Kingdom, he made sure his eldest son, the futre Edward II, was born in Wales and became the first member of the English monarchy to be named as Prince of Wales. 

Edward was also known for creating the first Model Parliament in 1295, which brought the lords, commons, clergy, knights and nobility together for the first time to work together with decision making. This, along with his successes in Wales and Scotland made him popular among his English subjects, but not so much with the Scottish and Welsh, or the Jewish community, who were treated brutally. It was Edward who issued the Edict of Expulsion which expelled all Jewish people from England, something that remained in place until Oliver Cromwell took power in 1657.  

Much like his ancestors, Edward’s marriage was one of politics. He was 15 when he was married to the 13 year old Eleanor of Castille, however the pair did come to love each other. When she died, he personally escorted her body to Westminster. Their marriage resulted in fourteen children, however, only one son outlived his father and only five daughters lived to adulthood. He remarried, this time to Margaret of France, with whom he had another another three children, two of which survived to adulthood.   

When it comes to Edward I’s legacy, his love for stories of King Arthur shaped much of his reign. He went to Glastonbury in the hope of finding Arthur’s tomb and part of his fascination with unifying England and Wales was the hope of recovering Arthur’s crown. This along with his nicknames of Edward Longshanks, so called because he was tall for the time and the Hammer of the Scots because of his victories against the Scottish, are what historians most note about him. It is also important to remember that he re-established royal authority and changed the administration of the country. Sadly though, he died poor and his tomb was sparse in comparison to his contemporaries.  

He was succeeded by his son, Edward II, aka Edward of Caernarfon.  

Edward II 

Quick Facts:  

Born: 25th April 1284, Caernarfon Castle, Wales 
Died: 21st September 1327 (aged 43), Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire, England 
Reign: 7th July 1307 – January 1327 
Parents: Edward I and Eleanor of Castile 
Predecessor: Edward I  (father)
Successor: Edward III (son)
Spouse: Isabella of France  
Children: Edward III King of England, John of Eltham Earl of Cornwall, Eleanor Countess of Guelders, Joan Queen of Scots and Adam FitzRoy (illegitimate). 
Royal House: Planatagenet /Normandy

Edward II was the first person to hold the title of the Prince of Wales and was born in Wales after his father colonised it. Unlike his father, he was known as a weak and incompetent king, he ruled from 1307 until 1327, when he was deposed.  While his father was called the Hammer of the Scots, Edward II was beaten by the Scottish at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, one of many incidents that lost him the respect of his people.  

Despite this, he was known for his generosity, especially to his staff and was known to enjoy associating with labourers and common folk, which attracted criticism from his fellow nobles. He enjoyed music, particularly Welsh music but refrained from taking part in jousts or other more knightly activities. This along with his very close relationship with Piers Gaveston led many people to think that he might have been homosexual. He was married to Isabella, the daughter of Philip IV of France, but Piers Gaveston was always his first priority, something that caused many issues, not only in his marriage, but also within the court. Gaveston found himself being banished on a number of occasions before finally being executed by Edward’s cousin, Thomas of Lancaster. Whatever, their true relationship, Edward did have children with Isabella, including Edward III, who would take over from him after he was deposed by Isabella.  

Isabella had gone on a peace envoy on the continent when she decided to leave the king and have him removed from power. She allied herself with Roger Mortimer, who was thought to be her lover and invaded England. Edward fled to Wales where he was captured and forced to relinquish his crown to his son, Edward III, who was just 14 at the time. After being imprisoned and having the crown stolen from him, Edward was then murdered, though whether it was by a hot poker to the rectum is still up for debate. During his reign, there was wide spread famine and there was a civil war brewing between Edward and his cousins, the Lancasters and the Despensers.  

Edward III 
 

Quick Facts:  

Born: 13th November 1312, Windsor Castle 
Died: 21st June 1377 (aged 64), Sheen Palace, Richmond, London 
Reign: 25th January 1327 – 21st June 1377 
Parents: Edward II of England and Isabella of France  
Predecessor: Edward II  (father)
Successor: Richard II (grandson)
Spouse: Philippa of Hainault  
Children: Edward the Black Prince, Isabella Countess of Bedford, Joan, Lionel Duke of Clarence, John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, Edmund Duke of York, Mary Duchess of Brittany, Margaret Countess of Pembroke, Thomas Duke of Cloucester 
Royal House: Plantagenet  / Normandy

Following his father’s deposition, Edward III took the throne and had his mother’s lover, Roger Mortimer executed for treason. Though only being 14, Edward III was a popular and successful ruler known for his military skills, his successes in Scotland and for evolving the English parliament into something that resembles the one we have today. 
Edward III was born at Windsor Castle and in his early years, was often known as Edward of Windsor, presumably to differentiate him from his father. He was made the Earl of Chester at only 12 and despite ruling from a young age, managed to keep the Scottish rebels at bay and declare himself to be heir to the French throne, through his mother.  

Edward had a long reign, lasting fifty years, making him the second longest reigning monarch in medieval history. During that time, he took England into the 100 years war and along with his son, the Black Prince, was known as one of the best warriors in Europe. The Bubonic Plague broke out during this time, but this didn’t affect people’s views on his reign. He actually ended up outliving his oldest son and so named his grandson, Richard as his heir, rather than one of his younger children.  In his later years, he became increasingly more inert and left much of the running of the kingdom to his advisors and children, including John of Gaunt, who picked up the management of the war in France. He eventually died in 1377 at Sheen Palace in Richmond after a short illness leaving the throne to a ten year old Richard II.  

Richard II  
 

Quick Facts:  

Born: 6th January 1367, Bordeaux, France 
Died:14th February 1400 (aged 33), Pontefract Castle, Yorkshire  
Reign: 22nd June 1377 – 29th September 1399 
Parents: Edward, the Black Prince and Joan 4th Countess of York 
Predecessor: Edward III (grandfather) 
Successor: Henry IV (cousin) 
Spouse: Anne of Bohemia (1382-1394) and Isabella of Valois (1396) 
Children: n/a 
Royal House: Plantagenet / Normandy

Richard II was ten years old at the time of his coronation, so a series of councillors governed on his behalf, mostly influenced by his uncles, John of Gaunt and Thomas of Woodstock.  

Following the death of John of Gaunt, Richard immediately had his cousin, John’s son, Henry disinherited and exiled, something that would come back to haunt him and would shape the following years into ones of war and turmoil for the English crown.  

Much like his great grandfather, Richard II was also deposed, reigning from 1377 until that time in 1399. He was known as being extravagant, unjust and faithless, particularly after the death of his wife, Anne of Bohemia. These days, historians believe he may have had a personality disorder, as his behaviour was noted to have been very erratic. It may have been this that contributed to his unpopularity among his subjects, particularly following the Peasant’s Revolt led by Wat Tyler. The revolt led to a number of nobles and bishops being killed and a palace being destroyed. During the time, Richard hid in the Tower of London and tried to negotiate, something that he is criticised for. However, he was only 14 at the time and much of the negotiating and running of the country was being done on his behalf, so this may not be a completely fair criticism.  

After the death of his first wife, he married Isabella of Valois who was just six years old. He was 29.  

While Richard was out on crusade, his cousin Henry of Lancaster returned to England with an army, defeating and capturing the king and deposing him, taking the crown for himself. Richard was left to die of starvation in Pontefract Castle.  The deposition of Richard II and the ascension of Henry of Lancaster led to the War of the Roses, also known as the Cousins’ War, which lasted for years between the fractions of York and Lancaster.  

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Places to visit: 

Aberystwyth Castle, Aberystwyth, Wales 
The castle was built by Edward I during his colonisation of Wales 

Abingdon Abbey, Oxfordshire
Edward I stayed here. 

Battle of Bannockburn Heritage Centre, Scotland 
The site of the Battle of Bannockburn where Robert Bruce defeated Edward II’s forces.  

Berkley Castle
Edward II was murdered here while imprisoned. 

Caernarfon Castle, Wales 
One of Edward I’s castles in Wales and the birth place of Edward II.  

Castle Riding, Norfolk 
Edward III had his mother imprisoned under house arrest here after Edward II’s death. It later passed to The Black Prince and then was owned by the Howard family, relations of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, wives of Henry VIII.  

Christ Church, Greyfriars, London
Edward I's second wife is buried here. 

Corfe Castle, Dorset 
Edward II was kept prisoner here before being moved to Berkley Castle

Eltham Palace, London
You can see the remains of a former medieval palace on this site that was gifted to Edward II. 

Kingston Lacy, Dorset
The home was visited by Edward I a number of times and it was later leased to John of Gaunt. Later it was lived in by John Beaufort and his daughter, Lady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII. 

Maughan Library, Chancery Lane, London
The original site featured the House for Converts. When Edward I expelled the Jews from England, residence here was the only way you could remain in England. There is also a statue of Edward III here. 

Mile End, London
Richard II met with peasants here during the Peasant's Revolt.

National Archives, Kew
A copy of the original treason act, passed by Edward III can be found here. 

Pontefract Castle 
Where Richard II was imprisoned and left to die by Henry Lancaster. 

Queen Eleanor’s Garden, Winchester 
Named for Edward I and Henry III’s wives, who were called Eleanor. Both women spent time living at Winchester Castle.  

Scarborough Castle, Yorkshire
Edward I held Scottish prisoners here and Edward II's lover, Piers Gaveston lived here prior to his exile. 

Smitfield, London
Richard II met with Wat Tyler and other rebels during the Peasants Revolt, it was here in the King's presence where Wat Tyler was killed. 

St Bart's Hospital, Smithfield, London
There is a plaque dedicated to Sir William Wallace, who was beheaded on Edward I's orders.

The Savoy Hotel, London
At one time, it was known as Savoy Palace and was the property of John of Gaunt, Edward III's son. 

Tower of London
Edward I moved the royal menagerie here. The Jewel Tower features a vault that was at one time the personal treasure house of Edward III, it was known as the King's Privy Wardrobe. Richard II was at the White Tower when he was forced to sign away his throne to Henry IV. 

Warwick Castle 
After being abducted, Piers Gaveston was tried for treason here.   

Winchester Castle, Hampshire
Edward II and his wife narrowly escaped with their lives when the royal apartments were destroyed by fire. 

Westminster, London
In Old Palace Yard, there is a statue of Richard II

Westminster Abbey
The coronation chair was constructed for Edward I's coronation, he is also buried in the St Edward chapel in the abbey. Edward III and his wife are buried here, as are Richard II and his wife.