The younger men, Vere, and Pembroke, who was also Edward's cousin and whose Lusignan blood gave him the swarthy complexion that caused Edward of Carnarvon's irreverent friend, Piers Gaveston, to nickname him `` Joseph the Jew '', were relatively new to the game of diplomacy, but Pontissara had been on missions to Rome before, and Hotham, a man of great learning, `` jocund in speech, agreeable to meet, of honest religion, and pleasing in the eyes of all '', and an archbishop to boot, was as reliable and experienced as Othon himself.

While it has been widely believed that Edward was a homosexual because of his closeness to Gaveston, there is no concrete evidence of this.

Ironically, it was the king who had originally chosen Gaveston in 1298 to be a suitable friend for his son due to his wit, courtesy and abilities.

Edward's grief over the death of Gaveston was profound.

Gaveston was considered to be athletic and handsome ; he was a few years older than Edward and had seen military service in Flanders before becoming Edward's close companion.

In particular they should make sure that Piers Gaveston was not allowed to return to the country.

Edward I was reportedly concerned with his son's failure to live up to the expectations of an heir to the crown, and at one point decided to exile the prince's favourite Piers Gaveston.

Her new husband was notorious for the patronage he lavished on his favourite, Piers Gaveston, but the queen supported Edward during these early years, forming a working relationship with Piers and using her relationship with the French monarchy to bolster her own authority and power.

Edward was handsome, but highly unconventional, possibly forming close romantic attachments to first Piers Gaveston and then Hugh Despenser the younger.

Isabella was able to come to an understanding with her husband's first lover Piers Gaveston, shown here lying dead at the feet of Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick | Guy de Beauchamp, in a 15th-century representation.

When Isabella first arrived in England following her marriage, her husband was already in the midst of a relationship with Piers Gaveston, an " arrogant, ostentatious " soldier, with a " reckless and headstrong " personality that clearly appealed to Edward.

Isabella's relationship with Gaveston was a complex one.

Baronial opposition to Gaveston, championed by Thomas of Lancaster, was increasing, and Philip IV began to covertly fund this grouping, using Isabella and her household as intermediaries.

Edward was forced to exile Gaveston to Ireland for a period, and began to show Isabella much greater respect and assigning her significant lands and patronage ; in turn, Philip ceased his support for the barons.

The campaign was a disaster, and whilst Edward escaped, Gaveston found himself stranded at Scarborough Castle, where his baronial enemies first surrounded and captured him.

It was now two years since an English army had come to Scotland, and King Edward II of England had recently been on the verge of war with his barons after the murder of Piers Gaveston in the summer of 1312.

As such, La Cerda's fate paralleled that of Edward II of England's Piers Gaveston in England, and John II of Castile's Alvaro de Luna in Spain ; the position of a royal favourite was a dangerous one.

He was appointed guardian of Scotland in 1306, but with the accession of Edward II to the throne and the consequent rise of Piers Gaveston to power, his influence declined.

Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall ( c. 1284 – 19 June 1312 ) was an English nobleman of Gascon origin, and the favourite of King Edward II of England.

The prince's partiality for Gaveston was so extravagant that Edward I sent the favourite into exile, but he was recalled a few months later, after the King's death led to the prince's accession as Edward II.

Upon his return his behaviour became even more offensive, and by the Ordinances of 1311 it was decided that Gaveston should be exiled for a third time, to suffer outlawry if he returned.

It was alleged by medieval chroniclers that Edward II and Piers Gaveston were lovers, a rumour that was reinforced by later portrayals in fiction, such as Christopher Marlowe's play Edward II.

The king attributed his son ’ s preferences to his strong attachment to Piers Gaveston, a Gascon knight, and Edward I exiled Gaveston from court after Prince Edward attempted to bestow on his friend a title reserved for royalty.

At the source of the discontent was the king's relationship with the young Gascon knight Piers Gaveston, who had been exiled by Edward I, but was recalled immediately upon Edward II's accession.

Before his death, the old king had exiled Prince Edward's favourite Piers Gaveston, and Warwick was among those charged with preventing Gaveston's return.

It alsoonce moreordered Gaveston to be exiled, to return only at the risk of excommunication.

Marlowe's play opens at the outset of the reign, with Edward's exiled favourite, Piers Gaveston, rejoicing at the recent death of Edward I and his own resulting ability to return to England.

Despenser became Edward's loyal servant and chief administrator after Gaveston was executed in 1312, but the jealousy of other barons-and, more importantly, his own corruption and unjust behaviour-led to his being exiled along with his son Hugh Despenser the younger in 1321, when Edmund of Woodstock, Earl of Kent replaced him as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.

Due to this action, Gaveston was briefly exiled and Marguerite remained fairly unmolested by the upstart until his death in June 1312.

Edward II immediately recalled Gaveston, created him Earl of Cornwall, gave him the hand of the king's niece, Margaret of Gloucester, and withdrew from the Scottish campaign.

Gaveston returned almost immediately, and the two were reunited by early August.

The king himself swore vengeance on his enemies, but found himself unable to move against them immediately, partly because they were in possession of a number of highly valuable royal jewels taken from Gaveston.

The Westminster chronicler claimed that Gaveston had led Edward to reject the sweet embraces of his wife ; while the Meaux Chronicle ( written several decades later ) took concern further and complained that, Edward took too much delight in sodomy.

Using her own supporters at court, and the patronage of her French family, Isabella attempted to find a political path through these challenges ; she successfully formed an alliance with Gaveston, but after his death at the hands of the barons her position grew increasingly precarious.

The discontent reported by the chronicles may have been the result of hindsight, however ; there is no sign that the established nobility objected to the ennoblement of Gaveston at the time.

It is not quite clear where Gaveston spent his time abroad ; the conditions of his exile banned him from staying in any of the lands of the English king.

There is also some evidence that Gaveston might have fathered another, illegitimate daughter ; one contemporary document refers to an " Amie filie Petri de Gaveston ".

His enemies join forces and threaten Edward with dethronment and exile ; Edwards is forced to comply with their wishes and sends Gaveston away.

As during the regency, though, there is no evidence that Gaveston exploited his position for his own advantage and he did nothing to alienate the local elite.

Significantly, though, Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, who had not been involved in the campaign to exile Gaveston, seems to have become disaffected at this time.

A proper burial could not be arranged while Gaveston was still excommunicate, and it was not until 2 January 1315, after the king had secured a papal absolution for his favourite, that he could have his body buried in an elaborate ceremony at the Dominican priory at Langley.