Editing Edward II of England (section)

==Background==
Edward II was the fourth son<ref>{{Harvnb|Haines|2003|p=3}}.</ref> of [[Edward I, King of England]], [[Lord of Ireland]], and ruler of [[Gascony]] in south-western France (which he held as the [[feudal]] vassal of the [[king of France]]),<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|1988|pp=13–14}}.</ref> and [[Eleanor, Countess of Ponthieu]] in northern France. Eleanor was from the [[Kingdom of Castile|Castilian]] royal family. Edward&nbsp;I proved a successful military leader, leading the [[Second Barons' War|suppression of the baronial revolts]] in the 1260s and joining the [[Ninth Crusade]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2003|p=33}}.</ref> During the 1280s he [[Conquest of Wales by Edward I of England|conquered North Wales]], removing the [[native Welsh]] princes from power and, in the 1290s, he [[Wars of Scottish Independence|intervened in Scotland's civil war]], claiming [[suzerainty]] over the country.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2003|pp=5–6}}.</ref> He was considered an extremely successful ruler by his contemporaries, largely able to control the powerful [[earl]]s that formed the senior ranks of the English nobility.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2003|p=38}}; {{Harvnb|Phillips|2011|p=5}}; {{Harvnb|Given-Wilson|1996|pp=29–30}}.</ref> The historian [[Michael Prestwich]] describes Edward&nbsp;I as "a king to inspire fear and respect", while [[John Gillingham]] characterises him as an "efficient bully".<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2003|p=38}}; {{Harvnb|Phillips|2011|p=5}}; {{Cite web |last=Gillingham |first=John |date=11 July 2008 |title=Hard on Wales |url=http://www.the-tls.co.uk/tls/reviews/history/article750063.ece |access-date=22 April 2014 |website=Times Literary Supplement |mode=cs2 |archive-date=25 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325201619/http://www.the-tls.co.uk/tls/reviews/history/article750063.ece |url-status=dead}}.</ref>

Despite Edward I's successes, when he died in 1307 he left a range of challenges for his son to resolve.<ref>{{Harvnb|Haines|2003|p=25}}.</ref> One of the most critical was the problem of English rule in Scotland, where Edward&nbsp;I's long but ultimately inconclusive military campaign was ongoing when he died.<ref>{{Harvnb|Haines|2003|p=241}}.</ref> His control of Gascony created tension with the French kings.<ref name="Brown1988P575">{{Harvnb|Brown|1988|p=575}}.</ref> They insisted that the English kings give [[Homage (feudal)|homage]] to them for the lands; the English kings saw this demand as insulting to their honour, and the issue remained unresolved.<ref name=Brown1988P575/> Edward&nbsp;I also faced increasing opposition from his barons over the taxation and requisitions required to resource his wars, and left his son debts of around £200,000 on his death.<ref>{{Harvnb|Phillips|2011|p=129}}; {{Harvnb|Prestwich|2003|pp=30–31, 93–94}}.</ref>{{Efn|It is impossible to accurately convert sums of medieval money into modern incomes and prices. For comparison, it cost Edward's father, Edward&nbsp;I, around £15,000 to build the [[Conwy Castle|castle]] and [[Conwy town walls|town walls]] of Conwy, while the annual income of a 14th-century nobleman such as [[Richard le Scrope, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton]], was around £600 a year.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ashbee|2007|p=9}}; {{Harvnb|Given-Wilson|1996|p=157}}.</ref>}}