Editing House of Lancaster (section)

==Origin of the Earls of Lancaster==

After the supporters of [[Henry III of England]] suppressed opposition from the English nobility in the [[Second Barons' War]], Henry granted to his second son [[Edmund Crouchback]] the titles and possessions forfeited by [[attainder]] of the barons' leader, [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester]], including the [[Earl of Leicester|Earldom of Leicester]], on 26 October 1265. Later grants included the first [[Earl of Lancaster|Earldom of Lancaster]] on 30 June 1267 and that of [[Earl Ferrers]] in 1301. Edmund was also [[Count of Champagne]] and Brie from 1276 by right of his wife.<ref name="Weir2008"/> [[Henry IV of England]] would later use his descent from Edmund to legitimise his claim to the throne, even making the spurious claim that Edmund was the elder son of Henry but had been passed over as king because of his deformity.<ref name=Weir1995>{{harvnb|Weir|1995|p=40}}</ref>

[[File:Edmond1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Seal (emblem)|Seal]] of Edmund Crouchback]] Edmund's second marriage to [[Blanche of Artois]], the widow of [[Henry I of Navarre|the King of Navarre]], placed him at the centre of the European aristocracy. Blanche's daughter [[Joan I of Navarre]] was queen regnant of Navarre and through her marriage to [[Philip IV of France]] was queen consort of France. Edmund's son [[Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster|Thomas]] became the most powerful nobleman in England, gaining the Earldoms of [[Earl of Lincoln|Lincoln]] and [[Earl of Salisbury|Salisbury]] through marriage to the heiress of [[Henry de Lacy, 3rd Earl of Lincoln]]. His income was £11,000 per annum{{mdash}}double that of the next wealthiest earl.<ref name="Jones2012p371"/>

Thomas and his younger brother [[Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster|Henry]] served in the [[Coronation of the British monarch|coronation]] of their cousin King [[Edward II of England]] on 25 February 1308; Thomas carried Curtana, the [[Sword of Mercy]], and Henry carried the royal sceptre.<ref name=Jones2012p363>{{harvnb|Jones|2012|p=363}}</ref> After initially supporting Edward, Thomas became one of the [[Lords Ordainers]], who demanded the banishment of [[Piers Gaveston]] and the governance of the realm by a baronial council. After Gaveston was captured, Thomas took the lead in his trial and execution at Warwick in 1312.<ref name=Jones2012p375>{{harvnb|Jones|2012|pp=375–178}}</ref> Edward's authority was weakened by poor governance and defeat by the Scots at the [[Battle of Bannockburn]]. This allowed Thomas to restrain Edward's power by republishing the [[Ordinances of 1311]]. Following this achievement Thomas took little part in the governance of the realm and instead retreated to [[Pontefract Castle]].<ref name=Jones2012p390>{{harvnb|Jones|2012|p=390}}</ref> This allowed Edward to regroup and re-arm, leading to a fragile peace in August 1318 with the [[Treaty of Leake]]. In 1321 Edward's rule again collapsed into civil war. Thomas raised a northern army but was defeated and captured at the [[Battle of Boroughbridge]] in March 1322. He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered but because he was Edward's cousin he was given a quicker death by beheading.<ref name=Jones2012p400>{{harvnb|Jones|2012|p=400}}</ref>

Henry joined the revolt of Edward's wife [[Isabella of France]] and [[Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March|Mortimer]] in 1326, pursuing and capturing Edward at [[Neath]] in South Wales.<ref name="Jones2012p400"/> Following Edward's deposition at the Parliament of Kenilworth in 1326 and reputed murder at [[Berkeley Castle]],<ref name=Davies1999>{{harvnb|Davies|1999|p=381}}</ref> Thomas's conviction was posthumously reversed and Henry regained possession of the Earldoms of Lancaster, Derby, Salisbury and Lincoln that had been forfeit for Thomas's treason. His restored prestige led to him knighting the young King [[Edward III of England]] before his coronation.<ref name=Jones2012p422>{{harvnb|Jones|2012|p=422}}</ref> Mortimer lost support over the [[Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton]] that formalised Scotland's independence, and his developing power in the [[Welsh Marches]] provoked jealousy from the barons. When Mortimer called a parliament to make his new powers and estates permanent with the title of [[Earl of March]] in 1328, Henry led the opposition and held a counter-meeting. In response, Mortimer ravaged the lands of Lancaster and checked the revolt. Edward III was able to assume control in 1330 but Henry's further influence was restricted by poor health and blindness for the last fifteen years of his life.<ref>{{harvnb|Waugh|2004}}; {{harvnb|Lee|1997|p=115}}</ref>