Editing Edward II of England (section)

===Court===
[[File:Cambridge 1575 colour Trinity College.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=detail of 1575 map|1575 map of [[Cambridge]] showing the [[King's Hall, Cambridge|King's Hall]] (top left) founded by Edward]]

Edward's royal court was itinerant, travelling around the country with him.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2006|p=64}}.</ref> When housed in Westminster Palace, the court occupied a complex of two halls, seven chambers and three [[chapel]]s, along with other smaller rooms, but, due to the Scottish conflict, the court spent much of its time in Yorkshire and Northumbria.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2006|pp=64–65}}; {{Harvnb|Rubin|2006|p=33}}.</ref> At the heart of the court was Edward's royal household, in turn divided into the "hall" and the "chamber"; the size of the household varied over time, but in 1317 was around five hundred people, including household knights, squires, and kitchen and transport staff.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2006|p=63}}.</ref> The household was surrounded by a wider group of courtiers, and appears to have also attracted a circle of prostitutes and criminal elements.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2006|pp=63, 65}}.</ref>

Music and minstrels were very popular at Edward's court, but hunting appears to have been a much less important activity, and there was little emphasis on chivalric events.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2006|pp=69, 72}}.</ref> Edward was interested in buildings and paintings, but less so in literary works, which were not extensively sponsored at court.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2006|pp=66–68}}.</ref> There was an extensive use of gold and silver plates, jewels and enamelling at court, which would have been richly decorated.<ref name=Prestwich2006P69/>{{Efn|Among his more esoteric valuables, Edward had a pitcher, allegedly made from a [[griffin]]'s egg.<ref name="Prestwich2006P69">{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2006|p=69}}.</ref>}} Edward kept a [[camel]] as a pet and, as a young man, took a [[lion]] with him on campaign to Scotland.<ref>{{Harvnb|Phillips|2011|p=75}}.</ref> The court could be entertained in exotic ways: by an Italian [[snake-charmer]] in 1312, and the following year by 54 nude French dancers.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2006|pp=61, 69}}; {{Harvnb|Phillips|2011|p=75}}; {{Harvnb|Rubin|2006|p=33}}.</ref>{{Efn|The historian Miri Rubin argues that the displays show a lack of royal decorum. The historian Michael Prestwich notes that these court events imply to many "a decadent extravagance, fitting the familiar stereotype of the king", but goes on to argue that the court was really "conventional, and perhaps even rather dull"; Seymour Phillips questions if the naked French dancers were genuinely extravagant or simply intended to fit in with local French royal culture.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|2006|pp=61, 74}}; {{Harvnb|Phillips|2011|p=75}}; {{Harvnb|Rubin|2006|p=33}}.</ref>}}