The Despenser War (1321–22) was a baronial revolt against Edward II of England led by the Marcher Lords Roger Mortimer and Humphrey de Bohun. The rebellion was fuelled by opposition to Hugh Despenser the Younger, the royal favourite. After the rebels' summer campaign of 1321, Edward was able to take advantage of a temporary peace to rally more support and a successful winter campaign in southern Wales, culminating in royal victory at the Battle of Boroughbridge in the north of England in March 1322. Edward's response to victory was his increasingly harsh rule until his fall from power in 1326.
Caerphilly Castle, one of the Despenser properties Roger Mortimer seized in May 1321.
The River Severn where King Edward II defeated the Marcher Lords.
King Edward II, whose domination by his favourites, the Despensers, led to the Despenser War
15th-century illustration showing Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer; execution of Hugh Despenser the Younger in the background
Edward II, also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne following the death of his older brother Alphonso. Beginning in 1300, Edward accompanied his father on campaigns in Scotland, and in 1306 he was knighted in a grand ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Edward succeeded to the throne the next year, following his father's death. In 1308, he married Isabella of France, the daughter of the powerful King Philip IV, as part of a long-running effort to resolve the tensions between the English and French crowns.
Effigy in Gloucester Cathedral
Caernarfon Castle, Edward's birthplace
Portrait in Westminster Abbey, thought to be of Edward's father, Edward I
Early 14th-century depiction of Edward I (left) declaring his son Edward (right) the Prince of Wales