This is the Tudors Dynasty podcast.

And now, Ask the Expert with Steph.

I'm your host, Steph Storer, and today I'm joined by the wonderful and talented author historian Catherine Warner to discuss not necessarily

a tutor figure today, but a rather important and interesting figure in British royal history nonetheless.

And that man is Edward II.

Now Edward the second, son of Edward I, or Longshanks, does not have a great reputation.

So I'm really excited to be here with you, Catherine, to find out more of the history, dispel some of the

rumors, and get to know Edward a little bit better. Welcome. Yeah, hello, Steph. Thank you. Thanks so

much for inviting me. I'm really happy to be here.

I'm really excited to have the opportunity. Yeah, we're so excited to chat about it. So I think since

a lot of our listeners are mostly familiar with tutor history, let's start off with a little bit of

background. Can you give us a quick biography of Edward II before Before we go ahead and jump into the listener questions.

Certainly, yes, of course.

So Edward II was the King of England from 1307 to 1327, and he was the fourth son of Edward I,

but the eldest one who survived into childhood.

So succeeded his father as king in 1307.

Via his mother, Eleanor of Castile, he was partly Spanish, and his grandfather, in fact,

was San Fernando, aka King Fernando, the third of Castile and Leon.

And Edward was the first English king who was forced to abdicate his throne in 1327.

And his reign was exceedingly turbulent and dramatic.

So I'll hope I'll be able to give you an introduction to him and to his reign today.

This brief interruption is brought to you by, well, me.

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