Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Miscellaneous Frontmatter
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 The Character of Edward II: The Letters of Edward of Caernarfon Reconsidered
- 2 The Sexualities of Edward II
- 3 Sermons of Sodomy: A Reconsideration of Edward II's Sodomitical Reputation
- 4 The Court of Edward II
- 5 Household Knights and Military Service Under the Direction of Edward II
- 6 England in Europe in the Reign of Edward II
- 7 The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel? Edward II and Ireland, 1321–7
- 8 Edward II: The Public and Private Faces of the Law
- 9 Parliament and Political Legitimacy in the Reign of Edward II
- 10 The Childhood and Household of Edward II's Half-Brothers, Thomas of Brotherton and Edmund of Woodstock
- 11 Rise of a Royal Favourite: the Early Career of Hugh Despenser the Elder
- 12 The Place of the Reign of Edward II
- Index
- YORK MEDIEVAL PRESS: PUBLICATIONS
8 - Edward II: The Public and Private Faces of the Law
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 September 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Miscellaneous Frontmatter
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 The Character of Edward II: The Letters of Edward of Caernarfon Reconsidered
- 2 The Sexualities of Edward II
- 3 Sermons of Sodomy: A Reconsideration of Edward II's Sodomitical Reputation
- 4 The Court of Edward II
- 5 Household Knights and Military Service Under the Direction of Edward II
- 6 England in Europe in the Reign of Edward II
- 7 The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel? Edward II and Ireland, 1321–7
- 8 Edward II: The Public and Private Faces of the Law
- 9 Parliament and Political Legitimacy in the Reign of Edward II
- 10 The Childhood and Household of Edward II's Half-Brothers, Thomas of Brotherton and Edmund of Woodstock
- 11 Rise of a Royal Favourite: the Early Career of Hugh Despenser the Elder
- 12 The Place of the Reign of Edward II
- Index
- YORK MEDIEVAL PRESS: PUBLICATIONS
Summary
In terms of legal theory, the king was regarded as God's representative on earth: he was responsible for promulgating just laws, he headed the judicial system (the writs and courts sessions operating in his name) and was held to be the fount of justice. At his coronation he undertook to uphold the laws and customs of the realm and do justice to all. This paper engages not simply with the monarch's theoretical duties and the restraints upon his executive power, but with his real life actions, his inaction, and the ‘virtual reality’ of kingship. Rather than focusing on the institutions of government and the operation of the legal system, therefore, it examines Edward's personal role in the administration of justice and the impact of the king's physical presence (or absence) in particular situations. At his deposition Edward was charged with a failure to do justice and there were allegations that he had been counselled to disregard the laws. Public perceptions of Edward's attitude towards the law are examined and the paper seeks to revise existing views on the extent to which he was involved in or even cared about judicial matters. In so doing, recourse has been made to both textual sources (the various chronicles of the reign and surviving legal records) and visual images (as found in chronicles, genealogies, treatises and statute books).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Reign of Edward IINew Perspectives, pp. 140 - 164Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2006