Edmund Fitzalan, 2nd Earl of Arundel
Edmund Fitzalan, 2nd Earl of Arundel (1 May 1285 – 17 November 1326) was an English nobleman prominent in the conflict between King Edward II and his barons. His father, Richard Fitzalan, 1st Earl of Arundel, died in 1302, while Edmund was still a minor. He, therefore, became a ward of John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, and married Warenne's granddaughter, Alice. In 1306 he was styled Earl of Arundel, and served under Edward I in the Scottish Wars, for which he was richly rewarded.
Edmund Fitzalan | |
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Earl of Arundel | |
Tenure | 1306–1326 |
Predecessor | Richard Fitzalan, 1st Earl of Arundel |
Successor | Richard Fitzalan, 3rd Earl of Arundel |
Known for | Adherence to Edward II |
Years active | 1306–1326 |
Born | 1 May 1285 Marlborough Castle, Wiltshire |
Died | 17 November 1326 41) Hereford | (aged
Cause of death | Executed |
Buried | Haughmond Abbey, Shropshire 52.73249°N 2.67970°W |
Nationality | English |
Residence | Arundel Castle |
Locality | Welsh Marches, Sussex |
Wars and battles | Scottish Wars Despenser War |
Offices | Justice of Wales, Warden of the Marches of Scotland |
Spouse(s) | Alice de Warenne |
Issue | Richard Fitzalan, 3rd Earl of Arundel (among others...) |
Parents |
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After Edward I's death, Arundel became part of the opposition to the new king Edward II, and his favourite Piers Gaveston. In 1311 he was one of the so-called Lords Ordainers who assumed control of the government from the king. Together with Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, he was responsible for the death of Gaveston in 1312. From this point on, however, his relationship with the king became more friendly. This was to a large extent due to his association with the king's new favourite Hugh Despenser the Younger, whose daughter was married to Arundel's son. Arundel supported the king in suppressing rebellions by Roger Mortimer and other marcher lords, and eventually also Thomas of Lancaster. For this, he was awarded land and offices.
His fortune changed, however, when the country was invaded in 1326 by Mortimer, who had made common cause with the king's wife, Queen Isabella. Immediately after the capture of Edward II, the queen, Edward III's regent, ordered Arundel executed, his title forfeit and his property confiscated. Arundel's son and heir Richard only recovered the title and lands in 1331, after Edward III had taken power from the regency of Isabella and Mortimer. In the 1390s, a cult emerged around the late earl. He was venerated as a martyr, though he was never canonised.