The Horrific End of an Unfortunate Monarch
In 1326, Roger Mortimer and Queen Isabella invaded England. They executed the Despensers, and deposed Edward II. They replaced him with his fourteen-year-old son, who was crowned Edward III in January, 1327, with Mortimer as regent. That April, Mortimer heard of plots to rescue the deposed monarch, so had him relocated to a more secure site.
Reports of fresh plots to free Edward caused Mortimer to order him moved to various locations in the spring and summer of 1327. Eventually, the fear that one of the numerous plots might finally succeed led Mortimer to decide to end the problem once and for all. He would put Edward II beyond rescue by having him killed.
Edward’s killers did not want to leave marks of murder on the royal body. Contemptuous of the flighty monarch and his perceived effeminacy and homosexuality, they held him down and shoved a red hot poker up his rectum to burn his bowels from the inside. Another version has it that a tube was first inserted in his rectum, then a red hot metal bolt was dropped down the tube into his bowels. However he came to his end, Edward’s dying screams were reportedly heard for miles. Mortimer retained power as regent until 1330, when Edward III decided he was old enough to rule, seized Mortimer, and had him executed.
