History tells us that Edward II died at Berkeley Castle in 1327 in agony, with a red-hot poker inserted inside him. This is one of the most famous and lurid tales in all of English history. But is it true? Much evidence exists to suggest that Edward did not die at Berkeley Castle at all, but was still alive years after his supposed death. Many influential people believed that he was alive and acted on their belief, including several earls, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop and Mayor of London, the Italian Bishop of Vercelli, and numerous lords and sheriffs. In Long Live the King, medieval historian Kathryn Warner explores in detail Edward's downfall and forced abdication in 1326/27, the role played in it by his wife Isabella of France, the wide variation in chronicled accounts of his murder at Berkeley Castle, and the fascinating possibility that Edward was alive in Italy many years after his official funeral was held in Gloucester in December 1327.
