did not go.^50 Maybe the explanation is that, whilst the king was trying to
put the past behind them in the face of a new and much more dangerous
threat, Henry was unwilling to do so, holding out for greater signs of
renewed royal favour. If this is the correct interpretation of what was
happening, then he got his wish. It seems that, at around this time, Henry
was appointed as tutor to the heir to the throne, the future Edward III.^51
This was tremendously significant–and not just in the longer term. In
early 1325, Queen Isabella travelled to France herself to bring about
the peace in Aquitaine that was so desperately needed. The terms of
the settlement included that Prince Edward should be invested with the
duchy and do homage for it. Henry accompanied his ward across the
Channel, and the French king duly received young Edward’s homage on
24 September.^52 It was at this juncture, though, that Queen Isabella, with
her son in her power, refused to return home to her husband. Instead,
she set herself at the head of the opposition to King Edward and the
house of Despenser, along with Roger Mortimer, who soon became her
lover. Forced to choose between the king and the queen, Henry opted for
the latter. He was present at Mons when it was agreed that Prince
Edward would marry Philippa of Hainault, so supplying much of the
military muscle that was needed for the projected invasion of England.^53
Whilst Henry’s role in the actual campaign was notably smaller and less
distinguished than we might expect, he was part of the great gathering
that declared young Edward to be the keeper of the realm.^54 Soon
afterwards, Edward II was captured in south Wales and forced to abdi-
cate. Although his end has attracted a wide range of fantastic stories, it is
difficult to doubt that he had been murdered in prison by the end of
1327.^55 By then, his former friend and ally, Henry, had rounded off an
adroit move to the‘winning’side by attending the coronation of King
Edward III in Westminster Abbey.^56
The Beaumonts would have expected a good return from their skilful
political manoeuvring. In thefirst parliament of the new king, Henry and
his sister Isabella successfully petitioned for indemnity against the penal-
ties imposed on them by the Ordinances, and Henry was rewarded, still
(^50) See the suggestions inibid., 468 n. 87. (^51) Ormrod,Edward III, 22.
(^52) Ibid., 33. It is worth noting that Henry was officially appointed as the boy’s guardian,
along with bishops Stratford and Stapledon (Calendar of Patent Rolls: Edward II,v,
170 – 1, 174–5).
(^53) See Ormrod,Edward III,39–40. (^54) Calendar of the Close Rolls: Edward II, iv, 655–6.
(^55) Edward’s‘deposition, death and afterlives’are entertainingly discussed in Phillips,
56 Edward II, 520–606.
Calendar of the Close Rolls: Edward III, i, 100.
154 Hubris and Nemesis (c. 1311–1356)