Thomas Plantagent, Earl of Lancaster (* 1278, † 22 March 1322) was the eldest son of Edmund Crouchback, brother of Edward I. His mother Blanche d’Artois was a niece of Louis IX of France. He married Alice de Lacy, the only surviving child of Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, in 1294. Through the inheritance of his father († 1296) and father-in-law († 1311), Lancaster became the richest landowner in England after the king. Initially he was highly in favour with his cousin Edward II. It was not until 1308 that the relationship deteriorated. The leader of the aristocratic opposition that achieved Gaveston’s exile at the time, however, was Lincoln. Lancaster did not assume this position until about two years later. He was one of the 21 lords who enforced the so-called Ordinances and another exile of Gaveston. When the latter returned without permission, Lancaster ensured the capture of the favourite and was ultimately also one of the "judges" who decided his execution. After the Bannnockburn disaster, Edward II’s position was so weakened that his cousin defacto took over the power of government.
Lancaster was the king’s closest male relative and the richest magnate in the country; he had little interest in administration and was not a gifted politician. Whenever he was not satisfied with decisions of the king or the parliament, he retreated to his estates. By 1316 he had isolated himself politically. The resulting power vacuum was filled by new minions, including the Despensers. Lancaster observed the development from afar with concern, without really taking action against it. He also supported the Marcher Lords in the fight against the Despensers rather half-heartedly at first. Nevertheless, he had to face the royal army at the Battle of Boroughbridge on 16 March 1322 and lost. He was given a mock trial presided over by Edward II, the Despensers and the Earl of Arundel. Soon after his beheading, it was said that miracles would happen at his grave in the church of Pontefract. Although Lancaster had not received much sympathy from any section of the population throughout his life, the people began to venerate him as a martyr until the Reformation.
Edward II
Lancaster is the highest-ranking lord of the noble opposition to the king. Together with Mortimer, he appeals to Edward II’s statesmanlike responsibility. In [Scene 6] they both list all the domestic and foreign policy grievances for which the king is responsible in the eyes of the lords. Marlowe mixes the historical with the contemporary, such as the increasing aggression of the Danes towards English ships or the conflict of the Ó Néills in Ireland.
