One of the first things Edward II did on the death of his father was to recall the exiled Piers Gaveston. Once recalled to Edward's side, the king set about doing all he could for his beloved friend. That included a worthy marriage. The King's choice fell on his niece, Margaret de Clare. Margaret was also the sister of the young Earl of Gloucester and Eleanor Despencer. It's generally believed that Edward wanted to bring Piers into his own family, and marriage to Margaret would obviously do this. No doubt the match brought prestige to Piers as well. He would now hold a place amongst the aristocracy. Piers and Margaret were now Earl and Countess of Cornwall. Whilst Piers return from exile had generated criticism from chroniclers, and sometimes outright lies, there was very little response to his wedding.
We know the wedding was held at Berkhamsted, and that Edward was present. As ever, Edward was very generous to Piers. The bride and groom were given jewels to the value of £30. Margaret was given a fine palfrey worth £20 and Edward provided over £36 worth of gifts for Margaret's ladies. For entertainment, Edward spent £20 on minstrels. In another generous gesture, over £7 was given in coins to be thrown over the couple's heads as they went into the church. No doubt Piers was suitably dressed for the occasion, and it must have been a merry occasion.
Margaret has often been portrayed as a helpless pawn married off to her uncle's lover - which in some part may be true. But as the king's niece, she would have expected a husband to match her status. Love would not have been her main priority. She would have wished for a prestigious match in keeping with her status, and if her husband was kind to her and handsome as well, she would no doubt have considered herself lucky. We don't know for certain what the relationship between Edward and Piers was, whether chivalric brotherhood, a strong emotional bond or if they were lovers, but there is no reason to suppose Margaret was unhappy with her husband. Piers was older than Margaret, and it was a couple of years before they started a family, so Piers may have waited until Margaret was old enough to consummate the marriage. When they did conceive a child, Piers was later in his third exile and rushed back for the birth of his daughter. Something he didn't have to do.
Berkhamstead Castle is owned by English Heritage and is free to visit.
