As soon as Edward II recalled Piers Gaveston from exile he set about making Piers part of his family - the Royal family. The best way to do this of course was marriage. The bride chosen was Margaret de Clare, the king's niece from his sister Joan of Acre and her husband Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester. Piers had been made Earl of Cornwall in August, before his marriage to Margaret de Clare. What is interesting to note is that Piers' Coat of Arms as Earl of Cornwall already had the arms of the Clare family as part of it's design - before the marriage had taken place. It seems clear the marriage had been planned for some time.
The marriage itself took place at Berkhamstead on November 1st. The King himself attended, along with some of the nobility. Naturally, Edward's generous character was on show. There's very little mention of the wedding ceremony in the chronicles, but we do know Edward gave £30 of jewels to the couple, gave Margaret a palfrey worth £20, another £20 on minstrels, gifts for her ladies worth £36 and he even arranged for coins worth over £7 to be thrown over the couple at the church entrance. It must have been a day of great celebration for Edward and Piers, and hopefully Margaret. Whether her brother approved, we just don't know, but then his sister would now be Countess of Cornwall, and married to the King's favourite.
