Edward II

After the death of his father, Edward II is crowned and immediately invites his former exile friend, Piers Gaveston, back to England. He showers Gaveston with gifts, titles, and displays of love, signaling an intimacy that unsettles the court.

Gaveston wastes no time asserting his power and personally tortures the Bishop of Winchester, who had banished him during the previous reign. The act signals the new king's brutal reach and foreshadows a court in upheaval. The bishop's torment marks Gaveston's perilous return to favor.

Edward's brother Kent publicly protests Gaveston's return, warning of serious consequences. Other nobles share his concern as fear of Gaveston's influence grows.

Lord Mortimer and the Bishop of Winchester join the royal opposition to Gaveston. Edward chooses to defend his lover against mounting enemies, fracturing the court's unity.

Queen Isabella, Edward's wife, vainly tries to win him back from Gaveston but is mercilessly rejected. Her efforts expose the strain in the royal marriage.

Gaveston inflames Isabella's desires by whispering obscenities in her ear, complicating political loyalties. The liaison deepens the court's divisions and makes Gaveston even more vulnerable.

As threats to Gaveston rise, Edward is forced to send his lover away to appease the nobles. The kingdom braces for a deeper rift between the king and his wife.

The lovers part, and their farewell is underscored by Annie Lennox's rendition of 'Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye'. The music marks the emotional cost of political pressure on their relationship.

Isabella hopes Gaveston's absence will allow reconciliation, but Edward again rejects her. In a last effort to regain his affection, she allows Gaveston to return, renewing the king's affair.

Isabella and Mortimer, now lovers, plot to rule the realm through Edward and the young prince, Edward III. Mortimer, a military man, leads the bid, setting the stage for civil strife.

Kent attempts to intervene to save his brother but is murdered by Isabella. The act underscores the dangerous convergence of personal vendetta and political ambition.

Mortimer tortures Gaveston and their friend Spencer, reveling in sadistic control. Meanwhile, a clash between police and the gay rights group Outrage underscores the era's volatility.

Gaveston and Spencer are assassinated; Edward, who has been thrown into a dungeon, learns of their deaths. The kingdom's collapse accelerates as the king's closest allies fall.

Edward is depicted to be executed by impalement in a dungeon, a nightmare that blurs with his awakening. The executioner, when he does arrive, discards the weapon and kisses the man he was sent to kill.

Back in the castle, Mortimer and Isabella briefly revel in their triumph. The neglected Edward III, wearing his mother's earrings and lipstick, walks atop a cage imprisoning his mother and Mortimer, listening to classical music on a Walkman.