King Edward II had the advantage of a young and sympathetic nobility when he succeeded his father in 1307, and the troubles with which his reign has been associated were not apparent at this point. These difficulties were largely caused by his appointment of Piers Gaveston to the earldom of Cornwall immediately after the accession. Gaveston was a relative upstart, and was seen as arrogant by the established nobility. He was considered to have far too much influence over the king, and had already been exiled once by Edward I. Matters were made worse by the fact that it was the earldom of Cornwall he was given, as this earldom had long been thought of as inalienable from the crown. Thomas of Lancaster gradually emerged as the leader of the opposition against the king, particularly after the death of the old and esteemed Henry de Lacy, who had up until then been a moderating force. Lancaster's closest associate was the earl of Warwick, who was even more fervent in his antagonism than Lancaster. Other earls, like Hertford and Pembroke, remained essentially loyal to the king. List of peers See also List of earldoms Notes b. The title had been dormant since the death without issue of Hugh d'Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel in 1243, and though Richard's father John FitzAlan, lord of Arundel is sometimes styled earl of Arundel in the literature, he never used this title. Richard FitzAlan was the first of the FitzAlan family to be styled earl of Arundel by contemporaries. c. In 1302 Roger granted his lands to the king, and received them back for life. Henceat his deathhis lands and title reverted to the crown. References Bibliography England and Ireland 1300-1309 14th century in England 14th century in Ireland Titled