England

Edward I (1277-1307) was one of the greatest of English kings. The list of his accomplishments is long and includes legal and administrative reforms, recovery of royal prestige (badly damaged under John and Henry III), the conquest of Wales, and economic prosperity (though this was somewhat damaged by wars with France). He was succeeded smoothly by his son.

Edward II (1307-1326)

Edward II botched his turn at being king. He managed to alienate everyone of importance by favoring a few. In addition, he lost in war, something a king can never do with impunity.

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Edward II being offered a crown

When he came to power, his father had left him in a vulnerable position. Because of the wars with Scotland, Wales and France, the treasury was empty, meaning the first thing the young king should have done was to gain the support of his barons. The issue was pressing because Scotland was in open rebellion under Robert Bruce. Instead of consulting with his barons, though, most of whom were old friends of his father's, he relied on court favorites, who formed a personal council. This left him isolated internally.

He alienated support abroad, too. Relations with France should have been good. Edward II's wife was Isabella, daughter of King Philip IV of France. But Edward ignored his wife and snubbed her publicly, angering the French. In one of the more flagrant cases, he allowed one of his favorites to precede her in the coronation ceremonies.

Finally, another issue lurked beneath the surface: the proper relationship between the barons and the king. This had been a burning issue in his great-grandfather's day (King John, Magna Carta, and all that). It haunted his grandfather, Henry III, and brought the country to the verge of civil war twice. His father, Edward I, was skillful enough and successful enough at war that the issues were laid aside for a generation. But they were not resolved. The great men of England expected to have a powerful voice at court. Instead, they found themselves passed over for personal favorites, and commoners at that.

Edward II is a textbook example of the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time.