The England of Edward II is firmly embedded in Europe in every aspect of life: territorially, dynastically, socially, culturally, religiously and commercially. Awareness of these varied European contacts is clear in the writers of the fourteenth century and among modern historians. Some facets of these contacts have been quite fully explored, but others are rarely mentioned, and there is no full study of England's European contacts in all their aspects for this period. In particular, there is no study of formal government links at the diplomatic level, beyond the obviously important negotiations within the core north-south axis of Scotland, France and Avignon. And yet Edward had diplomatic contacts as extensive as his father's, stretching from Norway in the north to Portugal in the west and through the eastern Mediterranean to the Tartar Il-Khans of Persia. This paper is an initial survey, part of continuing research, which is intended to lead to a larger study. Here I simply want to draw attention to the wide scope of these government to government diplomatic contacts. At the very least, the management of foreign relations is a part of normal government activity, and a study of diplomatic contacts beyond England's immediate neighbours and the skill with which they were conducted might possibly add to how we view Edward II's reign.

The stimulus for this paper was my recent close re-reading of the Vita Edwardi Secundi, in which the author's main interest is clearly high domestic politics.