After his flight from Gloucester, Edward had wandered through the Welsh march to Chepstow, whence he took ship, hoping to make sail to Lundy, which Despenser had latterly acquired, and perhaps ultimately to Ireland.  But contrary winds kept him in the narrows of the Bristol Channel, and on October 27 he landed again at Cardiff.  A few days later he was at Caerphilly, but afraid to entrust himself to the protection of the mightiest of marcher castles, he moved restlessly from place to place in Glamorgan and Gower, imploring the help of the tenants of the Despensers, and issuing vain summonses and commissions that no one obeyed.  Discovered by the local knowledge of Rhys ap Howel, or betrayed by those whom the Welshman’s gold had corrupted, Edward was captured on November 16 in Neath abbey.  With him Baldock and the younger Despenser were also taken.  On November 20 the favourite was put to death at Hereford, while Baldock, saved from immediate execution by his clerkly privilege, was consigned to the cruel custody of Orleton, only to perish a few months later of ill-treatment.  To Hereford also was brought Edmund of Arundel, captured in Shropshire, and condemned to suffer the fate of the Despensers.  The king was entrusted to the custody of Henry of Leicester, who conveyed him to his castle of Kenilworth, where the unfortunate monarch passed the winter, “treated not otherwise than a captive king ought to be treated”.

It only remained to complete the revolution by making provision for the future government of England.  With this object a parliament was summoned, at first by the Duke of Aquitaine in his father’s name, and afterwards more regularly by writs issued under the great seal.  It met on January 7, 1327, at Westminster, and, after the York precedent of 1322, contained representatives of Wales as well as of the three estates of England.  Orleton, the spokesman of Mortimer, asked the estates whether they would have Edward II. or his son as their ruler.  The London mob loudly declared for the Duke of Aquitaine, and none of the members of parliament ventured to raise a voice in favour of the unhappy king, save four prelates of whom the most important was the steadfast Archbishop Melton.  The southern primate, deserting his old master, declared that the voice of the people was the voice of God.  Stratford drew up six articles, in which he set forth that Edward of Carnarvon was incompetent to govern, led by evil counsellors, a despiser of the wholesome advice of the “great and wise men of the realm,” neglectful of business, and addicted to unprofitable pleasures; that by his lack of good government he had lost Scotland, Ireland, and Gascony; that he had injured Holy Church, and had done to death or driven into exile many great men; that he had broken his coronation oath, and that it was hopeless to expect amendment from him.