In August and October 1311, the English parliament completed and published the Ordinances of 1311, a set of regulations that transferred effective government from King Edward II to a committee of twenty-one barons known as the Lord Ordainers. The ordinances aimed to curb royal patronage, banish the king's favorite Piers Gaveston, and reform the royal household. This constitutional crisis severely weakened Edward's authority and led to civil war.

The Ordinances of 1311 and the subsequent conflict are reflected in contemporary political poetry and chronicle verse, including the 'Vita Edwardi Secundi' and 'The Chronicles of England'. The struggle between Edward II and his barons became a recurring theme in later historical drama and poetry, most famously in Christopher Marlowe's 'Edward II'. The event highlights the use of legal and political documents as sources for poetic and dramatic narratives.