Edward II is a 1991 British romantic historical drama film directed by Derek Jarman and starring Steven Waddington, Tilda Swinton and Andrew Tiernan.

The plot revolves around Edward II of England's infatuation with Piers Gaveston, which proves to be the downfall of both of them, thanks to the machinations of Roger Mortimer.

Once installed as king, following the death of his father, Edward II summons his friend and lover, Piers Gaveston, back to England from exile abroad, and showers him with gifts, titles, and abiding love.

A pleasure-seeker, Edward is quite distracted from the affairs of the state, much to the distress and anger of the court (somber men and women in business suits).

Mortimer, their leader, is a military man and practicing sadomasochist who takes a grim pleasure in personally torturing Gaveston and the lovers' friend Spencer, whom he addresses as "girl boy."

[3] Rolling Stone called it "a piercing cry from the heart"[4] and The Washington Post praised Jarman for "keeping the story streamlined and potently clear while retaining Marlowe's poetic period language".

Jarman's choice of artist, Annie Lennox, to sing Porter's song is anachronistic in and of itself; the film provides a structure in which two different points in time intersect, 1944 and 1991, represented by someone who fears queerness[11] and then by someone who advocates for the rights of the LGBT community.

[12] In fact, Lennox sang the song for the "film Edward II after recording it for the Red Hot + Blue AIDS awareness tribute album to Cole Porter”.

The Washington Post wrote that Jarman's "decision to have Annie Lennox serenade the departing Gaveston and his lover with a rendition of Cole Porter's "Every Time We Say Goodbye" is a brilliant stroke; it's Marlowe meets MTV".