Isabella of Valois (1389-c. 1410) | Encyclopedia.com By 1325, Isabella was facing increasing pressure from Hugh Despenser the Younger, Edward's new royal favourite. She overthrew her husband, becoming a "femme fatale" figure in plays and literature over the years, usually portrayed as a beautiful but cruel and manipulative figure. Isabella was brought up in and around the Louvre Palace and the Palais de la Cit in Paris. Isabellas son Edward III of England claimed the throne of France in the 1330s as the only surviving grandson of Philip IV, and began what much later became known as the Hundred Years War. [61] With the Scottish army marching south, Isabella expressed considerable concern about her personal safety and requested assistance from Edward. With her lands in England seized, her children taken away from her and her household staff arrested, Isabella began to pursue other options. After the accession of Edward III (1327), Isabella and Mortimer enjoyed a brief period of influence, until 1330, when the young king asserted his independence by the arrest and execution of Mortimer. Their itineraries demonstrate that they were together nine months prior to the births of all four surviving offspring. Edward tried ordering her to return, but she claimed to fear for her life at the hands of the Despensers. The Wild Life of English Queen Isabella, She-Wolf of France aka the Isabella of France - Wikipedia [55] This was condemned by contemporary chroniclers, and is felt to have caused concern to Isabella as well;[56] some of those widows being persecuted included her friends. In 1325 she returned to France. Edmund Fitzalan, a key supporter of Edward II and who had received many of Mortimer's confiscated lands in 1322, was executed on 17 November. Princess Isabella of France was married at the age of 12 to Prince Edward II of England. Why did Isabella not return to England? English claims to the French throne - Wikipedia Fourteenth century English Queen Isabella, the She-Wolf of France aka the Rebel Queen, was a complex, violent person who drank heavily but who was charitable to the poor and well-liked by her people. Henry later named Isabella his successor, but withdrew his support when she married Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1469. This description was probably not simply flattery by a chronicler, since both Isabella's father and brothers were considered very handsome men by contemporaries, and her husband was to nickname her "Isabella the Fair". Roger Mortimer, 3 rd Baron Mortimer of Wigmore (1287-1330,) an exiled baron living in Paris, and Isabella became lovers by the end of the year. Queen Isabella - HistoryNet Father. [129], By the end of 1328 the situation had descended into near civil war once again, with Lancaster mobilising his army against Isabella and Mortimer. She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre. [158] Additionally, Wallace is incorrectly suggested to be the father of her son, Edward III, despite Wallace's death being many years before Edward's birth. In all of these versions, it is argued that it suited Isabella and Mortimer to publicly claim that Edward was dead, even if they were aware of the truth. The idea that her son locked her up in Castle Rising in Norfolk and that she went mad is merely a (much later) fabrication with no basis whatsoever in fact. [43], Meanwhile, Hugh de Despenser the Younger became an increasing favourite of Isabella's husband, and was believed by some to have begun a sexual relationship with him around this time. Isabella was notable in her lifetime for her diplomatic skills, intelligence, and beauty. Mortimer was a man with the ability and the will to lead an invasion of England and destroy Hugh Despenser and his father, the Earl of Winchester, and, if need be, bring down the king himself. Charles went on to refuse to return the lands in Aquitaine to Edward, resulting in a provisional agreement under which Edward resumed administration of the remaining English territories in early 1326 whilst France continued to occupy the rest. [36] Isabella and Edward then returned to England with new assurances of French support against the English barons. She became increasingly interested in religion as she grew older, visiting a number of shrines. Isabella of France - PressReader In 1330, aged 18, Edward III forcibly asserted his authority. Weir 2006, p. 154; see Mortimer, 2004 pp. Edward attempted to quash the Scots in a fresh campaign in 1314, resulting in the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Bannockburn. Isabella's mother, Joan of Navarre, was Thomas of Lancaster's older half-sister. [44] Hugh was the same age as Edward. [42] Suspicions fell on Lancaster, and one of Edward's knights, Edmund Darel, was arrested on charges of having betrayed her location, but the charges were essentially unproven. 8. Isabella was too young to play any role in English politics for a few years, and likewise too young to be Edwards wife in more than name only. The three brothers were the last kings of the Capetian dynasty that had ruled France since 987. Parliament was convened the next month, where Mortimer was put on trial for treason. [118] Mortimer, in effect her first minister, after a restrained beginning, also began to accumulate lands and titles at a tremendous rate, particularly in the Marcher territories. [43] In 1320, Isabella accompanied Edward to France, to try and convince her brother, Philip V, to provide fresh support to crush the English barons. Hugh Despenser the Younger was sentenced to be brutally executed on 24 November, and a huge crowd gathered in anticipation at seeing him die. The only French territory left to the English was Calais which they held until 1558 and the Channel Islands . Edward I: man of principle or grasping opportunist? [87], Having evaded Edward's fleet, which had been sent to intercept them,[88] Isabella and Mortimer landed at Orwell on the east coast of England on 24 September with a small force; estimates of Isabella's army vary from between 300 and around 2,000 soldiers, with 1,500 being a popular middle figure. Isabella was not a person to tolerate such disrespect. [39], Despite Isabella giving birth to her second son, John, in 1316, Edward's position was precarious. Isabella and Edward II were finally married at Boulogne-sur-Mer on 25 January 1308. Edward therefore sent his elder son and heir Edward of Windsor, not quite 13 years old, in his place to perform the ceremony in September 1325. By 1326, Isabella found herself at increasing odds with both Edward and Hugh, ultimately resulting in Isabella's own bid for power and an invasion of England. Her father, Philippe IV, was also known as Philippe le Bel, because along with his many other sterling qualities he was also, apparently, extremely good-looking. Why not try 6 issues of BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed for 9.99 delivered straight to your door + FREE access to HistoryExtra.com. [157] The "She-Wolf" epithet stuck, and Bertolt Brecht re-used it in The Life of Edward II of England (1923). Isabella was held under house arrest for a while, and was forced to give up the vast lands and income she had appropriated; she had awarded herself 20,000 marks or 13,333 pounds a year, the largest income anyone in England received (the kings excepted) in the entire Middle Ages. Edward was still relying upon his French in-lawsIsabella's uncle Louis, for example, had been sent from Paris to assist himbut Hugh Despenser the Elder now formed part of the inner circle, marking the beginning of the Despensers' increased prominence at Edward's court. [60] Worse still, later in the year Isabella was caught up in the failure of another of Edward's campaigns in Scotland, in a way that permanently poisoned her relationship with both Edward and the Despensers. The French chronicler Guillaume de Nangis and English chronicler Thomas Walsingham describe her as 12 years old at the time of her marriage in January 1308, placing her birth between January 1295 and of 1296. On 19 October 1330, still a month short of his 18th birthday, the king launched a dramatic coup against the pair at Nottingham Castle, and had Mortimer hanged on 29 November. [21] Furthermore, there is the question of Edward's sexuality in a period when homosexuality of any sort was considered a serious crime, but there is no direct evidence of his sexual orientation. [106] The council concluded that Edward would be legally deposed and placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. Isabella fell from power when her son, Edward III deposed Mortimer in a coup, taking back royal authority for himself. Edward, highly dependent on Despenser, refused. Having promised to return to England by the summer, Isabella reached Paris in March 1325, and rapidly agreed a truce in Gascony, under which Prince Edward, then thirteen years old, would come to France to give homage on his father's behalf. [88] Isabella struck west again, reaching Oxford on 2 October where she was "greeted as a saviour" Adam Orleton, the Bishop of Hereford, emerged from hiding to give a lecture to the university on the evils of the Despensers. [13] For his part, Charles replied that the, "queen has come of her own will and may freely return if she wishes. Joan I of Navarre. [83] She then used this money plus an earlier loan from Charles[84] to raise a mercenary army, scouring Brabant for men, which were added to a small force of Hainaut troops. Isabellas first interventions in politics were conciliatory. [citation needed], Three recent historians, however, have offered an alternative interpretation of events. Her father gave financial support to the anti-Gaveston faction at the English court through Isabella and her household, which eventually led to Edward being forced to banish him to Ireland for a brief period. Isabella of France married King Edward II of England in Boulogne, northern France, on 25 January 1308 when she was 12 and he was 23. Isabella's reputation in France suffered somewhat as a result of her perceived role in the affair. Under this treaty, Isabella's daughter Joan would marry David Bruce (heir apparent to the Scottish throne) and Edward III would renounce any claims on Scottish lands, in exchange for the promise of Scottish military aid against any enemy except the French, and 20,000 in compensation for the raids across northern England. Joined there by her son, the future Edward III, she announced her refusal to return to England until the Despensers were removed from court. Edward III initially opposed this policy, before eventually relenting,[121] leading to the Treaty of Northampton. [128] In a move guaranteed to appeal to domestic opinion, Isabella also decided to pursue Edward III's claim on the French throne, sending her advisers to France to demand official recognition of his claim. [14] Isabella was said to resemble her father, and not her mother, queen regnant of Navarre, a plump, plain woman. [30] Edward left Isabella, rather against her will, at Tynemouth Priory in Northumberland whilst he unsuccessfully attempted to fight the barons. [156], Queen Isabella appeared with a major role in Christopher Marlowe's play Edward II (c. 1592) and thereafter has been frequently used as a character in plays, books and films, often portrayed as beautiful but manipulative or wicked. She never met her husbands father Edward I (or Longshanks), who had died on 7 July 1307, and she certainly never met William Wallace (as depicted in Braveheart), who had been executed on 23 August 1305. Taking Prince Edward with them, Isabella and Mortimer left the French court in summer 1326 and travelled north to William I, Count of Hainaut. They were John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, in August 1316; Eleanor of Woodstock, duchess of Guelders, in June 1318; and Joan of the Tower, queen of Scotland, in July 1321. Isabella's wardrobe gives some indications of her wealth and styleshe had dresses of baudekyn, velvet, taffeta and cloth, along with numerous furs; she had over 72 headdresses and coifs; she brought with her two gold crowns, gold and silver dinnerware and 419 yards of linen. Isabella herself had a complicated relationship with Gaveston. Using her own supporters at court and the patronage of her French family, Isabella attempted to find a political path through these challenges. Isabella ruled as regent until 1330, when her son, Edward deposed Mortimer in turn and ruled directly in his own right. England was conquered by a "Frenchman," William the Conqueror, not France. Joined there by her son, the future Edward III, she announced her refusal to return to England until the Despensers were removed from court. Within the first few weeks, Isabella had granted herself almost 12,000;[113] finding that Edward's royal treasury contained 60,000, a rapid period of celebratory spending then ensued. Mortimer's uncle, Roger Mortimer de Chirk finally died in prison, but Mortimer managed to escape the Tower in August 1323, making a hole in the stone wall of his cell and then escaping onto the roof, before using rope ladders provided by an accomplice to get down to the River Thames, across the river and then on eventually to safety in France. House of Capet. In 1312, Isabella gave birth to the future Edward III, but by the end of the year Edward's court was beginning to change. During the height of the influence of the kings favourite Piers Gaveston and after Gavestons murder in 1312, she attempted to promote peace between Edward and the barons. Isabella the 'She-Wolf of France' - English Monarchs Eventually she was allowed to leave England, and was married to her cousin, Charles Valois, the duke of Orlans and count of Angoulme, on June 29, 1406. [150], As the years went by, Isabella became very close to her daughter Joan, especially after Joan left her unfaithful husband, King David II of Scotland, who was imprisoned by her brother in the Tower of London at the time where she visited him once. Edward III | king of England | Britannica Edward was still unwilling to travel to France to give homage; the situation in England was febrile; there had been an assassination plot against Edward and Hugh Despenser in 1324the famous magician John of Nottingham had been hired to kill the pair using necromancyand criminal gangs were occupying much of the country. [88], By the 27th, word of the invasion had reached the King and the Despensers in London. This was then confirmed at the next parliament, dominated by Isabella and Mortimer's followers. [74] Edward instructed Isabella to come home in September, but she expressed concern the young Despenser would try to kill her upon her arrival, or the Earl of Richmond. [65] At this point, Isabella appears to have realised that any hope of working with Edward was effectively over and begun to consider radical solutions. How Edward died, whether by suffocation or illness or something else the infamous red-hot poker is a later invention and dismissed by modern experts on the era or whether Edward even died at all is still a matter of passionate debate. Isabella betrothed her son Edward of Windsor to a daughter of the Count of Hainault in modern-day Belgium in order to secure ships, mercenaries and cash to invade England. Updates? [90] The local levies mobilised to stop them immediately changed sides, and by the following day Isabella was in Bury St Edmunds and shortly afterwards had swept inland to Cambridge. Isabella therefore had no choice but to remain in France. Weir 2006, p. 326, is relatively cautious in this assertion; Mortimer, 2004 pp. [85] Isabella also appears to have made a secret agreement with the Scots for the duration of the forthcoming campaign. Despenser was then condemned to hang as a thief, be castrated, and then to be drawn and quartered as a traitor, his quarters to be dispersed throughout England.
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