She was described as the She-Wolf of France due to her role in the deposition and perhaps even the death of Edward II with the help of Roger Mortimer. Unlike e.g. [23] Isabella, then aged twelve, was effectively sidelined by the pair. [58] Indeed, various authors have suggested that there is evidence that Hugh Despenser the Younger attempted to assault Isabella herself in some fashion. Up in the keep, Isabella, Mortimer and other council members were discussing how to arrest Montagu, when Montagu and his men appeared. Mortimer had been imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1322 following his capture by Edward during the Despenser wars. [33] The Despensers were opposed to both the Lancastrians and their other allies in the Welsh Marches, making an easy alliance with Edward, who sought revenge for the death of Gaveston.[34]. [citation needed], Three recent historians, however, have offered an alternative interpretation of events. Thomas Gray, the 18th-century poet, combined Marlowe's depiction of Isabella with William Shakespeare's description of Margaret of Anjou (the wife of Henry VI) as the "She-Wolf of France", to produce the anti-French poem The Bard (1757), in which Isabella rips apart the bowels of Edward II with her "unrelenting fangs". Isabellas first interventions in politics were conciliatory. Isabella ruled as regent until 1330, when her son, Edward deposed Mortimer in turn and ruled directly in his own right. [13] For his part, Charles replied that the, "queen has come of her own will and may freely return if she wishes. Isabella of Valois, The Child Bride of Richard II - Royal Central The session was held in January 1327, with Isabella's case being led by her supporter Adam Orleton, Bishop of Hereford. ", This page was last edited on 3 April 2023, at 01:29. When she was three, her father died, making her half-brother, Henry IV, King. [18], As queen, the young Isabella faced numerous challenges. Her three older brothers all reigned as kings of France and Navarre: Louis X, who died at the age of 26 in 1316; Philip V, who died aged 30 at the beginning of 1322; and Charles IV, who died at the age of 33 in 1328. Sadly, the Greyfriars church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, rebuilt then destroyed again by bombs in the Second World War, and Isabellas final resting-place is therefore lost. Isabella was born into a royal family that ruled the most powerful state in Western Europe. [11] As was customary for the period, all of Philip's children were married young for political benefit. [67] One of the elements in the disputes was the border province of Agenais, part of Gascony and in turn part of Aquitaine. [85] Isabella also appears to have made a secret agreement with the Scots for the duration of the forthcoming campaign. Isabella of France (1295 - 22 August 1358) was the Queen consort of England as the wife of Edward II of England. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In 1330, aged 18, Edward III forcibly asserted his authority. Her husband initially proposed sending Despenser forces to secure her, but Isabella rejected this outright, instead requesting friendly troops. Mortimer The Greatest Traitor, pp. The queen's gracious, dignified and tactful manner endeared her to her subjects and helped make her an exceptionally capable ruler. [88] Edward issued orders to local sheriffs to mobilise opposition to Isabella and Mortimer, but London itself was becoming unsafe because of local unrest and Edward made plans to leave. Isabella threw herself at Edward's feet, famously crying "Fair son, have pity on gentle Mortimer! Isabella arrived in England for the first time on 7 February 1308. In 1327, Edward and Isabella's son acceded to the throne . Tensions had risen in November 1323 after the construction of a bastide, a type of fortified town, in Saint-Sardos, part of the Agenais, by a French vassal. 159162. She successfully formed an alliance with Gaveston, but after his death at the hands of the barons, her position grew increasingly precarious. Edward began to send urgent messages to the Pope and to Charles IV, expressing his concern about his wife's absence, but to no avail. Isabella's reputation in France suffered somewhat as a result of her perceived role in the affair. Isabella was not a person to tolerate such disrespect. She was the sixth of the seven children of Philip IV, king of France from 1285 to 1314 and often known to history as Philippe le Bel or Philip the Fair, and Joan I, who had become queen of the small Spanish kingdom of Navarre in her own right in 1274 when she was only a year old. Isabella had tolerated her husbands previous male favourites, including Piers Gaveston and Roger Damory (a knight of Oxfordshire who was high in Edwards favour from about 1315 to 1318), but she loathed and feared Hugh Despenser. In 1313, Isabella travelled to Paris with Edward to garner further French support, which resulted in the Tour de Nesle affair. NO. Isabella gathered an army to oppose Edward, in alliance with Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, whom she may have taken as a lover. [citation needed], According to legend, Isabella and Mortimer famously plotted to murder Edward in such a way as not to draw blame on themselves, sending a famous order (in Latin: Eduardum occidere nolite timere bonum est) which, depending on where the comma was inserted, could mean either "Do not be afraid to kill Edward; it is good" or "Do not kill Edward; it is good to fear". [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. [45] The Despensers were bitter enemies of Lancaster, and, with Edward's support, began to increase their power base in the Welsh Marches, in the process making enemies of Roger Mortimer de Chirk and his nephew, Roger Mortimer of Wigmore, their rival Marcher Lords. Edward's body was apparently buried at Gloucester Cathedral, with his heart being given in a casket to Isabella. Paul Doherty, drawing extensively on the Fieschi Letter of the 1340s, has argued that Edward in fact escaped from Berkeley Castle with the help of William Ockle, a knight whom Doherty argues subsequently pretended to be Edward in disguise around Europe, using the name "William the Welshman" to draw attention away from the real Edward himself. Mother. 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. The minimally agreed version of events is that Isabella and Mortimer had Edward moved from Kenilworth Castle in the Midlands to the safer location of Berkeley Castle in the Welsh borders, where he was put into the custody of Lord Berkeley. Isabella of Angoulme, wife of King John - Magna Carta 800th 2213 is more confident. Isabella of France, Queen of England - The Freelance History Writer [13] She also feared her own husband might attempt to have her killed. England was conquered by a "Frenchman," William the Conqueror, not France. [78] Mortimer and Isabella may have begun a physical relationship from December 1325 onwards. [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. 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 began to take revenge on his enemies, using an ever more brutal alliance with the Despenser family, in particular his new favourite, Hugh Despenser the Younger. 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. They had six children, of whom the first, third and fifth survived to adulthood. Philip IV of France. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [68] Gascon forces destroyed the bastide, and in turn Charles attacked the English-held Montpezat: the assault was unsuccessful,[69] but in the subsequent War of Saint-Sardos Isabella's uncle, Charles of Valois, successfully wrested Aquitaine from English control;[70] by 1324, Charles had declared Edward's lands forfeit and had occupied the whole of Aquitaine apart from the coastal areas.[71]. She was the ideal candidate, not only because she was the French king's sister but because she had served as an ambassador to France on several previous occasions. [115] At Edward III's coronation, Isabella then extended her land holdings from a value of 4,400 each year to the huge sum of 13,333, making her one of the largest landowners in the kingdom. [62] The situation was precarious and Isabella was forced to use a group of squires from her personal retinue to hold off the advancing army whilst other of her knights commandeered a ship; the fighting continued as Isabella and her household retreated onto the vessel, resulting in the death of two of her ladies-in-waiting. Isabella was sent into retirement. A parliament was held in London at the beginning of 1327, which decided that Edward II must be forced to abdicate his throne to his 14-year-old son Edward of Windsor. 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. "[141] Lancastrian troops rapidly took the rest of the castle, leaving Edward in control of his own government for the first time. 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. This was then confirmed at the next parliament, dominated by Isabella and Mortimer's followers. [112] Isabella and Mortimer had already begun a trend that continued over the next few years, in starting to accumulate huge wealth. Edmund of Kent had sided with Isabella in 1326, but had since begun to question his decision and was edging back towards Edward II, his half-brother. When the latter adamantly refused the Queen admittance, fighting broke out outside the castle between Isabella's guards and the garrison, marking the beginning of the Despenser War. [120] The first of these was the situation in Scotland, where Edward II's unsuccessful policies had left an unfinished, tremendously expensive war. With her lands in England seized, her children taken away from her and her household staff arrested, Isabella began to pursue other options. [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. 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. Why not try 6 issues of BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed for 9.99 delivered straight to your door. At this point, however, rather than returning, Isabella remained firmly in France with her son. Originating, like her, in France, the senior member of the Beaumont family, Isabella de Beaumont, had been a close confidant of Edward's mother Eleanor of Castile, supported by her brother Henry de Beaumont. Ukraine war latest: Russia makes first comments on missile strikes [38] To make matters worse, the "Great Famine" descended on England during 131517, causing widespread loss of life and financial problems. During one of Charles' absences, Isabella died after giving birth to her sixth child, a stillbirth. The descendants of his seven sons and five daughters contested the throne for generations, climaxing in the Wars of the Roses (1455-85). Isabella persuaded her husband to send her to France with her son, Prince Edward, to pay homage on his father's behalf. After her short period of detention she was allowed to go free and some years later was restored to her pre-1324 income of 4,500.