Isabella of France

Profile

Isabella of France

Queen Consort of England

Female

Born Mar 17, 1292

Hometown France

Died Aug 22, 1358

Death Place Hertford

Isabella of France, sometimes described as the She-wolf of France, was Queen consort of England as the wife of Edward II of England. She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre. Queen Isabella… Read More

Romance

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Edward II of England
Married

Family

Discover the family history of Isabella of France.

Isabella of France

d.1358

parents

Philip IV of France
Father, d.1314
Joan I of Navarre
Mother, d.1305

children

Edward III of England
Son, d.1377
Joan of The Tower
Daughter, d.1362
Eleanor of Woodstock
Daughter, d.1355
John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall
Son, d.1336

Timeline

Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Isabella of France.

CHILDHOOD

1295 - 1298 2 More Events

1298 3 Years Old … Pope Boniface VIII had urged the marriage as early as 1298 but was delayed by wrangling over the terms of the marriage contract. … Read More

1299 4 Years Old She is described as born in 1292 in the Annals of Wigmore, and Piers Langtoft agrees, claiming that she was 7 years old in 1299.

1303 8 Years Old Since she had to reach the canonical age of 7 before her betrothal in May 1303, and that of 12 before her marriage in January 1308, the evidence suggests that she was born between May and November 1295. … Read More

1305 10 Years Old A Papal dispensation by Clement V in November 1305 permitted her immediate marriage by proxy, despite the fact that she was probably only 10 years old.

TEENAGE

1308 13 Years Old 1 More Event

The French chroniclers Guillaume de Nangis and Thomas Walsingham describe her as 12 years old at the time of her marriage in January 1308, placing her birth between the January of 1295 and of 1296.

1311 16 Years Old 1 More Event

During 1311, however, Edward conducted a failed campaign against the Scots, during which Isabella and he only just escaped capture.

1312 17 Years Old Tensions mounted steadily over the decade. In 1312, Isabella gave birth to the future Edward III, but by the end of the year Edward's court was beginning to change. … Read More

TWENTIES

1316 - 1320 3 More Events

1321 26 Years Old 2 More Events

Despite the momentary respite delivered by Isabella, by the autumn of 1321, the tensions between the two factions of Edward, Isabella and the Despenser, opposing the baronial opposition led by Thomas of Lancaster, were extremely high, with forces still mobilised across the country.

1322 27 Years Old Isabella effectively separated from Edward from here onwards, leaving him to live with Hugh Despenser. At the end of 1322, Isabella left the court on a ten-month-long pilgrimage around England by herself.

1323 28 Years Old On her return in 1323 she visited Edward briefly, but refused to take a loyalty oath to the Despensers and was removed from the process of granting royal patronage.

1324 29 Years Old 1 More Event

At the end of 1324, as tensions grew with Isabella's homeland of France, Edward and the Despensers confiscated all of Isabella's lands, took over the running of her household and arrested and imprisoned all of her French staff. … Read More

… Gascon forces destroyed the bastide, and in turn Charles attacked the English-held Montpezat: the assault was unsuccessful, but in the subsequent War of Saint-Sardos Isabella's uncle, Charles of Valois, successfully wrestled Aquitaine from English control; by 1324, Charles had declared Edward's lands forfeit and had occupied the whole of Aquitaine apart from the coastal areas. 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 1324, there had been allegations that the famous magician John of Nottingham had been hired to kill the pair using necromancy in 1325, and criminal gangs were occupying much of the country. … Read More

THIRTIES

1325 30 Years Old 4 More Events

… Isabella could not tolerate Hugh Despenser and by 1325 her marriage to Edward was at a breaking point. … Read More

… Mortimer and Isabella began a passionate relationship from December 1325 onwards; Isabella was taking a huge risk in doing so – female infidelity was a very serious offence in medieval Europe, as shown during the Tour de Nesle Affair – both Isabella's former French sisters-in-law had died by 1326 as a result of their imprisonment for exactly this offence. … Read More

1326 31 Years Old Taking Prince Edward with them, Isabella and Mortimer left the French court in summer 1326 and travelled north to William I, Count of Hainaut. … Read More

1327 32 Years Old 1 More Event

… The session was held in January 1327, with Isabella's case being led by her supporter Adam Orleton, Bishop of Hereford. … Read More

1328 33 Years Old 1 More Event

Isabella's reign as regent lasted only four years, before the fragile political alliance that had brought her and Mortimer to power disintegrated. 1328 saw the marriage of Isabella's son, Edward III to Philippa of Hainault, as agreed before the invasion of 1326; the lavish ceremony was held in London to popular acclaim. … Read More

1329 34 Years Old In January 1329 Isabella's forces under Mortimer's command took Lancaster's stronghold of Leicester, followed by Bedford; Isabella – wearing armour, and mounted on a warhorse – and Edward III marched rapidly north, resulting in Lancaster's surrender. … Read More

1330 35 Years Old 1 More Event

Edmund was finally involved in a conspiracy in 1330, allegedly to restore Edward II, whom he claimed was still alive: Isabella and Mortimer broke up the conspiracy, arresting Edmund and other supporters – including Simon Mepeham, Archbishop of Canterbury. … Read More

FORTIES

1342 47 Years Old In 1342, there were suggestions that she might travel to Paris to take part in peace negotiations, but eventually this plan was quashed.

FIFTIES

1348 53 Years Old She was also appointed to negotiate with France in 1348 and was involved in the negotiations with Charles II of Navarre in 1358. … Read More

LATE ADULTHOOD

1358 63 Years Old 2 More Events

She remained interested in Arthurian legends and jewellery; in 1358 she appeared at the St George's Day celebrations at Windsor wearing a dress made of silk, silver, 300 rubies, 1800 pearls and a circlet of gold. … Read More

Original Authors of this text are noted on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_of_France.
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