Isabella de France , later nicknamed the " French Wolf" (c. 1295 - August 23, 1358 ) is the daughter of French King Philip IV the Beautiful and John I of Navarre , from 1308 the wife of the English King Edward II , the mother of King Edward III . The sister of the last kings of France from the direct branch of the Capetians: Louis X , Philip V and Charles IV . Together with her lover Roger Mortimer, she led a baron insurrection against her husband and overthrew him from the throne, carrying out the first constitutional parliamentary coup. For four years, she unofficially ruled the country with Mortimer until the age of majority of her eldest son. Edward III, using his kinship through Isabella with the French royal house, made a claim to the French throne, which gave rise to the start of the Hundred Years War .
Isabella French | |||||||
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Isabelle de france | |||||||
The return of Isabella the French in England. Miniature by Jean Fouquet from The Big French Chronicles. XV century. | |||||||
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Predecessor | Margarita French | ||||||
Successor | Philip Gennegau | ||||||
Birth | |||||||
Death | Hartford Castle, England | ||||||
Burial place | |||||||
Rod | Capetans , Plantagens | ||||||
Father | Philip IV Handsome | ||||||
Mother | John I of Navarre | ||||||
Spouse | Edward II | ||||||
Children | Edward , John , Eleanor , Joan | ||||||
Religion | |||||||
Biography
Childhood
The year of birth of Isabella, the only surviving daughter of Philip IV and Jeanne of Navarre, is not certain. From the documents relating to her marriage with Edward II, it follows that she was born around 1295 . Written sources indicate different dates: 1288 , 1292 , June 1299 . The most common opinion is that she was born between January 1295 and January 1296 , because according to canon law, marriage was possible no earlier than twelve years. Isabella Alison Weir 's biographer believes it is likely that she was born between May and November 1295 [1] .
There is almost no information about Isabella's childhood. The first years she spent in Paris, in the palace of Cite. Her provider and the first teacher was Teofania de Saint-Pierre, who instilled a love of literature for the girl [2] . Probably, the princess was formed slightly above average. In that era, women usually learned to read and write in monasteries. Isabella, at least, was able to read: in later books of expenditures there are records about the purchase of books for her personal use [3] . The question of whether she knew how to write remained open: after her extensive correspondence remained, but letters, as was customary at that time, were dictated to the scribes.
At the time of marriage, Isabella was probably about twelve years old, and Godfroy of Paris spoke of her as "the beauty of beauties ... of the whole kingdom, if not of all of Europe." This description was probably not just flattering, since contemporaries considered both Isabella's father and brothers very beautiful men [4] . Isabella was said to resemble her father, and not her mother, the Queen of Navarre, a woman of ordinary appearance. [5] During her life, her charm, intelligence and diplomatic abilities, the gift of persuading people to incline them to her side were also noted [6] [7] .
Marriage Plans
Philip IV through the marriage of his sons tied the French royal house with both Burgundy - the duchy and county . The only daughter of the king was intended to be the wife of Edward I. Marriage was part of a plan for a peaceful settlement of the conflict between France and England due to the confiscation of Philippe Gascony in 1294 . In 1298, Pope Boniface VIII proposed a double wedding: the widowed English king Edward I was supposed to marry Philip's sister Margaret , and his son, the future Edward II, to be Isabella, at the age of marriage. After the unification of the two royal houses, Gascony returned to England. The treaty of 1299, concluded in Montreuil, dealt in detail with the conditions of the two marital unions [8] . This treaty on August 3, 1299 was supplemented by the Treaty of Chartres. Isabella received a dowry of 18,000 pounds, and after the death of Margherita French she had to go land ( Pontier county and Señoria Montreille ), previously owned by Eleanor of Castile . However, in 1303, Edward I began to look for another bride for his son. Philip waged a war in Flanders for several years and feared that he would again be involved in hostilities with England. Given the circumstances, the French king agreed to transfer the Gascony to England. The agreement between France and England, concluded in Paris in 1303, approved the status of Gascony as possession of the English king since the engagement of the royal children, which took place on the day of its signing [9] [10] . An obstacle to entering into marriage was the dispute over the obligations of the parties. Edward I died on July 7, 1307 , before his death, he ordered his son to marry Isabella. The new English king, waging war in Scotland , needed a long lasting peace with France and did not postpone the marriage any longer. On January 25, 1308, the marriage of Edward II and Isabella the French took place in the cathedral of Boulogne . Eight kings and queens attended the magnificent ceremony: the bridegroom himself, Philip IV, Louis, Isabella's brother, after the death of his mother - King of Navarre, the widow of Philip III Maria Brabant , Albrecht I and his wife Elizabeth of Carinthia and Tyrol, Neapolitan King Charles II and the widow of Edward I French Margarita [K 1] .
The first years of marriage. Gaveston
The future Edward II was the youngest child of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile. The brothers Edward died before his birth, the surviving sisters were much older than him. Therefore, the king raised his son along with ten other young men from knightly families. One of them was a native Gascony Pierce Gaveston, whose father fought in the army of the king in France and Wales [12] . There were close relations between young people. Most modern sources, without naming them homosexual, emphasize an unusual affinity [K 2] . Some modern historians, stressing that Isabella and Edward had four children in their marriage, deny the homosexuality of the English king and insist on the platonic character of his relationship with Gaveston [13] . Gaveston was among the delegation that welcomed the newlyweds on February 7, 1308 , when they landed at Dover . Gaveveston and Edward II's meeting was unusually warm, which made an unpleasant impression on Isabella's uncles (the Counts d'Evreux and de Valois ), who accompanied the spouses to England. Later, Edward handed Gaveston jewelry, a gift from Philip IV, and some of the jewelry that constituted Isabella’s dowry [14] . In Dover, Isabella was met by the most distinguished ladies of the kingdom, credited to her state. Among them was Isabella Veski, who became for many years the confidant of the queen. The first years of Isabella's marriage were marked by a conflict between the English king and his barons [K 3] , dissatisfied with Gaveston's privileged position. One of the reasons was the fact that at the coronation of Edward and Isabella ( February 25, 1308) Gaveston was present dressed in purple, which was allowed only to royal persons, and carried the crown of Edward the Confessor [K 4] - an honor that could only be granted to English nobleman of the highest position [K 5] . Already on March 3, Parliament [K 6] called for the expulsion of Gaveston [15] . Among those who supported the baronial opposition were Edward Margaret's stepmother, who spent 40,000 pounds on the campaign against the royal favorite, his wife's father Philip IV, Archbishop Winchelsi, who threatened Gaveston with excommunication if he did not leave England. A few weeks later, Edward II agreed to the expulsion of Gaveston. To the displeasure of the baronial opposition, he appointed Gaveston as his deputy in Ireland [16] . The position of the king, who enjoyed great popularity at the beginning of his reign, began to deteriorate.
In 1310, by decree of the Parliament during the time of the Scottish campaign of Edward, the government of the country was transferred to a committee of twenty-one orders , which included bishops and barons. Upon the return of the king, the orders handed him a decree (Ordinances) of forty-one points [17] , mandatory for implementation and, among other things, limiting his power. In paragraph twentieth it was required to permanently remove Gaveston (along with the king who took part in the Scottish war of 1310–1311), since he gave the king “the wrong advice”. Edward was also accused by Parliament of unsuccessful actions during the war in Scotland. Gaveston left England again, but returned in March 1312 . This violation of the Parliament’s decree forced the barons to take up arms: having captured Gaveston, they executed him on June 19, 1312. The execution of Gaveston spawned a split among the orders, as some of them considered this action to be powerless and illegal [18] , and somewhat strengthened the position of the king, which many sympathized with.
There is no information about the participation of Isabella in the fight against Gaveston. All this time she was in the shadows. The husband spent more time with the favorite than with her, and only reminders of King Philip returned the king to the family. In the early months of Gavestone’s exile, the couple reunited, Isabella began to accompany her husband on trips, and together they spent Christmas 1308 in Windsor. Isabella's financial situation also improved, as Edward began to pay the monetary allowance she was entitled to. It is known that at Christmas in 1311 the queen sent valuable gifts to his wife, Margaret de Claire . In the winter of 1312, Edward moved his court to York. Having sent pregnant Isabella during the baron's distemper to Tynemut in the priory, Edward was fully engaged in the salvation of Gaveston. From the daily records of the court of Isabella, it follows that during that period she was in active correspondence, including with the rebel barons. The content of the letters is unknown, it is assumed that these were attempts at reconciliation with the opposition, made at the request of Edward [19] . As Isabella took Gaveston's execution, there was no evidence left. Philip IV considered it necessary to send his brother’s son-in-law, Count Evreux, at the head of a delegation of lawyers to help reconcile the king and the opposition. Legates of the Pope of Rome also arrived in England to appease the barons. In mid-September 1312, difficult negotiations began, in which Isabella participated, having earned a reputation as a peacemaker.
1312–1321
November 13, 1312 Isabella gave birth to her first child - heir to the throne of Edward . The grief of Edward, who lost Gaveston, was somewhat reduced at the birth of a prince: “otherwise, if the king died childless, the crown would certainly become a subject of feuds” [20] [21] . On December 20, 1312, Edward, thanks to the insistence of the ambassadors of the French king and pope, made peace with the murderers of Gaveston, headed by the most powerful magnate of England, King’s cousin, Thomas Lancaster . According to the chronicler, “the quarrels stopped, but none of the parties got what she was looking for.” [20] [22] . Edward did not leave hope to avenge the death of the favorite [23] .
There is no information about any misunderstandings between spouses in the next ten years after the death of Gaveston. If they were separated, they regularly exchanged messages. As a rule, the king's letters were secret, so they were destroyed immediately after reading. Edward probably valued Isabella's mind and her diplomatic skills, which she had already managed to show. Edward treated his wife respectfully and generously provided her. Each year, she spent up to 10,000 pounds in excess of the content she was entitled to. [21]
In 1313, Isabella and Edouard visited France. They were invited by Philip IV to be knighted by Isabella's brothers. Having been in Gascony, the couple went to Paris. The journey was marked by a large number of holidays and an accident: the English queen's tent burned down during a fire, and Isabella herself was injured [24] . Philip IV made some concessions to his son-in-law in the Gascon question and expressed his willingness to give him a cash loan. It is assumed that this visit led to scandalous revelations in the royal family: Isabella presented the richly decorated purses to the wives of her brothers [25] [K 7] . Later, Isabella noticed that apparently the purses she had presented to her daughters-in-law turned out to be between two Norman knights, Gautier and Philip d'One [26] , who were present at the feast in Westminster, which was given after the return of the king and queen to England. Isabella suspected her daughters-in-law of adultery, and apparently reported this to King Philip on her next visit to France in 1314 [27] . The Nel Tower case arose, as a result of which two Isabella's daughters-in-law, Blanca and Margaret of Burgundy, accused of adultery, were sentenced to life imprisonment. It is authentically known that during the time of the Nel Tower, Isabella was in France, until March 19, in Paris. Godfroy of Paris in 1317, without directly mentioning the Nelsh Tower case, writes that Isabella revealed many secrets to "our sovereigns." It was rumored that it was she who told everything to the king [28] . Some researchers believe that Isabella betrayed her daughters-in-law to cast a shadow on the posterity of the brothers, intending to subsequently demand the French throne for her son [K 8] . However, in this case, Isabella should have foreseen that her brothers, then very young people, would not enter into new marriages or would not have more offspring. In general, there is no evidence that such a conspiracy existed. The very trip of the Queen of England to France in the spring of 1314 was caused by the need to settle the Gascon question [29] .
In the new military campaign in the north on June 24, 1314, at Bannockburn, British troops were defeated by the Scots led by Robert the Bruce . Edward, who barely escaped captivity, accused the failure of the barons. British frontier possessions were raided by the Scots. After the defeat in Scotland, Thomas Lancaster actually seized power in the country. In September in York, at a meeting of the Parliament, Lancaster blamed Edward for failing to comply with the Ordinances, and as a result, defeat in the war. The king was forced to agree to reduce the cost of maintaining the court and administration. It is known that Isabella took the side of her husband. She strengthened her alliance with the enemy of Lancaster, Henry de Beaumont , Whose sister, Isabella de Veski , The court lady, was her close adviser [30] . Bomon at one time were removed from the courtyard at the request of orders, the queen returned them. In addition, thanks to the queen, Edward, in his struggle against the Ordinances, used the advice of the lawyers of Philip IV. Lancaster turned against Isabella, reducing her pay and pursuing her surroundings [31] . In 1315-1317 , England, like other countries of Northern Europe, was struck by hunger , which killed thousands of people, and the country experienced serious financial problems [30] . It is known that, passing through St. Albans on August 9, 1315, the king and queen acquired bread with great difficulty. Edward's decrees on the reduction of food prices could not alleviate the situation of the country.
Despite the birth of his second son, John , in 1316 , the position of Edward was precarious. The queen invited Lancaster to be baptized, offering to become a godfather to the prince, but Lancaster was absent from the ceremony. The Queen took a more active role in governing the country, taking part, with the permission of Edward, in the meetings of the Council. At the same time, her land holdings increased [32] , Edward granted his wife also some estates and lands belonging to Gaveston. In the autumn of 1316, at the insistence of his wife, the king abolished the election of his candidate to the seat of Bishop Henry Stanford of Durham . Isabella wanted to see Bishop “completely illiterate” (according to representatives of the Durham eparchy) Lewis Beaumont, brother Henry Beaumont and Isabella Veski, asserting that only he would support the king in the fight against the Scots. Another attempt by Isabella to put her bishop on a bishop's chair (in Rochester ) was not crowned with success. Her candidate again confronted the candidate of the king, and the pope was extremely surprised that the queen was acting against the will of her husband.
At the same time in Oxford, a certain John Deidras announced that he was the real king of England, replaced by Edward in his infancy [33] . Deidras expressed willingness to prove his case in a duel with the king. The impostor was captured and executed, but Edward’s unpopularity was so great that many believed that he was not a real king. According to the author of The Life of Edward the Second, the incident with Deidras deeply disturbed the queen.
In 1318, Isabella participated in the negotiations between Lancaster, who was removed from power because of her inability to lead, but still posed a serious threat, and the king. The Lick Treaty, signed on August 9 , obliged Edward to abide by the Ordinances and submit to the council headed by Count Pembroke . Hugh Dispenser Sr. , an opponent of the Licky Treaty, also joined the council. His son became a chamberlain, and later a new favorite of the king.
In 1319, James Douglas , the commander of Robert Bruce, attempted to take Isabella hostage. The queen with her children was not far from York while the king was besieging Berik . Only by chance did Douglas’s plan fail [34] . The king, having learned of the danger to which Isabella had been subjected, immediately lifted the siege of Berika and left for York. It is possible that the purpose of the Scots was just the removal of the king from the walls of Berik. Suspicion of betrayal fell on one knight, Edmund Darel, who was arrested and accused of revealing the whereabouts of Isabella, but his guilt was never proven [35] .
In 1320, Isabella accompanied Edward to the continent. The English king brought Philip V to Omaj in Amiens . During this visit, Edward enlisted the support of his wife’s brother in the fight against the baronial opposition [35] and decided with him the question of Pontier, where the pro-French party was undermining the British power at that time.
Elevation Dispensers. 1321-1325
The proximity to the King of the Dispensers caused a new outbreak of discontent. The senior Dispenser had the reputation of being “cruel and greedy” [20] . As many believed, the son of Hugh Dispenser Sr. was the king's lover [36] . Dispenser Junior had an unlimited influence on Edward, according to the chronicles, any desire of the favorite immediately became an order of the king. The family of favorites, supported by Edward, came into conflict with the aristocracy of the kingdom. First, Hugh Jr., using his position, achieved most of the legacy of the Duke of Gloucester, then he focused on the lands of the Welsh mark and, above all, some of the estates of Roger Mortimer , Baron Wigmore [37] . And after Hugh Jr. got a decision from the king to confiscate Gower’s estate from John Morbre, Mark’s lords united against the Dispensers. Isabella, who once tolerated her husband's friendship with Gaveston, was not going to put up with Edward's dispensation for the younger one. Judging by some of the facts, she confronted the Dispensers. Thus, at the request of Mark's lords, the queen intervened in a quarrel between the Abbot of St. Albans and the prior of one of the sections of the monastery, William Somerton, taking the side of the latter, which caused Displeasure displeasure [38] . However, in her struggle against the family of favorites, she could not rely on the “disgruntled” magnates, as she remained loyal to the king [39] . On July 14, Isabella and the two dignitaries of the king were given a large state seal, which testifies to the trust that Edward had at the time. In July 1321, Isabella gave birth to her second daughter Joan . The birth took place in the Castle Tower , as the situation in the country was on the verge of civil war, and Edward decided that the queen would be safe in a well-fortified citadel. July 29 in front of the city walls of London stopped the army of rebellious barons led by Mortimer, who intended to achieve the expulsion of the Dispensers. The tower, where the queen was with her daughter, was surrounded. On August 1, the other "Dissenters" joined Mortimer along with Lancaster. Aymer de Valence, the head of the “moderate barons,” asked Isabella to intervene to prevent a military clash [40] . The queen publicly on her knees begged her husband to break with the Dispensers, but very soon Edward returned them to the court [39] [40] .
After a brief respite in the fall of 1321, the tension between the king and the barons only increased [41] . Isabella went on a pilgrimage to Canterbury , during which she wished to stay at Leeds Castle , a fortress owned by Lancaster's supporter Lord Badlesmere. Historians believe that the queen's visit was not accidental — perhaps Edward provoked him to create a pretext for war [42] [43] . The queen was insulted by refusing to accept her. There was a clash between the protection of Isabella and the garrison of the castle [44] , killing six people from the suite of the queen [45] . On October 3, 1321, Isabella sent the King a letter demanding revenge for the death of her servants. At the end of the same month, by order of Edward, troops led by Pembroke laid siege to Leeds Castle. At this time, the queen in Rochester was again left a large seal and entrusted control of the royal office [44] . The king's actions received unexpected approval both from most of the barons and among the common people. Edward himself led the siege, but when Leeds surrendered on October 31 , he executed the castle’s commandant and his soldiers. On December 1, 1321, the London gathering of clergy under pressure from Edward annulled the decision to expel the Dispensers.
In an effort to consolidate success, Edward went campaign against the opposition. In January 1322, Edward's army near Shrewsbury forced Mortimer to capitulate. In March, after the Battle of Boroughbridge , Thomas Lancaster was captured. Mortimers were enclosed in the Tower. Lancaster was immediately executed: Edward and the Dispensers celebrated victory. [46]
The defeat of the baronial opposition was followed by repression [47] . Edward, under the influence of the Dispensers, confiscated land, restricted freedoms, executed and imprisoned members of the families of the rebel magnates, including women and the elderly [48] . Chronists condemned the cruelty of punishment [49] . Pope John XXII unsuccessfully urged Edward to temper his anger. Among those oppressed were people close to Isabella [50] . It is known that the queen successfully petitioned the forgiveness of one of the rebels, Lord Noville. However, according to Froissard , Dispenser, seeing the “displeasure of the queen”, prompted the king to act even more ruthlessly [51] .
The relationship between the queen and Dispenser Junior deteriorated [52] : he refused to pay her money and did not return the Marlborough locks And Devises [53] , transferred to her in the spring of 1321, respectively, by the Dispenser Sr. and Ally King Oliver. Inghamu. Some authors believe that Dispenser Jr. attempted to kill or honor Isabella [54] . Edward’s attitude to his wife became noticeably colder. The absence of Isabella's name in the business papers from November 1, 1322 to September 18, 1324 indicates that she fell out of favor and was deprived of financial support [55] [56] .
In the same year, Isabella was in a dangerous situation during the fighting with the Scots. After another defeat, this time with the Old Byland , Edward went south, apparently, to collect new troops. Isabella and her retinue remained in Tynemut's prioryat [57] . The Scots made devastating raids on the northern lands of England. While their army continued to move south, Isabella shared concerns with her husband about her personal security and asked for armed help. Edward initially proposed that the Queen send the people of Dispenser, who, immediately rejecting such a proposal, insisted that troops should arrive, in whose devotion she had no reason to doubt. However, hastily retreating to the south with the army of the Dispensers, Edward released the initiative from his hands, with the result that Isabella was cut off from him by the Scots, while the Flemish ships that were allies of the Scots in this war cruised along the coastline [58] . The situation was becoming desperate. In order not to be captured, Isabella was forced to send squires from her personal suite to intercept the Scots, while the knights left with her managed to seize the ship. When the battle was in full swing, Isabella, along with her attendants, was able to sink into the ship. As a result of this hasty retreat, two maid of honor died from her suite [58] . The ship, on board which was the queen, managed to avoid meeting with the Flemish fleet. Isabella landed safely in York [58] . Later, in 1326 , the queen accused Edward of being under the influence of Dispenser, he threw her in Scotland without help [59] . According to some researchers, Dispenser could not expose the queen and her retinue to danger intentionally: along with Isabella was the spouse of the royal favorite Eleanor . The American historian Edward Lewis believes that the situation in which Isabella found herself was provoked by Lewis Beaumont, Bishop of Durham, the protégé of Isabella [59] .
The Gascony War
According to the Paris Treaty, King Edouard, as duke of Aquitaine, was obliged to take a vassal oath to the King of France for his possessions in Gascony [60] . In a short time on the French throne, Isabella's three brothers replaced each other. Edward escaped taking oath to Louis X and only under great pressure swore to Philip V. When Charles IV became king, Edward, as far as possible, postponed the trip to the continent, which provoked an increase in tensions between the two countries [60] . One of the disputed territories was the county of Agenois . The military conflict began in November 1323 after the French built the bastide in Saint-Sardo , part of Agenois, subordinate to France [61] . The Gascons, led by the English Seneschal Ralph Bassett, captured and destroyed the bastide. In retaliation, the French troops unsuccessfully stormed the castle of Montpez [62] . After Edward’s refusal to extradite the instigators of the attack on Saint-Sardo, Charles IV declared Gascony and Pontier confiscated. In the autumn of 1324, Carl Valois captured the fortress of La Reole [60] [63] . The viceroy of the English king, Count of Kent , was forced to sign a truce under the conditions dictated by Karl Valois. The French occupied all of Aquitaine except coastal areas [64] .
The conflict between England and France influenced Isabella’s position. In March 1324, her husband stopped paying her cash. The queen was demanded an oath of allegiance to Dispenser Junior — she refused [65] . In the autumn of 1324, all the lands of Isabella were confiscated by the king, and the amount allocated for her personal expenses was reduced from 11,000 to 1,000 marks a year. At the end of September 1324, when Parliament decided to expel all Frenchmen from the royal service, Isabella lost her servants who had been with her for many years and were loyal to her. In October, the payment of money for expenses to the Queen was transferred to the Dispensers. Three younger children of Isabella were given to relatives of favorites for upbringing, in order to protect them from the influence of the French Queen. Charles IV, to whom her sister complained in letters about her position, demanded that the queen’s oppression be stopped, but Edward did not heed this call.
Isabella leaves for France
Despite the fact that the personal meeting of Edward with the French king could favorably influence the situation with Agenois, he still refused to leave England even for a short time, fearing that in his absence the barons would deal with the Dispensers. Charles IV, through the Pope, made a proposal to Eduard: he is ready to cancel the confiscation of lands if the English king concedes to Agenois [66] . The pope proposed Queen Isabella as ambassador. The opportunity to end her humiliating position unexpectedly opened up for her, and in order not to disrupt her trip to France, she tried to behave friendly with Dispensers [67] .
In the spring of 1325, Isabella arrived in Paris. On May 30, a peace treaty was drawn up for harsh conditions for the British, which still contained a clause on the need to resolve the issue of obtaining Agenois by the king of England. Charles IV approved the treaty on May 31 , Edward II - on June 13 . According to Paul Doherty, a treaty unfavorable to England could have served to discredit the power of the Dispensers, as sought by both the King of France and Isabella with his supporters. After signing the contract, Edward wished the spouse to return home. In the summer, she moved from Paris to Châteauneuf Castle, later stopping at a number of castles around the capital. Since the money from England stopped coming, Karl paid his sister's expenses. Edward was probably going to go to France to bring a wipe, but on August 24, while already in Dover , he announced that he was sick. The king sent a delegation to the continent, headed by the bishops of Richmond and Stratford, whose task was to prepare for the oath-taking ceremony.
On September 2, in Paris, Isabella gave Stratford the idea of transferring the rights to all English possessions on the continent to the crown prince, so that he would come to perform an homage. Edward II agreed to this combination, which was an unheard of success for Isabella: her eldest son was brought out of the influence of the Dispensers and became a hostage in the hands of his mother [69] . In September 1325, the crown prince took the oath, but, contrary to the wishes of Edward II, Isabella remained with her son in Paris. Her court became the center of attraction for all those who are dissatisfied with the policies of Edward II. According to Bishop Exeter Steplddon , who arrived on the continent on the instructions of Edward, the enemies of the English king gathered at the French court. Isabella created her own courtyard in exile, joined by the most senior persons, including Edmund of Kent, who came to France to marry Roger Mortimer's cousin, and Jean Breton , Count of Richmond . The queen refused to see Steplddon and returned his letters unread. Stepldon was supposed to provide the queen with money, but only if she promised to return to England. The bishop hastily left France, as he feared for his life [70] .
Contact Mortimer. Preparations for the invasion of England
Edward, in letters to the pope and to Charles IV, vainly expressed his concern about the absence of a wife. The French king answered in-law that “the Queen came of her own free will and can return whenever she pleases. But if she prefers to stay here, she is my sister and I cannot send her ” [20] . Isabella, who until that time sent friendly letters to the King and Dispenser in England, showed disobedience. The queen said that she would not return, while between her and her husband would be a third person [Dispenser]. From now on, she dressed as a widow, claiming that Dispenser destroyed her marriage to Edward [71] . In one of the messages to King, Isabella threatened to invade the country of her allies in order to overthrow the leader [20] .
In December 1325, Carl Valois died, his daughter Jeanne, Countess Gennegau, came to the funeral. Probably, with the Countess, Roger Mortimer arrived in Paris and took refuge in Gennegau. There is no evidence that Isabella and Mortimer met in France before December 1325 [72] . Victorian historians believed that the queen's connection with the rebellious baron began long before her trip to France, modern researchers are inclined to believe that they became lovers at the end of 1325. Having entered into a love affair, Isabella could not help but understand how dangerous it is. The mere fact that she left her husband, even if she provoked her, and kept her son, violated all the conventions of that time. Treason could lead her to death [73] .
In early January 1326, Edward II through the Archbishop Reynolds was informed that the French king offered to marry the crown prince to the daughter of Wilhelm de Hainault and asked for help in the attack on England [74] . Soon, Edward learned about the betrayal of his wife. On February 8, he issued an appeal for a general assembly of troops, where he first linked the names of Isabella and Mortimer. In the same month in Paris, Isabella, Mortimer and Kent conducted secret negotiations with the ambassador of Robert the Bruce, Count Moret. Perhaps the party of the queen, in exchange for stopping the raids on the northern lands of England, proposed to recognize Bruce as king [75] . In the spring papal nuncios arrived in Paris, their task was to reconcile Isabella with her husband. Perhaps the condition for the return of the queen made demands to remove the estate from the courtyard of the Dispensers and return the confiscated estates to it [76] . The prospect of the amicable agreement was not part of the plans of Mortimer, who, according to some information, promised to kill Isabella if she returned to England [76] . The conditions on which Isabella agreed to return were not accepted either by Edward, or, moreover, by the Dispensers. The message of John XXII did not affect the Dispenser, with an indication to contribute to the restoration of peace between the spouses [77] . In the meantime, Isabella accelerated preparations for the invasion and entered into correspondence with the disgruntled board of Edward II in England itself. However, her love affair became widely known, and the queen lost her dad's favor. John XXII sent to Charles IV an edict demanding not to provide more shelter to lovers. Modern chroniclers believed that Karl, having received the warning of the pope and yielding to the Dispensers' persuasion, intended to send his sister to England. But, most likely, the French king led a more subtle game: he, engaged in the war in Gascony, was advantageous to stay in the shadows. And when, after leaving Paris, Mortimer went to Eno, and Isabella together with Kent in Pontier, Karl did not pursue the queen and did not give up her route to Edward II. The fleet, assembled at that time by the French king off the coast of Normandy , could well have diverted his son-in-law's attention from the danger emanating from Hainaut [78] .
Overthrow of Edward II
Even in Paris, Isabella reached a preliminary agreement with Wilhelm de Hainaut and his wife about the marriage of their son to one of their daughters [79] . The dowry and earlier received funds from Charles IV [80] went to pay for the mercenaries from among the residents of Brabant , to which a detachment was added [81] under the leadership of brother Wilhelm John . Within the framework of the marriage agreements, the count also provided eight warships and small vessels. Isabella may have entered into a secret agreement with the Scots that they would refrain from attacking English lands during her campaign against Edward [82] . According to researchers, Isabella carried out financial and diplomatic preparations for the invasion, while Mortimer took over the military part of the operation. September 22, 1326 Isabella and Mortimer with a small detachment sailed to England [83] from Dordrecht . Edward II was informed of the date of the invasion and took steps to intercept the conspirators.
Avoiding a meeting with the fleet sent by Edward [84] , Isabella's detachment landed near the village of Orwell (east coast of England) on September 24 [K 9] . According to various estimates, at the beginning Isabella had between 300 and 2,000 soldiers at his disposal, the most likely figure being 1,500 [85] . Isabella wrote appeals to residents of cities in England, in which she reported on her return and intentions to punish those responsible for the death of Lancaster and expel the Dispensers. After some time, Isabella was met by Thomas Norfolk , half- brother of Edward II, on whose land the conspirators landed. Earl of Norfolk himself was appointed by Edward responsible for collecting troops to resist the invasion. On September 27, a detachment of only fifty-five was in the service of the king in Norfolk [86] .
Meeting no resistance, the rebels reached Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge . At Cambridge, Henry Plantagenet , brother of the executed Thomas Lancaster, joined Isabella and Mortimer with his knights. [84] News of the invasion overtook the king in London on September 27 [84] . Edward's calls for unification against the rebels had no effect. The situation in London itself became dangerous for the king because of the outbreak of unrest [84] . Isabella, continuing to move south, reached Oxford on October 2 , where she was "greeted as a savior." Edward's longtime opponent, Bishop Hereford Adam Orleton , gave a speech at the university about the atrocities of the Dispensers [90] . On the same day, Edward left London and headed west towards Wales. [91] . Isabella and Mortimer, in union with Lancaster, united all those who were dissatisfied with the king’s rule into a coalition [91] . On October 7, the rebels stopped at the city of Dunstable [92] . London at that time was in the hands of rebellious citizens. Bishop Stepldon, not realizing that the prestige of the royal power in the capital was destroyed, tried to pacify the rebels in order to protect his property. Hated by everyone as a servant of Edward, he was killed — Stepddon's head was later sent to Isabella by her supporters [93] . The events in London greatly agitated the queen, as her younger son John, declared by the insurgent keeper of this fortress and the City, was in the Tower, captured by the townspeople, however, at the moment Isabella was not able to influence the events in the capital. Edward reached Gloucester on October 9 . Isabella with the troops came there a week after her husband, who by that time managed to cross the border with Wales [94] . On October 15, the queen, realizing that the people were on her side, decided to reveal her true intentions. On this day, Orleton at Wallingford made a speech, “My head! My head hurts! ” [95] , already directed against Edward II.
On October 18, Isabella and Mortimer laid siege to Bristol , where the Dispenser Sr. disappeared. The city opened the gates to the conspirators on October 26, and the queen finally joined up with her daughters Eleanor and Joan, whom the Dispenser was keeping at Bristol [96] [97] .
At the same time, Edward and Dispenser Jr. were trying to get by sea to Landi, a small island off the coast of Devon . However, due to bad weather, they had to return to Wales [98] . With Bristol already loyal to her in the rear, Isabella walked to Hereford, where she ordered Henry Plantagenet to find and arrest Edward [99] . On November 16, the king and his favorite were discovered and taken into custody near Llantrizant. Hugh Dispenser Sr., captured in Bristol, despite Isabella’s timid attempts to save him, under pressure from the party, the Lancaster was sentenced to quartering, hanging and decapitating. The researchers note that Isabella always complained only about the actions of Dispenser Junior and did not seem to harbor hostility towards his father, but she could not go against the will of her allies. For the "crimes defaming the knightly dignity" Dispenser was executed in the mantle with the arms, so that his coat of arms "was destroyed forever" [100] .
His body was dismembered and thrown "to be devoured by the dogs." Edmund Fitzalan , one of the main supporters of Edward II, who received the land confiscated in 1322 from Mortimer, was executed on November 17.
Hugh Dispenser Jr. was executed on November 24 in Hereford with a huge crowd of people. He was hanged like a thief, they defamed, quartered, and sent parts of his body to the largest cities in England. Simon Reading, captured with Dispenser, was hanged next to him, accusing him of insulting Isabella [101] . After the execution of key figures of the Edward II, Isabella and Mortimer began to show restraint. Petty nobles received forgiveness, and high-level government officials, mostly appointed to their posts by both Dispensers and Stepldon, also remained in their places [102] .
Overthrow of Edward II
Edward II was temporarily under the protection of Henry Lancaster in Kenilworth Castle. The great royal seal was given to Isabella. [103] Isabella occupied the Tower of London and appointed one of her supporters as mayor. Nevertheless, Edward was still the king and spouse of Isabella [104] . The situation remained tense, the queen was afraid that supporters of Edward would release him. In November, a council of nobles and clergy was convened at Wallingford to determine the further fate of Edward [105] . The question of depriving the king, the insolvent ruler and the cause of future troubles, life was discussed. Johann d'Eno, pointing out that it is impossible to encroach on the life of the anointed of God, suggested that Edward be deposed and imprisoned for the rest of his life [106] . The question of the reunification of the spouses was also raised at the council, since Edward II asked for the return of his family [107] . However, given that the king had threatened to kill Isabella at the time, they decided to refuse him [108] , which coincided with the queen's desire. Edward was invited twice to the January, 1327, session of parliament, in order to observe the rule of law, but he, cursing all the participants in the meeting, refused to attend. Isabella and Mortimer’s adherents, led by Adam Orleton, dominated parliament. Mortimer himself gave a speech in which he listed the reasons that led to the need to overthrow Edward. In Westminster Hall let in a crowd of citizens opposed to the king. Orleton delivered a speech “The Mad King will destroy his people” [109] , called on those present to depose Edward and recognize the king of his son. The crowd unanimously demanded the overthrow of Edward II. Only archbishops spoke against: York William Melton, London Stephen Gravesend, Rochester Gamo Heath and Carlisle John Ross [100] [K 10] ., None of the former friends and supporters of the king dared to add their voice to the protests. The overthrowing ceremony was held by Archbishop Reynolds. When the prince was brought into the hall, the lords brought him homage, it was noted that the bishops who were protesting against the overthrow did not participate in the ceremony. According to the chronicler, Isabella, during the meeting, “looked as if she was about to die from grief,” and began to cry several times [107] . Prince Edward unexpectedly declared that he would not accept the crown against the will of his father [110] , and within a few days no one managed to convince him to change his mind. A delegation of thirty people headed by Orleton was sent to Kenilworth. On January 20, Orleton, Stratford, and Bergersch met Edward in advance. Orleton demanded the abdication of the king, stating that otherwise the parliament could reject his heirs and enthrone a representative of another family (as implied by Mortimer). The threat worked: Edward, sobbing, denied the crown.
Prince Edward became the next English king, because of his minority, the Regency Council was created, but Isabella had a great influence on his son [111] . The names of the twelve lords who were part of the council headed by Henry Lancaster are known; the queen mother and Mortimer are not mentioned among the council members. Nevertheless, many lawyers argued that Edward II, regardless of the decision of Parliament, is still the legitimate king. There remained the likelihood of the return of Edward to power with the help of his supporters, and, with the well-known vigilance of the king, Isabella's position was dangerous.
Edward II's Death
The further fate of Edward II and the role of Isabella in it are still the subject of heated debate among historians. They agree that for the sake of security, the deposed king was ordered to be transferred from Kenilworth to Berkeley Castle, near Mortimer’s domain in Marki, under the care of John Maltravers and Thomas Berkeley , Mortimer’s son-in-law. On September 23, 1327, Isabella and Edward III, who were in Lincoln , received the message that Edward II died as a result of an “accident”. Mortimer was at this time in Wales, acting as chief judge. Two weeks before the death of Edward, he received news of a conspiracy aimed at the liberation of the former king. According to chronicles [112] [113] , the disclosure of the conspiracy and decided the fate of Edward II.
According to a popular legend, Isabella and Mortimer, having decided to do away with Edward, and at the same time, avoid being charged with murder, wrote an ambiguous letter in Latin to the jailers ( lat. Eduardum occidere nolite timere bonum est ). Depending on the location of the comma (before or after the timere ), it could also be read as "Do not be afraid to kill Edward, this is good," and as "Be afraid to kill Edward." In fact, there is no solid evidence that it was decided to finally deal with Edward, and not the slightest reason for the existence of such a letter. As noted by the biographer of Isabella E. Ware, the Queen and Mortimer in September 1327 were in different places and did not have time to jointly take the appropriate decision. According to Ware, the order to kill, if any, came from Mortimer.
The body of Edward II was buried in Gloucester Cathedral, his heart was placed in a silver box and transferred to Isabella. At the funeral, held on December 20, 1327 and held with all possible pomp, attended by Isabella, Edward III, Mortimer and the entire royal court.
It was rumored that Edward had survived and was somewhere in Europe. They are reflected in the famous letter of Fieschi , which is addressed to Edward III and dates from the end of the 1330s - 1340s. There are various interpretations of the circumstances of both death and the salvation of Edward II. In addition, modern historians doubt that Edward was killed by a red-hot poker. It is believed that Edward actually died in Berkeley Castle from a disease caused by imprisonment, or was killed. The subsequent stories about his salvation were simply a legend, similar to those associated with Joan of Arc after her death.
However, some historians have their own views on the fate of Edward II. Paul Doherty insists that the Fieski letter is about real events. According to him, Edward fled from Berkeley Castle with the help of a certain knight William Okla, who appeared in Europe under the name of "William Walleck" to divert attention from the most deposed king [114] . Ian Mortimer, relying on the documents of that era, starting in 1327, claims that Roger Mortimer himself arranged for Edward to escape from Berkeley. According to this version, after the "escape" Edward lived in Ireland, gained real freedom after the fall of Mortimer and even made a trip to Europe, and after his death he was buried in Gloucester [115] [116] . Alison Ware, also using Fieski's letter, claims that Edward II escaped, killing one of his captors and subsequently lived as a hermit. According to this version, it was not Edward who was buried in Gloucester Cathedral, but the one he killed. All authors of alternative versions of the fate of the deposed king agree that Isabella and Mortimer, knowing that he was alive, officially announced the death of Edward. Most historians, including David Carpenter, believe that such assumptions are groundless [117] [118] .
Peace treaties with Scotland and France
In 1328, Isabella’s son, Edward III, married Philippa Gennegau . An agreement on this was reached between Isabella and Philip's parents back in 1326. A magnificent wedding ceremony took place in York. The young queen, contrary to custom, did not have her own court; she did not receive it from her mother-in-law and the lands that she had the right to own as husband’s queen while her husband was alive. Coronation of Philippi was postponed indefinitely. Perhaps the queen mother deliberately kept her daughter-in-law in the background, fearing that she would lose her influence over her son and, with him, her power [119] .
Having regained her lands, Isabella, despite the fact that her personal fortune had increased significantly, did not stop there, becoming one of the largest owners of the kingdom’s land. Before Isabella, none of the English queens had led such a wasteful lifestyle [120] . Revenues from the possessions of the queen rose from 4,400 to 1,3333 pounds per year, the amount for those times huge [121] . Already in the first days of the reign Isabella received from the royal treasury about 12,000 pounds [122] , and soon, under the pretext of paying off foreign debt, another 20,000 pounds [123] . Isabella also required substantial funds to reward her allies. Mortimer also focused on increasing his holdings, mainly due to the lands of the Welsh mark [124] . It is impossible to determine the degree of participation of Mortimer in the affairs of governing the country, since he ruled with Isabella and did not hold any official post. According to E. Ware, the cooperation of the Queen Mother and her favorite was based on mutual trust, and they “divided the spheres of influence” [125] .
During the regency, Isabella had to face a solution to foreign policy problems [126] inherited from the previous board. In the spring of 1327 the Scots resumed raids on the northern lands of the kingdom. In the summer of the same year, the British launched a new military campaign against the unrecognized king Robert the Bruce. The army led by the young king for three weeks pursued the troops of Douglas and Randolph, but the matter did not come to a decisive battle. Exhausted by the ineffectual chase, the British were forced to return to the south. Meanwhile, Douglas laid siege first to Durham , then Alink and Norgam , and Robert the Bruce invaded Northumberland . Isabella chose to solve the problem through diplomacy. In October 1327, the royal envoys secretly visited Bruce in Norgem to learn his terms. Edward III was initially against the peace treaty, but ultimately he conceded [127] . As a result, the Northampton Treaty was concluded. According to him, the daughter of Isabella, Joan Tauerskaya, married the heir to the Scottish throne, David , and Edward III refused claims to the Scottish lands, in exchange for a promise of military aid against any enemy except the French, and 20,000 pounds of compensation for raids in the northern regions of the country [100 ] . Despite the fact that, as a result of the agreement, the northern lands of the country were safe, it did not add to the popularity of Isabella’s rule. The king himself, yielding to the pressure of the mother, did not miss the opportunity to demonstrate his dissatisfaction with the contract. In addition, most of the Scottish money did not go to the royal treasury, but remained with Isabella.
The second foreign policy problem was the situation with the Gascon lands. Isabella and here solved the issue through negotiations. According to the peace treaty concluded in Paris, a part of Gascony without Agenois was returned to England, in exchange for 50,000 pounds of compensation [126] [128] . The loss of Agenois, as well as the peace treaty with Scotland, only increased the unpopularity of Isabella and Mortimer [126] .
Henry Lancaster was one of the first to break with Isabella and Mortimer. Outraged by the agreement concluded at Northampton, as well as the fact that the lands of Lincoln County, which previously belonged to his brother, were divided between Isabella, Mortimer and his son, in 1327 Lancaster left the court [129] . With the support of the population of London and some of the magnates [130] , he openly stood at the head of the opposition.
Isabella undertook a reform of the royal administration and local law enforcement [131] , which the country needed after the unrest of Edward II. On April 28, 1328, after the death of the last brother of Isabella Charles, Edward III, supported by her mother, made a claim to the French throne. The English embassy was sent to France, which demanded official recognition of his rights [131] . However, the peers of France ignored the claims of Edward, whose statement remained symbolic. The royal treasury was empty, the situation in the country in connection with the transition of Lancaster to the opposition was close to civil war. In this situation, it was impossible to go to military actions, Isabella limited herself by refocusing foreign relations on France’s closest neighbors and rivals — Brabant, Geldern , Castile , Navarre [132] . In November 1328, she replied to Ambassadors Philip VI that Edward III, the son of the king, would never bring hint to the son of the count. When, in retaliation, Philip VI appropriated revenues from the Gascon lands, concerned British magnates asked the queen to act more cautiously [133] [134] .
In 1329, Edward III, following the persuasion of his mother, took vassal oath to Philip VI, however, it was decided that this would be the so-called conditional homage (without obligation to perform military service), which would not interfere with the subsequent claim of the crown of France [135] . Chroniclers of the 14th century (for example, Jeffrey Baker ) regarded Isabella’s position as a betrayal of her son, but at that time the situation did not allow her to enter into conflict with France, and the queen mother understood this [136] .
The fall and penalty of Mortimer
In the fall of 1328, Mortimer was assigned a title specially created for him - Count March . The inclusion of Mortimer in the number of earls (the title Earl , in contrast to Count , was considered higher rank) caused discontent magnates of the kingdom, and, above all, Leicester. According to contemporaries, after receiving the title, Mortimer began to behave like a king. The Queen Mother through her son gave him permission to maintain an armed retinue. The one hundred and eighty Welshmen who accompanied Count Mark everywhere caused quite a few troubles not so much to his enemies as to peaceful people. Mortimer's annual income was 8,000 pounds, he lived in unheard of luxury. The queen turned a blind eye to the boldness of her lover and, probably, handed him the primacy of management [137] .
At the end of 1328, Henry Lancaster decided on an armed uprising against Isabella and Mortimer [138] . He threatened to bring charges in Parliament against the latter in criminal conspiracy with the Scots at the conclusion of a peace treaty. Mortimer commanded the royal forces, and Isabella and King Edward also went on the march. In January 1329, Mortimer took the fortress of Lancaster Leicester , and then Bedford . Lancaster, abandoned by the Allies after the capture of Leicester, was forced to capitulate. He escaped death, but was subjected to a colossal fine [138] [139] [140] . Some rebels, for example, a former supporter of Queen Henry de Beaumont, who lost huge lands in Scotland [141] , fled to France [142] . Those who remained in England, Isabella pardoned. In the spring of 1330, Edmund of Kent, who believed that his stepbrother was alive, tried to organize the overthrow of Mortimer. The plot was quickly uncovered, the Count of Kent and several of his supporters were arrested - including Simon Mepech, Archbishop of Canterbury [143] . The petition for pardon of Edmund Kent was rejected, Isabella insisted on his execution [144] . The city executioner refused to carry out the sentence, a criminal was executed by the uncle of the king, who was granted a pardon for it [145] .
Some researchers suggest that at the end of 1329 Isabella became pregnant. Alison Ware speaks about the queen's pregnancy with caution: twice, in 1329 and 1330, the queen made a will, before that she did this once, when she bore her first child. The child of Mortimer and the queen, if he were born, would be a complication for Isabella and dangerous for the king [146] [147] [K 11] . Weir suggests that both Isabella’s pregnancies ended in miscarriages [148] .
Meanwhile, the young king, who had been removed from power by Mortimer, secretly united around him his opponents from among church leaders and nobles [149] . The king revealed his intentions regarding the overthrow of Mortimer only to the most reliable comrades - William Montague and Richard Bury. In the fall of 1330, Isabella and Mortimer, surrounded by an armed retinue that ensured their safety, arrived at the Castle of Nottingham [150] . On October 18 or 19, Mortimer, in connection with the information received about the new conspiracy, summoned Montague and his friends to the council and interrogated him. Mortimer blamed Edward, who was present at the council, for conspiring against him. The king and Montague denied everything. After the council, Montague considered that the time had come for decisive action and convinced the king to strike. On the night of October 19, 1330, armed nobles from the king’s suite penetrated the castle through a secret passage [151] . Isabella, Mortimer, and other members of the royal council discussed the possibility of arresting Montague when the king’s people appeared [152] . The king, not wanting to show his eyes to his mother, stood at the door of Isabella’s apartment. Mortimer resisted, killed one of the attackers, but was captured. Isabella vainly begged her son to “spare the good Mortimer” [152] .
In November, a Parliament was convened, which condemned Mortimer to death for high treason. During the trial, Isabella was portrayed as an innocent victim [153] , and her connection with Mortimer was not mentioned at all [154] . Mortimer was executed by hanging in Tayburn , the king’s special favor was that his body was not dismembered for distribution to the largest cities of the country, as was the custom of the era [155] .
Recent years
Immediately after the coup, Isabella was under arrest at Berkhamsted Castle [156] , and then, until 1332, at Windsor Castle, then settled at Rising Castle in Norfolk [157] . The Victorian historian Agnes Strickland claimed that at this time Isabella suffered from sudden bouts of madness, but modern researchers suggest that she had only a nervous breakdown after the loss of Mortimer [157] . At that time, she was under the supervision of a physician [158] . In the spring of 1332 she gained partial freedom, having received permission to leave Windsor, and joined the court.
Isabella remained very rich, despite the fact that after losing power, she transferred her widow's part to her son, other lands were allocated to her in return [159] [160] . In 1331, she was assigned an annual maintenance of 3,000 pounds, which increased in 1337 to 4,000 pounds [157] . She led a luxurious life in Norfolk, in her retinue, besides the court ladies and knights, were also rangers, grooms, serving thirty-three people, a large number of servants [161] . Residents of the city of Bishops-Lynn, closest to the Castle of Rising, were obliged to donate some amount of provisions there. Also, the Queen Mother received a quarter of the amount of customs duties at the Port of Linn [162] . Edward saw his mother two or three times a year, the rest of the time he corresponded with her and sent gifts. The queen was fond of literature, especially the legends about King Arthur , and the collecting of jewels and holy relics. It is possible that the queen at the end of her life showed an interest in astrology and geometry , since once she received as a gift the copper quadrants [163] . In 1337, Edward returned to his mother income from Pontier and Montreuil, as well as the right to dispose of the property at its discretion.
Over the years, Isabella became close with her daughter Joan, especially after she began to live separately with her husband, David Scottish [164] . She loved her grandchildren very much, especially when she got close to her elder, Edward . Having gained relative freedom over the years, Isabella and Prince Edward visited a number of holy sites [165] . The Queen Mother still participated in the life of the royal court and received many visitors. Friendly relations connected her with Roger Mortimer’s daughter Agnes Mortimer, Countess Pembroke, and Mortimer’s grandson, also Roger Mortimer, to whom Edward III regained the title of Count Marky [166] . In 1348, Isabella's visit to France was planned to participate in peace negotiations, but, ultimately, the trip did not take place [167] . It is known that Isabella, following the wishes of the Pope, persuaded her son in 1354 to release the Duke of Breton , who was being held as a hostage [168] .
The last time the Queen Mother appeared at an official celebration in April 1358 at a knightly tournament in Windsor, dedicated to the celebration of St. George's Day. Isabella was wearing a dress of silk embroidered with silver, three hundred rubies, pearls and gold cords in the amount of one thousand eight hundred [157] .
In 1358, Isabella entered the Third Order of St. Francis [169] , whose members did not commit themselves to monastic vows, but observed a number of Franciscan rites in their lives. The queen mother’s vestments were worn under outer clothing. She devoted the last year of her life to charity, helping Oxford schoolchildren, handing out alms to one hundred and fifty people in need on holidays, providing daily meals to thirteen poor people, and three more meals a table three times a week.
Isabella died on August 22, 1358 at Hartford Castle. She bequeathed a part of her property, including the Castle of Rising, to Prince Edward, and some personal belongings to her daughter Joan [170] . Her body was transported to London and buried in the Franciscan church in Newgate . The magnificent ceremony was held on November 27, the procession went through the whole of London, the Prince of Wales first followed the coffin - the closest of the relatives who attended the funeral. The memorial service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Simon Islip [171] . Isabella was buried in a wedding gown and a Franciscan dress. At the request of the queen, a silver box in which the heart of Edward II was kept was placed in her coffin [172] . On the grave, sculptor Agnes Ramsey built a marble tombstone (installed in 1359 ) with an alabaster statue of the queen. The monument suffered during the Reformation , later the Lord Mayor of London, along with several other statues and tombstones, sold it, and the traces of the queen's sculptural portrait were lost. During World War II, construction on Newgate City was destroyed by German aircraft, the tomb of Isabella de France is not preserved.
Isabella's image in art
Beginning with Christopher Marlowe 's Edward II , Isabella was portrayed in literature as a treacherous and vengeful beauty. In 1991, Derek Jarmen put on the play Marlo the same film , where Isabella is played by Tilda Swinton . The Queen of England appeared in the form of a “femme fatale”, whose unrequited love for Edward pushes her to revolt against the king.
The 18th century poet Thomas Gray , connecting the queen from Marlo's play with Margaret of Anjou from Shakespeare's chronicle, where she is called “French wolf”, created the anti-French poem The Bard , in which Isabella breaks off the insides of Edward II with her “ruthless fangs” [173]
The epithet Wolf was entrenched for Isabella of France and reused by Bertold Brecht in The Life of Edward II in England [173] . In addition, Isabella appears in the novels of Eleanor Hibbert The Follies of the King and The Vow on the Heron , published under the pseudonym Jean Playdie. Inherited from father cruelty, Isabella is obsessed with the desire to destroy Edward II and his favorites more because of pride than because of unrequited love. After the murder of Edward, she does not know the rest from nightmares and suffers from the consciousness of her guilt during sleepless nights. Intoxicated by power, Isabella does not want to pass it on to her son. As in the real story, Isabella and Mortimer are overthrown by Edward III.
Isabella became the heroine of M. C. Barnes’s novels Isabella the Beautiful ( 1957 ), E. W. Gram’s “Peacock's Vows” ( 1956 ), E. S. Holt “Lord Marky, or the story of Roger Mortimer - the story of the fourteenth century” ( 1884 ), S. Hovach “Keshelmara” ( 1974 ), H. Lewis “The Queen-minx” ( 1970 ), D. Gerber “Angel standing in the sun” ( 2016 ).
Isabella de France is one of the characters in the cycle of the novel “ Cursed Kings ” by Maurice Druon . In the novel “The Iron King”, the Queen of England plays a key role in exposing the love affair of her daughters-in-law, Margarita and Blanca of Burgundy. In the novel "The French She-wolf" tells in detail about the baronial rebellion against Edward II, led by Isabella and Roger Mortimer. The cycle of novels "Damned Kings" was filmed twice, in 1972, the role of Isabella was played by Genevieve Castil , and in 2005 by Julie Gayett.
The second meaning of the epithet "Wolf" has Latin roots and expresses the assessment of the woman who accused the daughters in adultery, but subject to the same sin .
But the most famous image of Isabella in cinema was embodied by French actress Sophie Marceau in the drama-criticized drama “ Braveheart ”. In the film, unlike the established tradition, Isabella is a positive character. However, her affair with William Wallace , allegedly the real father of Edward III, is fiction: Wallace was executed a year before Isabella arrived in England and five years before the birth of the future English king [174] .
Alison Ware, in the biography of Isabella, published in 2005 , using eyewitness accounts and archival documents, tried to draw a more objective portrait of the Queen of England.
Portraits of Isabella the French
Portraits of Isabella, both miniature in manuscripts of the 14th and 15th centuries, and sculptural ones, have survived. Однако многие из них передают лишь символический образ королевы. В монастыре Беверли ( Йоркшир ) одна из скульптурных консолей (женская голова в короне и покрывале) считается её портретом. Лицо женщины из Беверли очень похоже на скульптурные портреты Филиппа IV, Людовика X и Филиппа V с надгробий в Сен-Дени . Фигура женщины в короне и со скипетром среди изваяний на гробнице Джона Элтемского, возможно также изображение королевы-матери.
Pedigree
Children
В браке с Эдуардом II Изабелла родила четверых детей:
- Эдуард III , король Англии ( 13 ноября 1312 — 21 июня 1377 )
- Джон Элтемский, граф Корнуолл ( 15 августа 1316 — 13 сентября 1336 )
- Элеонора Вудсток ( 18 июня 1318 — 22 апреля 1355 ), супруга (с 1332 ) Рейнальда II Гельдернского
- Джоан Тауэрская ( 5 июля 1321 — 7 сентября 1362 ), супруга (с 1328 ) Давида II , короля Шотландии
В конце 1314 года , согласно отчётам королевского Гардероба, Изабелла пользовалась услугами врачей. Исходя из этих данных Дж. Э. Триз, сделал вывод, что в это время у королевы был выкидыш или она родила мёртвого ребёнка. Роберт из Рединга утверждает, что в 1319 году в Йорке Изабелла родила дочь, названную Джоан. Кроме него об этом ребёнке Эдуарда и Изабеллы не упоминает ни один хронист.
Comments
- ↑ Свадьба описана в «Лондонских анналах» ( Annales Londoniensis ) и «Анналах святого Павла» ( Annales Paulini )
- ↑ Например: «Анналы святого Павла», « Жизнеописание Эдуарда Второго », Хроника Джона Трокелоу и Генри Бленфорда, «Лейнеркостские хроники», где отношения между двумя мужчинами характеризуются как неуместные, а также «Хроника из Мо», где прямо говорится о содомии.
- ↑ Здесь понятие «барон» относится не к конкретному титулу, а обозначает дворян высокого происхождения.
- ↑ Инцидент описан в «Анналах святого Павла».
- ↑ В «Анналах святого Павла» также сказано, что французские дворяне, посланные королевским двором для участия в коронационных торжествах, говорили, что Эдуард предпочитает делить ложе с Гавестоном, а не с женой.
- ↑ Английский парламент в то время ещё сравнительно молодое учреждение. С 1259 года регулярно собирались советники короля и представители баронов. После 1265 года в Парламент вошли также представители средних и низших феодалов и городских общин. Подробно вопрос развития Парламента в этот период освещается в работе Карла-Фридриха Кригера.
- ↑ Об этом сообщают «Нидерландская хроника», Scalacronica , «Хроника графа Фландрии» и Жан де Прей.
- ↑ Подобные предположения высказаны Холлемом (Hallam. Capetian France), Ланглуа (CV Langlois), Фотье (Fawtier. R. Les Capetiens de France: leur role dans sa construction)
- ↑ По сообщению Полидора Вергилия , заговорщики высадились в графстве Суффолк у деревни Оруэлл (Orwel), где задержались на несколько дней. «Хроники Фландрии» местом высадки называют морской порт Норвелл (Norwell) ( Хроники Жана Фруассара примечание 8).
- ↑ По другим сведениям против были архиепископ Мелтон и епископы: Лондонский, Рочестерский и Вустерский (см. Уэйр, с. 355). Вообще источники описывают эту сессию Парламента довольно противоречиво (см. Уэйр, Примечания и ссылки, с. 608)
- ↑ Иэн Мортимер уверен, что у Изабеллы и Роджера Мортимера был ребёнок.
Notes
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 25
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 13.
- ↑ Weir, 2005 , p. 77f.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 25
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 12.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 243.
- ↑ Mortimer, 2004 , p. 36
- ↑ Weir, 2005 , p. 7f.
- ↑ dtv, 2001 , s. 191.
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 23.
- ↑ Boutell, 1863 , p. 133.
- ↑ Weir, 2005 , p. 18f.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 37.
- ↑ Weir, 2005 , p. 29, 30f.
- ↑ Weir, 2005 , p. 43.
- ↑ Weir, 2005 , p. 46-48.
- ↑ Krieger, 1990 , s. 175
- ↑ Krieger, 1990 , s. 176.
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 101.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 Vita, 1957 .
- ↑ 1 2 Уэйр, 2010 , с. 115
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 139—140.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 68
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 56.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 92
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 144
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 153.
- ↑ Scalacronica, 1836 .
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 155-156.
- ↑ 1 2 Doherty, 2003 , p. 61.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 60
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 61—62.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 60—61.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 62.
- ↑ 1 2 Doherty, 2003 , p. 64.
- ↑ Weir, 2005 , p. 120
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 66
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 195.
- ↑ 1 2 Doherty, 2003 , p. 67.
- ↑ 1 2 Weir, 2005 , p. 132.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 70
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 70-71.
- ↑ Weir, 2005 , p. 133.
- ↑ 1 2 Doherty, 2003 , p. 71
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 200
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 72-73.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 138.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 74-75.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 149.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 73.
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 210.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 143.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 144
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 221.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 75
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 219.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 76-77.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Doherty, 2003 , p. 77.
- ↑ 1 2 Doherty, 2003 , p. 78
- ↑ 1 2 3 Holmes, 2000 , p. sixteen.
- ↑ Neillands, 2001 , p. thirty.
- ↑ Neillands, 2001 , p. 31.
- ↑ Kibler, 1995 , p. 201
- ↑ Kibler, 1995 , p. 314.
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 234.
- ↑ Sumption, 1999 , p. 97.
- ↑ Close Rolls, 1892—1897 .
- ↑ Ainsworth, 2006 , p. 3
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 257.
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 265.
- ↑ Cronicl of London, 1827 .
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 279.
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 281.
- ↑ Special Collections: Ancient Correspondence(SC.1), en:Public Record Office .
- ↑ Уэйр, 2010 , с. 288.
- ↑ 1 2 Dene, 1691 .
- ↑ Calendar of Entries, 1893—1904 .
- ↑ Society of Antiquaries. MS. 122
- ↑ Kibler, 1995 , p. 477.
- ↑ Lord, 2002 , p. 47
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 221.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 222.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 223.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Doherty, 2003 , p. 90.
- ↑ Mortimer, 2004 , p. 148-149.
- ↑ Rolls, 1926-1961 .
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. chapter 8.
- ↑ Mortimer, 2006 , p. chapter 2.
- ↑ Myers's map of Medieval English transport systems, p.270.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 227.
- ↑ 1 2 Doherty, 2003 , p. 91.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 228.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 228-229, 232.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 232.
- ↑ Four Kings : IV: 19.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 92
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 233–234.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 233.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 236.
- ↑ 1 2 3 A. Bryant. The era of chivalry in the history of England . Publisher "Eurasia". Circulation date November 29, 2010. Archived August 24, 2011.
- ↑ Mortimer, 2004 , p. 159-162.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 107.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 108
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 242.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 109.
- Tent Petent Rolls, 1894-1916 .
- ↑ 1 2 Brut, 1906, 1908 .
- ↑ Chartulary, 1927 .
- ↑ Kentish, MS. R. 5. 41 .
- ↑ Walsingham, 1874 .
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 114-115.
- ↑ Chronicle of Meaux, 1866–1868 .
- ↑ Annales Monastici
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 213-215.
- ↑ Mortimer, 2004 , p. 244-264.
- ↑ Mortimer, 2006 , p. appendix 2.
- ↑ Carpenter 2007a, June 7, 2007 .
- ↑ Carpenter 2007b, August 2, 2007 .
- ↑ Ware, 2010 , p. 425-426.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 258.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 259.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 245.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 249.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 156.
- ↑ Ware, 2010 , p. 366.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Weir, 2006 , p. 261.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 304.
- ↑ Neillands, 2001 , p. 32.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 314.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 315.
- ↑ 1 2 Weir, 2006 , p. 309.
- ↑ Ware, 2010 , p. 434–435.
- ↑ Deprez, 1902 .
- ↑ Grandes, 1934-1937 .
- ↑ Foedera, 1704-1735, 1816-1869 .
- ↑ Ware, 2010 , p. 453.
- ↑ Ware, 2010 , p. 446-447.
- ↑ 1 2 Weir, 2006 , p. 322.
- ↑ Mortimer, 2004 , p. 218.
- ↑ A. Bryant. The era of chivalry in the history of England . Publisher "Eurasia". Circulation date December 1, 2010. Archived August 24, 2011.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 149.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 333
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 151.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 152.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 153.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 326.
- ↑ Mortimer, 2004 , p. 221-223.
- ↑ Ware, 2010 , p. 487–490.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 158-159.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 159.
- ↑ Ware, 2010 , p. 479.
- ↑ 1 2 Doherty, 2003 , p. 161.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 162.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 172.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 163.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 347.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Doherty, 2003 , p. 173.
- ↑ Ware, 2010 , p. 498.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 353.
- ↑ Ware, 2010 , p. 493.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 176.
- ↑ Ware, 2010 , p. 497.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 371.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 175
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 175-176.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 177.
- ↑ Doherty, 2003 , p. 174.
- ↑ Ware, 2010 , p. 511.
- ↑ Lanercost, 1913 .
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 373.
- ↑ Weir, 2006 , p. 374.
- ↑ Ware, 2010 , p. 520.
- ↑ 1 2 Weir, 2006 , p. 2
- ↑ Ewan, October 1995 , p. 1219-1221.
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