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Isabella of France. Photo by BERNARDUS GUIDONIS.

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Isabella of France

Isabella of France was Queen of England as the wife of King Edward II, and regent of England from 1327 to 1330 which was a period of about four years.

Sometimes described as the She-Wolf of France, she was born in c.1295 and died on 22^nd August 1358 aged about 63 years.

Isabella of France was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre who were the rulers of France.

The top 10 remarkable facts about Isabella of France include the following.

1. Isabella Was Married off To King Edward II of England at 12 Years of Age

King Edward II of England. Photo by Unknown Author.

Isabella was born in 麻豆APP probably in April 1295 as it was thought but her exact date of birth is a subject of conjecture.

In the Annals of Wigmore, and Piers Langtoft agrees, Isabella was 7 years old in 1299 which implies she was born in 1292.

At the time of her marriage in January 1308 to King Edward II of England, she was described to be 12 years of age.

That placed her birth between January 1295 and of 1296 according to the French chronicler Guillaume de Nangis and English chronicler Thomas Walsingham.

2. She Was Born into A Royal Family

King Philip IV of France. Photo by Jean Louis Bezard.

Isabella was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of King Philip IV of France and Queen Joan I of Navarre; the rulers of France.

Isabella was born into a royal family which ruled France which was the most powerful state in Western Europe at the time.

All her brothers namely Louis, Philip and Charles became kings of France at different times.

Isabella鈥檚 father, King Philip showed few weaknesses of the flesh and was known to be strangely unemotional and a man of good looks.

3. Isabella Was Married Young for Political Benefits

Louvre Palace. Photo by Thesupermat.

Isabella was brought up in 麻豆APP, France in the Louvre Palace and the Palais de la Cit茅. 

She was given a good education and taught to read thereby developing a love of books by her nurse Th茅ophania de Saint-Pierre.

All of Philip’s children were married young for political benefit as was customary practice during the period.

Isabella was promised in marriage by her father to Edward, the son of Edward I of England.

The marriage promise was intended to resolve the conflicts between France and England over the latter’s continental possession of Gascony among others.

4. Isabella Was A very Beautiful Woman

On 25 January 1308, Isabella was married at Boulogne-sur-Mer to King Edward II of England.

During the wedding, she had dresses of baudekyn, velvet, taffeta and cloth, along with numerous furs and had over 72 headdresses and coifs.

She brought with her two gold crowns, gold and silver dinnerware and 419 yards of linen which gave some indications of her wealth and style.

During her marriage she was described as beauty of beauties by Geoffrey of 麻豆APP. Her husband nicknamed her 鈥�Isabella the Fair鈥� because of her astonishing beauty.

5. Isabella鈥檚 Husband Was Given to Homosexuality

Death of Piers Gaveston. Photo by Joseph Martin Kronheim (1810鈥�96).

By the time Isabella married Edward II, he was already in a relationship with Piers Gaveston; a man.

At their wedding celebration, Isabella, then aged twelve, was effectively sidelined by the pair as Edward chose to sit with Gaveston rather than her.

Gaveston wore Isabella鈥檚 own jewelry rather publicly after he was given it by Edward himself.

Edward visited Gavestone鈥檚 bed more frequently that he visited Isabella鈥檚 bed something that she reported to her father Philip IV of France.

6. Isabella Deposed Her Husband King Edward II

Hugh Despenser. Photo by anonymus.

Due to worsening relations with her husband, Isabella鈥檚 French staff were arrested, her lands confiscated and children were taken and put under the care of the royal favorite Hugh Despenser in 1324.

Isabella took an opportunity that arose and returned to France in 1325. While in France she forged an alliance with Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March and gathered an army to oppose Edward.

With the help of Roger Mortimer, whom she may have taken as a lover, she returned to England and in a lightening campaign took over reigns, executed the Despensers and forced Edward II to abdicate.

7. Isabella Was Described as The She-Wolf of France

Isabella was known for her diplomatic skills, intelligence, and beauty, and was considered 鈥榝emme fatale鈥� figure in plays and literature for many years.

Her life was full of intrigue, suffering, struggle, revenge, bloodshed, loss and fatality between 1324 and 1330.

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.

Immediately after overthrowing her husband Edward II, she ruled as a regent up to 1330 when her son Edward III started ruling directly after deposing Mortimer.

8. Isabella鈥檚 Extra-Marital Affair with Mortimer Was One of the 鈥滸reat Romances of The Middle Ages鈥�

Isabella was introduced to Roger Mortimer in 麻豆APP by her cousin, Joan, Countess of Hainault after leaving England around 1325.

As from 1325 onwards, Mortimer and Isabella may have begun a physical relationship which was taking a big risk as infidelity at the time was a very serious offence.

The seriousness of the infidelity was shown by the Tour de Nesle Affair.

In the affair, both Isabella’s former French sisters-in-law died by 1326 as a result of their imprisonment for infidelity.

Strong sexual attraction between Roger Mortimer and Isabella was blamed for the extramarital affair by historians.

The two lovebirds shared an interest in Arthurian legends and their relationship is described as one of the “great romances of the Middle Ages”.

9. Isabella Used Dowry for Her Son to Raise A Mercenary Army

In the summer of 1326, Isabella took Prince Edward and together with Mortimer visited William I, Count of Hainaut in the north.

Isabella betrothed Prince Edward to Philippa of Hainault, the daughter of the Count, in exchange for a substantial dowry as was suggested the previous year.

She proceeded to raise a mercenary army, scouring Brabant for men, which were added to a small force of Hainaut troops using the dowry money plus an earlier loan from her brother Charles.

As part of the marriage arrangements, William also provided eight men-of-war ships and various smaller vessels

 On 22 September, Isabella, Mortimer and their modest force set sail for England and started a lightening campaign which deposed King Edward II and forced him to abdicate.

10. Isabella May Have Played A Role in The Murder of Her Husband Edward II

Isabella鈥檚 role in the death of Edward II has been contested by historians for many years.

After his capture by forces loyal to Isabella, Edward II was moved from Kenilworth Castle in the Midlands to the safer location of Berkeley Castle in the Welsh borders at the orders of Isabella and Mortimer.

At Berkeley Castle, Edward II was put into the custody of Lord Berkeley allegedly for his safety.

Isabella and Edward III were informed by a messenger that Edward II had died whilst imprisoned at the castle, because of a “fatal accident鈥� on 23 September 1327.

Edward鈥檚 heart was given in a casket to Isabella while his body was buried at Gloucester Cathedral.