Isabella of France

Isabella (French: Isabelle) was born in 1295 in France, and was daughter of Philip IV of France and his wife, Joan I of Navarre. She was notable at her time for her beauty, diplomatic skills and intelligence.

At the age of 12, she was sent to England to marry Edward II and become Queen of England; when she arrived, England was going through a period of conflict between the King and the baronial factions. In the early years of her reign, Isabella supported Edward and the patronage of Piers Galveston, his favourite, while bolstering her own authority and power. After the death of Galveston, Edward turned to a new favourite, Hugh Despenser the Younger, and together they attempted to take revenge on the barons for the death of his favourite - resulting in the Despenser War. At this point, Edward and Isabella's marriage was at a breaking point (she couldn't stand Despenser) and she travelled to France under the guise of a diplomatic mission.
While in France, Isabella began an affair with Roger Mortimer and the two agreed to return to England, depose Edward and oust the Despenser family. She returned in 1326 and, with a small army, she managed to depose the King and become regent on behalf of her son, Edward III, earning her the nickname of She-Wolf.

Isabella and Mortimer's regime started to crumble because of her lavish spending but also because she, rather unpopularly, solved long running issues such as the wars with Scotland. In 1330, Edward took back his authority and deposed and executed Mortimer. The Queen was not punished and lived for many years in considerable style (although not at court).

Isabella took the habit of the Poor Clares before dying on 22 August 1358.

15th century depiction of Isabella of France

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