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Isabella of Valois

Isabella (French: Isabelle) was born on 9 November 1389 and was daughter of King Charles VI of France and his wife, Isabeau of Bavaria. She was the third of twelve children; one of her younger sisters, Catherine of Valois, would become the mother of the Tudor dynasty.

Isabella grew up during a period of political tension between France and England known as the Hundred Years War. This situation was only made worse by the mental instability of her father, King Charles.

 On 31 October 1396, Isabella married the widower King Richard II of England, a move for peace with France. Isabella was only seven years old at the time! The fact that Isabella was a child was discussed during the negotiations, but Richard thought that this was an advantage, as he would be able to shape her in accordance to his ideal. Isabella herself told the English envoys that she was very happy to be Queen of England, because that would make her a great lady.
Richard II travelled to Paris to fetch his future Queen and the wedding was celebrated with grand festivities at the French court. Finally, the couple left to Calais, where the formal wedding ceremony was performed on 31 October 1396.

 After the wedding, the now Queen Isabella of England moved to her new country, where she was placed in Windsor Castle with her own court. She was formally crowned Queen of England in Westminster the following year, 1397. Although the marriage was, obviously, political and arranged, Richard and Isabella developed a mutually respectful relationship. He visited her at Windsor regularly, treated her respectfully and entertained her with humorous conversation. Isabella enjoyed and looked forward to his visits.

 By May 1399, Queen Isabella had been moved to Portchester Castle for protection, while Richard II went on a military campaign in Ireland. During the rebellion against the King, Isabella was moved again to Wallingford Castle, and then to Leeds Castle. When he was returning to England, Richard was imprisoned and died in custody. Queen Isabella was ordered by the new King, Henry IV, to move out of Windsor Castle and to settle in the Bishop of Salisbury's palace in formal house arrest.

 When Richard II was deposed and killed in 1400, the French court requested that Isabella returned to France. Henry IV refused, as his intention was to marry Isabella to his son. Isabella refused; knowing her husband was dead, she went into mourning and ignored the new King's demands. In June 1400, Isabella was allowed to return to France, but Henry IV kept her dowry.

 In 1406, Henry IV insisted again that Isabella should marry his son; the French court refused. On 29 June 1406, Isabella married again, this time to her cousin Charles, Duke of Orléans.

 Isabella of Valois died in childbirth on 13 September 1409, when she was just 19 years old.
Isabella of Valois and Richard II on their wedding day

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