After the death of king Edward I of England, the throne was occupied by his son, Edward II. Edward II was weak and impulsive, and his reign would soon prove to be a disastrous one, as we shall see later. It was arranged for Edward to marry Isabella, daughter of the French king Philip IV, and reign as queen of England. Despite Isabella being his queen, Edward showed affection for his male lover, Piers Gaveston.
Gaveston was detested by most of the nobles at court for being arrogant and reckless. He even held more influence over the king than Isabella did. During the couple’s coronation ceremony, the rooms were decorated with Edward’s and Gaveston’s coats of arms, instead of Edward’s and Isabella’s. Eventually the barons revolted under the leadership of Thomas of Lancaster and Gaveston was executed. But that would not be the end of Isabella’s troubles.
After a devastating defeat at Bannockburn in Scotland, King Edward II appointed the Despensers, two cunning and ruthless barons (father and son), as his advisors. The influence of the Despensers on Edward tore the country apart, as the Despensers snatched away large plots of land in Wales. The Despensers soon gained themselves enemies, including the powerful baron Roger Mortimer, who rallies a rebellion, and almost succeeds in capturing the city of London.
The Despensers crossed the line when they confiscated the lands of Queen Isabella. Edward sent Isabella and their first born son and heir, Edward (later Edward III) to France to negotiate a treaty, as the war with France had been going disastrously for England. Once in her home territory, Isabella refused to go back to England unless the Despensers are gone. In France, Isabella met up with the king’s enemy Roger Mortimer (who had escaped from the Tower), and fell in love with him. England was in for a shock.
Mortimer and Isabella, a powerful duo, headed back to England to confront the king. Though their relationship was surely a scandalous one, they gathered support from Edward’s unpopularity as they marched. They find Edward and the Despensers, and capture them. Senior Despenser was executed and fed to the dogs, while Younger Despenser was hanged, drawn, and quartered. Edward was stripped from his kingly titles by act of Parliament.
Edward’s death remains a mystery, and it was rumored that he was ordered by Mortimer and Isabella to be gruesomely murdered by a hot poker jabbed up his anus. The power couple then proceeded to rule England for four tumultuous years, before her son Edward III led a coup against them. Mortimer was beheaded, and Isabella was temporarily imprisoned. The last years of her life were quiet ones, and she died in 1358 at Hertford Castle.
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Here is a wonderful documentary about Isabella and Edward II by Timeline!
Presented by Dan Jones.