Isabella of France Timeline

• 1297: After three years of conflict, hostilities between England and France begin to wind down.
• 1299: King Edward I of England, aged 60, marries Marguerite of France, the 17-year-old sister of King Philippe IV, as part of a peace settlement. The treaty addresses English claims and obligations concerning Gascony, while a future marriage is proposed between Marguerite’s young stepdaughter, Isabella of France, and Edward’s heir, Prince Edward.
• 1307: King Edward I exiles Piers Gaveston, hoping to curb his growing influence over Prince Edward.
• July 7, 1307: Edward I dies while on campaign in Scotland. His son ascends the throne as Edward II and immediately recalls Gaveston, granting him the title Earl of Cornwall and arranging his marriage to Margaret de Clare, Edward’s niece.

• January 25, 1308: Twelve-year-old Isabella of France marries 23-year-old Edward II at Boulogne.
• February 25, 1308: Edward II and Isabella are crowned at Westminster Abbey. During the celebrations, Edward publicly favors Gaveston, who appears dressed in royal purple silk and pearls. The display outrages the French delegation and deepens resentment among the English barons.
• April – May 1308: Growing opposition to Gaveston brings Edward into confrontation with the barons. Led by Henry Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, they declare that their allegiance is owed to the Crown rather than simply to the king as an individual. Under mounting pressure, including from Isabella’s father, Philippe IV, Edward grants Isabella her dower lands at Ponthieu and Montreuil and agrees to send Gaveston into exile.
• August 1309: Edward restores Gaveston to his former position after securing the temporary cooperation of the barons. Gaveston’s increasingly provocative behavior, and his habit of insulting powerful nobles with nicknames such as “Bursting Belly” for Lincoln and “Joseph the Jew” for Pembroke, further inflames political tensions.
• February 1310: Military failures in Scotland and growing financial problems push the barons to demand sweeping reforms. Edward II is forced to appoint 21 Lords Ordainer to oversee the government and impose restrictions on royal authority.
• November 3, 1311: The Ordinances require Gaveston to leave England permanently, with excommunication threatened if he returns.

• January 1312: Edward II revokes the Ordinances, reunites with Gaveston, and restores his earldom. The decision pushes the conflict with the barons toward open rebellion.
• May 1312: Edward, a pregnant Isabella, and Gaveston flee north to Tynemouth Priory. Edward and Gaveston escape by sea to Scarborough, leaving Isabella behind for her safety. With supplies running low and the Ordainers’ forces closing in, Gaveston surrenders on May 19.
• June 19, 1312: Guy de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, and Thomas of Lancaster violate the terms of Gaveston’s surrender. He is taken to Blacklow Hill and executed. Edward later has Gaveston’s body embalmed and dressed in gold before its burial.
• November 13, 1312: Isabella gives birth to a son, the future Edward III, at Windsor Castle. The arrival of a male heir strengthens the stability of the royal succession during a period of intense political turmoil.
• December 1312–1314: Isabella emerges as an important political mediator, helping negotiate peace between Edward II, the barons involved in Gaveston’s death, and her family in France. By 1314, she has become one of the king’s most trusted advisers.
• June 23 – 24, 1314: Edward II suffers a devastating defeat against Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn. Internal divisions among the English leadership contribute to the collapse of the campaign.
• November 1314: Philippe IV of France dies. His eldest son succeeds him as Louis X.
• 1316 – 1318: Isabella gives birth to two more children: John of Eltham in 1316 and Eleanor of Woodstock in 1318. The Treaty of Leake, signed on August 9, 1318, temporarily reconciles Edward II with his most powerful baronial opponents.
• 1319: During an unsuccessful campaign in the north, Sir James Douglas reportedly plots to capture Queen Isabella. Warned by the Archbishop of York, she escapes to safety.
• October 1321: The Siege of Leeds Castle begins after Lady Badlesmere refuses Isabella entry to the castle. Edward II uses the confrontation as a pretext to move against his baronial enemies.

1321 – 1322: Hugh Despenser the Younger rises rapidly in power alongside his father, Hugh Despenser the Elder. His ruthless methods and political ambitions create widespread resentment. Isabella attempts to intervene, reportedly going so far as to plead for peace on her knees, but Edward II refuses to yield. The Despensers’ growing influence eventually pushes Isabella out of the king’s inner circle.

March 16, 1322: At the Battle of Boroughbridge, the royal forces defeat the rebel barons. Thomas of Lancaster is captured, tried for treason, and executed at Pontefract Castle. Bartholomew Badlesmere is executed soon afterward.

1323 – 1324: A 13-year truce is established with Scotland. Meanwhile, Isabella becomes increasingly alienated from Edward II as the Despensers tighten their grip over the king and the government. She later describes the Despenser influence as an “intruder” that has come between her and her husband.

• 1325: Edward II sends Isabella to France to negotiate a dispute over Gascony with her brother, King Charles IV. Isabella successfully negotiates terms that help secure the English position in Gascony.
• Late 1325: Prince Edward joins his mother in France to perform homage to Charles IV. Isabella refuses to return to England while the Despensers remain in power and begins wearing widow’s clothing as a public sign of her separation from Edward II.
• 1325 – 1326: Isabella allies herself with the exiled Roger Mortimer and other opponents of Edward II. She also secures an alliance with William, Count of Hainaut, arranging the betrothal of Prince Edward to William’s daughter, Philippa, in exchange for troops and ships.
• September 22, 1326: Isabella, Roger Mortimer, and Prince Edward sail for England with a force of mercenaries and allies. Their arrival triggers a rapid collapse of support for Edward II as English nobles and towns begin rallying to Isabella’s cause.
• October – November 1326: Edward II and Hugh Despenser flee westward into Wales. Despenser is captured on November 16 and executed. Edward II is captured soon afterward and imprisoned.

• January 20, 1327: Edward II is forced to abdicate in favor of his son.
• February 1, 1327: Fourteen-year-old Prince Edward is crowned King Edward III. Isabella and Roger Mortimer effectively rule the kingdom as regents behind the young king.
• September 21, 1327: Edward II dies in captivity at Berkeley Castle at the age of 43. Rumors quickly spread that he had been murdered, while other stories claim he may have escaped.
• Spring 1328: The Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton brings peace with Scotland and formally recognizes Scottish independence. Isabella’s seven-year-old daughter Joan is married to David Bruce, the heir to the Scottish throne. The treaty proves deeply unpopular in England and is derisively nicknamed Turpis Pax—“the Shameful Peace.”
• 1328 – 1330: Resentment grows toward Isabella and Mortimer as they accumulate wealth and political power. Opposition culminates in several rebellions, while the Earl of Kent is executed in 1330 after becoming convinced that Edward II is still alive.
• October 1330: In a dramatic coup at Nottingham Castle, the young Edward III moves against Mortimer with the help of William Montagu. The king’s forces enter the castle through a secret underground passage. Mortimer is arrested and later executed, bringing Isabella and Mortimer’s three-year dominance of England to an end.
• 1330 – 1358: Isabella is placed under guard, initially at Berkhamsted and later at Castle Rising. Her confinement is relatively comfortable, allowing her to maintain a luxurious household and remain close to her son, Edward III.
• August 22, 1358: Isabella of France dies at the age of 63. She is buried at the Franciscan church of Greyfriars in London, wearing the mantle from her wedding to Edward II more than half a century earlier.