Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #210217 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Customer Reviews

A fresh look on and assessment of Queen Isabella - questioning historical reputation
She-wolf of France, but worse than wolves of France, whose tongue more poisons than the adder' s tooth! How ill-beseeming is it in thy sex to triumph, like an Amazoninan trull.." not my words but those of William Shakespeare in his "King Henry the Sixth" on Queen Isabella.

Well, that sums up the reputation of Queen Isabella. And at first glance the reputation seems to be justified: a Queen who takes a lover, overthrows with the lovers help her husband and king, assumes the power in the land and under her controll the husband and former king dies. Her exercise of power with her lover is quite a bad, so she gets overthrown herself and ends her days in a golden cage captivity.

Yes, all this is true but there is much more to Queen Isabella. She
wasn't always the "she-wolf" that later came to be called by a gisgruntled British populace. By all accounts she was said to be a beautifull woman, a beloved mother, a competent mediator and an accomplished diplomat.

So who was this very interesting woman?

Isabella was the daughter of Philip IV., King of France, and of his wife Joanna, Queen of Navarre in her own rights, and sister of three French kings: Louis X., Philip V. and Charles IV.. At the tender age of 12 she was married to Edward II., King of England, twice her age, very handsome and very gay. This might have been quite bad on a personal leveland might have led to just another unhappy queen of a marriage of state. However, Edward was quite an uncapable ruler, letting his favorite Piers Gaveston, raised to be Eral of Cornwall, rule the country. Isabella - humilated as this proud royal princesss felt - remained through the various ups and downs of Edward' reign a loyal consort. England was most of the time near or in a kind of civil war due to the king's misrule. When the Despensers - now the favorites - got hold of Edward and he started to move even against his queen, deriving her of her dower lands and income, she became tired of it all. While in France she become the lover of Mortimer, one of the English exilies, and organized the overthrow of Edward and the Despensers. This was much helped by the fact that the future Edward III. was with his mother. Most English were quite happy to get rid of Edward II.. In 1327 Edward II. was either murdered or escaped from capitivity. With Edward III as nominal king, Mortimer's power through Isabella was unquestioned. However, the new regime started to abuse power and behaved as badly as the previous one of favorites. In a brazen move, the 18 year old Edward III. had Mortimer arrested and executed and started to rule himself. Isabella spend the reminder of her life in quite seclusion, but neither ignored and badly treated by her son, the King, but no politcial force any longer.

Alsion Weir manage to cut through historical myth and propaganda, paints a different picture of a woman, a princess and queen than historical reputation grants Isabella. But it is not a white wash! By far, Isabella emerges from this book not as an innocent saint who does not deserve criticism. But she is neither the "living devil".

The Times critized the book a lot, especially with regards to the fate of Edward II. and Weir's believe that he was not murdered. I
do not share this criticism. As in all of her books Weir presents all arguments, but without refraining from having an opinion herself. But by being open about other views she invites the reader to form his/her very own opinion. Yes, as a reader I want to know what the author thinks, but I do not want to manipulated. In this specific case, I appreciated Weir's opinion but I am not convinced and do not share it. But The Times is quite wrong to critize Alison Weir for it.

My expectations of this book were fully met, I enjoyed very much reading this balanced account of Isabella of France.

a good tale but...
I enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed many of Ms weir's books (I can particularly recommend Eleanor of Acquitaine). She clearly is an enthusiast for her subject and closely examines and imaginatively interprets her Primary Sources. The tale itself is well worth re-telling (politics and sex it never fails!)and one is always intrigued by the overwhelming folly of Edward II and the novelty of a woman having such an effect on her environment in the Middle Ages. Given the interest of the subject and the way it is absorbingly told the only disappointment in the book lies in the author's determination to protect her subject from many of her accusers. Given the woman's predicament the reader wouldn't have blamed her for anything!