Editing Isabella of France (section)

== Early life and marriage: 1295–1308 ==
[[File:Philip iv and family.jpg|thumb|300px|Isabella's French family, depicted in 1315: l-r: Isabella's brothers, [[Charles IV of France|Charles]] and [[Philip V of France|Philip]], Isabella herself, her father, [[Philip IV of France|Philip IV]], her brother [[Louis X of France|Louis]], and her uncle, [[Charles of Valois]]. [[Bibliothèque nationale de France]]]]

Isabella was born in [[Paris]] on an uncertain date — on the basis of the chroniclers and the eventual date of her marriage, she was probably born between April 1295{{efn|Kathryn Warner states late 1295{{sfn|Warner|2016|p=11}}}} and January 1296.{{efn|Jeffery Hamilton states 1296{{sfn|Hamilton|2010|p=103}}}} She is described as born in 1292 in the Annals of Wigmore, and [[Piers Langtoft]] agrees, claiming that she was 7 years old in 1299. The French chronicler [[Guillaume de Nangis]] and English chronicler [[Thomas Walsingham]] describe her as 12 years old at the time of her marriage in January 1308, placing her birth between January 1295 and of 1296. A papal dispensation by [[Clement V]] in November 1305 permitted her immediate [[marriage by proxy]], despite the fact that she was probably only 10 years old. Since her brother [[Charles IV of France|Charles]] was born on 18 June 1294, and she had to reach the [[canonical age]] of 12 before her marriage in January 1308, the evidence suggests that she was born between April 1295 and January 1296.<ref>See Weir 2006, pp. 8–9.</ref> Her parents were King [[Philip IV of France]] and Queen [[Joan I of Navarre]]; her brothers [[Louis X of France|Louis]], [[Philip V of France|Philip]] and Charles became kings of France.<ref>Warner 2016, p.8</ref>

Isabella was born into a royal family that ruled the most powerful state in [[Western Europe]]. Her father, King Philip, known as ''"le Bel"'' (the Fair) because of his good looks, was a strangely unemotional man; one contemporary described him as "neither a man nor a beast, but a statue";<ref>Weir 2006, p. 11.</ref> modern historians have noted that he "cultivated a reputation for Christian kingship and showed few weaknesses of the flesh".<ref>Jones and McKitterick, p. 394.</ref> Philip built up [[Centralized government|centralised royal power]] in France, engaging in a sequence of conflicts to expand or consolidate French authority across the region, but remained chronically short of money throughout his reign. Indeed, he appeared almost obsessed about building up wealth and lands, something that his daughter was also accused of in later life.<ref>Weir 2006, p. 12.</ref> Isabella's mother died when Isabella was still quite young; some contemporaries suspected Philip IV of her murder, albeit probably incorrectly.<ref>Weir 2006, p. 14.</ref>

[[File:Seal of Edward II-2.jpg|thumb|left|Seal of [[Edward II of England|Edward II]]]]

Isabella was brought up in and around the [[Louvre Palace]] and the [[Palais de la Cité]] in Paris.<ref name=WeirP13>Weir 2006, p. 13.</ref> Isabella was cared for by Théophania de Saint-Pierre, her nurse, given a good education and taught to read, developing a love of books.<ref name=WeirP13/> As was customary for the period, all of Philip's children were married young for political benefit. Isabella was promised in marriage by her father to [[Edward II of England|Edward II]], the son of King [[Edward I of England]], with the intention to resolve the conflicts between France and England over the latter's continental possession of [[Gascony]] and claims to [[County of Anjou|Anjou]], [[Duchy of Normandy|Normandy]] and [[Duchy of Aquitaine|Aquitaine]].<ref>Weir 2006, pp. 13–4.</ref> [[Pope Boniface VIII]] had urged the marriage as early as 1298 but it was delayed by wrangling over the terms of the marriage contract. The renewal of the Anglo-French truce in 1299 led to the marriage of Edward I to Philip's sister Margaret, further anticipating the marriage of Isabella to Edward II.<ref name=Parsons>{{Cite ODNB |last=Parsons |first=John Carmi |title=Isabella [Isabella of France] |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-14484 |access-date=21 October 2021 |year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/14484 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 1303, Edward I may have considered a [[Castilians|Castilian bride]] for Edward II instead of Isabella and even increased her dowry before the wedding.<ref name=Parsons/> Edward I attempted to break the engagement several times for political advantage, and only after he died in 1307 did the wedding proceed.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

Isabella and Edward II were finally married at [[Boulogne-sur-Mer]] on 25 January 1308. Isabella's wardrobe gives some indications of her wealth and style — she had dresses of [[Silk|baudekyn]], [[velvet]], [[taffeta]] and cloth, along with numerous furs; she had over 72 headdresses and [[coif]]s; she brought with her two gold crowns, gold and silver dinnerware and 419 yards of linen.<ref name=WeirP25>Weir 2006, p. 25.</ref> At the time of her marriage, Isabella was probably about twelve and was described by [[Geoffrey of Paris]] as "''the beauty of beauties... in the kingdom if not in all Europe.''" This description was probably not simply flattery by a chronicler, since both Isabella's father and brothers were considered very handsome men by contemporaries, and her husband was to nickname her "Isabella the Fair".<ref name=WeirP25/> Isabella was said to resemble her father, and not her mother, [[queen regnant]] of Navarre, a plump, plain woman.<ref>Costain, p. 82; Weir 2006, p. 12.</ref> This indicates that Isabella was slender and pale-skinned, although the fashion at the time was for blonde, slightly full-faced women, and Isabella may well have followed this stereotype instead.<ref>Weir 2006, p. 26.</ref> Throughout her career, Isabella was noted as charming and diplomatic, with a particular skill at convincing people to follow her courses of action.<ref>Weir 2006, p. 243.</ref> Unusual for the medieval period, contemporaries also commented on her high intelligence.<ref>Mortimer, 2004, p. 36.</ref>