Editing Isabella of France (section)

=== Mortimer's fall from power, 1330 ===
By mid-1330, Isabella and Mortimer's regime was increasingly insecure, and Isabella's son, Edward III, was growing frustrated at Mortimer's grip on power. Various historians, with different levels of confidence, have also suggested that in late 1329 Isabella became pregnant. A child of Mortimer's with royal blood would have proved both politically inconvenient for Isabella, and challenging to Edward's own position.<ref>Weir 2006, p. 326, is relatively cautious in this assertion; Mortimer, 2004 pp. 221–3 is more confident.</ref>

[[File:Berkhamsted Castle Jan 2007.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right|[[Berkhamsted Castle]] in [[Hertfordshire]], where Isabella was initially held after Mortimer's and her fall from power in 1330]]

Edward quietly assembled a body of support from the Church and selected nobles,<ref>Doherty, pp. 158–9.</ref> whilst Isabella and Mortimer moved into [[Nottingham Castle]] for safety, surrounding themselves with loyal troops.<ref>Doherty, p. 159.</ref> In the autumn, Mortimer was investigating another plot against him, when he challenged a young noble, [[William Montagu, 1st Earl of Salisbury|William Montagu]], during an interrogation. Mortimer declared that his word had priority over the king's, an alarming statement that Montagu reported back to Edward.<ref>Doherty, p. 160.</ref> Edward was convinced that this was the moment to act, and on 19 October, Montagu led a force of twenty-three armed men into the castle by a secret tunnel. Up in the [[keep]], Isabella, Mortimer and other council members were discussing how to arrest Montagu, when Montagu and his men appeared.<ref name=DoheryP161>Doherty, p. 161.</ref> Fighting broke out on the stairs and Mortimer was overwhelmed in his chamber. Isabella threw herself at Edward's feet, famously crying "Fair son, have pity on gentle Mortimer!"<ref name=DoheryP161/> Lancastrian troops rapidly took the rest of the castle, leaving Edward in control of his own government for the first time.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

Parliament was convened the next month, where Mortimer was put on trial for treason. Isabella was portrayed as an innocent bystander during the proceedings,<ref>Doherty, p. 162.</ref> and no mention of her sexual relationship with Mortimer was made public.<ref>Doherty, p. 172.</ref> Mortimer was executed at [[Tyburn]], but Edward III showed leniency and he was not quartered or [[Disembowelment|disembowelled]].<ref>Doherty, p. 163.</ref>