Editing Isabella of France (section)

=== Return of the Despensers, 1321–1326 ===
Despite the momentary respite delivered by Isabella, by the autumn of 1321, the tensions between the two factions of Edward, Isabella and the Despenser, opposing the baronial opposition led by Thomas of Lancaster, were extremely high, with forces still mobilised across the country.<ref>Doherty, p. 70.</ref> At this point, Isabella undertook a pilgrimage to [[Canterbury]], during which she left the traditional route to stop at [[Leeds Castle]] in [[Kent]], a fortification held by [[Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere|Bartholomew de Badlesmere]], steward of the King's household who had by 1321 joined the ranks of Edward's opponents. Some historians believe that the pilgrimage was a deliberate act by Isabella on Edward's behalf to create a ''[[casus belli]]''.<ref>Doherty, pp. 70–1; Weir 2006, p. 133.</ref> Lord Badlesmere was away at the time, having left his wife [[Margaret de Clare, Baroness Badlesmere]] in charge of the castle. When the latter adamantly refused the Queen's admittance, fighting broke out outside the castle between Isabella's guards and the garrison, marking the beginning of the [[Despenser War]].<ref name=DohertyP71>Doherty, p. 71.</ref> Whilst Edward mobilised his own faction and placed Leeds Castle under siege, Isabella was given the [[Great Seal of the Realm|Great Seal]] and assumed control of the royal [[Court of Chancery#Origins|Chancery]] from the [[Tower of London]].<ref name=DohertyP71/> After surrendering to Edward's forces on 31 October 1321, Margaret, Baroness [[Badlesmere, Kent]] and her children were sent to the Tower, and 13 of the Leeds garrison were hanged. By January 1322, Edward's army, reinforced by the Despensers returning from exile, had forced the surrender of the Mortimers, and by March Lancaster himself had been captured after the [[Battle of Boroughbridge]]; Lancaster was promptly executed, leaving Edward and the Despensers victorious.<ref>Doherty, pp. 72–3.</ref>

[[File:TynemouthPriory2005-03-08 1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Tynemouth Castle and Priory|Tynemouth Priory]], seen from the [[North Sea]], where Isabella sought shelter from the Scots army following the disastrous campaign of 1322]]

[[Hugh Despenser the Younger]] was now firmly ensconced as Edward's new favourite and together over the next four years Edward and the Despensers imposed a harsh rule over England, a "sweeping revenge"<ref>Weir 2006, p. 138.</ref> characterised by land confiscation, large-scale imprisonment, executions and the punishment of extended family members, including women and the elderly.<ref>Doherty, pp. 74–5.</ref> This was condemned by contemporary chroniclers, and is felt to have caused concern to Isabella as well;<ref>Doherty, p. 73.</ref> some of those widows being persecuted included her friends.<ref>Weir 2006, p. 143.</ref> Isabella's relationship with Despenser the Younger continued to deteriorate; the Despensers refused to pay her monies owed to her, or return her castles at [[Marlborough Castle|Marlborough]] and [[Devizes Castle|Devizes]].<ref>Weir 2006, p. 144.</ref> Indeed, various authors have suggested that there is evidence that Hugh Despenser the Younger attempted to assault Isabella herself in some fashion.<ref>Weir 2006, p. 149.</ref> Certainly, immediately after the Battle of Boroughbridge, Edward began to be markedly less generous in his gifts towards Isabella, and none of the spoils of the war were awarded to her.<ref>Doherty, p. 75.</ref> Worse still, later in the year Isabella was caught up in the failure of another of Edward's campaigns in Scotland, in a way that permanently poisoned her relationship with both Edward and the Despensers.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

Isabella and Edward had travelled north together at the start of the autumn campaign. Before the disastrous [[Battle of Old Byland]] in Yorkshire, Edward had ridden south, apparently to raise more men, sending Isabella east to [[Tynemouth Priory]].<ref>Doherty, pp. 76–7.</ref> With the Scottish army marching south, Isabella expressed considerable concern about her personal safety and requested assistance from Edward. Her husband initially proposed sending Despenser forces to secure her, but Isabella rejected this outright, instead requesting friendly troops. Rapidly retreating south with the Despensers, Edward failed to grasp the situation, resulting in Isabella finding herself and her household cut off from the south by the Scottish army, with the coastline patrolled by [[Flanders|Flemish]] naval forces allied to the Scots.<ref name=DohertyP77>Doherty, p. 77.</ref> The situation was precarious and Isabella was forced to use a group of squires from her personal retinue to hold off the advancing army whilst other of her knights commandeered a ship. The fighting continued as Isabella and her household retreated onto the vessel, resulting in the death of two of her ladies-in-waiting.<ref name=DohertyP77/> Once aboard, Isabella evaded the Flemish navy, landing further south and making her way to York.<ref name=DohertyP77/> Isabella was furious both with Edward for, from her perspective, abandoning her to the Scots, and with Despensers for convincing Edward to retreat rather than sending help.<ref name=DohertyP78>Doherty, p. 78.</ref> For his part, Edward blamed [[Lewis de Beaumont]], the [[Bishop of Durham]] and an ally of Isabella, for the fiasco.<ref name=DohertyP78/>

Isabella effectively separated from Edward from here onwards, leaving him to live with Hugh Despenser. At the end of 1322, Isabella left the court on a ten-month-long pilgrimage around England by herself.<ref name=DohertyP79>Doherty, p. 79.</ref> On her return in 1323, she visited Edward briefly, but was removed from the process of granting royal patronage.<ref name=DohertyP79/> At the end of 1324, as tensions grew with France, Edward and the Despensers confiscated all of Isabella's lands, took over the running of her household and arrested and imprisoned all of her French staff. Isabella's youngest children were removed from her and placed into the custody of the Despensers.<ref>Doherty, p. 80.</ref> At this point, Isabella appeared to have realised that any hope of working with Edward was effectively over and begun to consider radical solutions.{{cn|date=August 2023}}