Margaret of France, Queen of England
Margaret of France | |
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Queen consort of England | |
Tenure | 8 September 1299 – 7 July 1307 |
Born | c. 1279 Paris, France |
Died | 14 February 1318 (aged 38–39) Marlborough Castle, Wiltshire, England |
Burial | , England |
Spouse | |
Issue more... | Thomas, Earl of Norfolk Edmund, Earl of Kent |
House | Capet |
Father | Philip III of France |
Mother | Maria of Brabant |
Margaret of France (c. 1279 – 14 February 1318)
Childhood
Margaret was the daughter of King Philip III of France and his second wife, Maria of Brabant. Margaret was only six years old when her father died. She grew up under guidance of her mother, and also of Queen Joan I of Navarre, the wife of her half-brother, King Philip IV.
Marriage negotiations
The death of his beloved first wife,
Edward agreed, and sent his brother
Queenship
Edward was then 60 years old, at least 40 years older than his bride. The wedding took place at
Edward soon returned to the Scottish border to continue his campaigns and left Margaret in London, but she had become pregnant quickly after the wedding.
Many who fell under the king's wrath were saved from too stern a punishment by the queen's influence over her husband, and the statement, Pardoned solely on the intercession of our dearest consort, queen Margaret of England, appears. In 1305, the young queen acted as a mediator between her step-son and husband, reconciling the heir apparent to his aging father, and calming her husband's wrath. She and her stepson, who was only two years younger than she, also became fond of each other: he once made her a gift of an expensive ruby and gold ring, and she on one occasion rescued many of the prince's friends from the wrath of the king.
Margaret favoured the
In 1307, when Edward went on summer campaign to Scotland, Margaret accompanied him. Edward died in Burgh by Sands.
Widowhood
Margaret never remarried after Edward's death in 1307, despite being only 26 when widowed. She was alleged to have stated that, "when Edward died, all men died for me".
Margaret was not pleased when Edward II elevated Piers Gaveston to become Earl of Cornwall upon his father's death, since the title had been meant for one of her own sons. She attended the new king's wedding to her niece Isabella, and a silver casket was made with both their arms. After Isabella's coronation, Margaret retired to Marlborough Castle (which was by this time a dower house), but she stayed in touch with the new queen and with her half-brother Philip IV by letter during the confusing times leading up to Gaveston's death in 1312. Margaret, too, was a victim of Gaveston's influence over her stepson. Edward II gave several of her dower lands to the favourite, including Berkhamsted Castle. In May 1308, an anonymous informer reported that Margaret had provided £40,000 along with Philip IV to support the English barons against Gaveston. Due to this action, Gaveston was briefly exiled and Margaret remained fairly unmolested by the upstart until his death in June 1312.
She was present at the birth of
On 14 February 1318 she died in her castle at Marlborough. Dressed in a Franciscan habit, she was buried at Christ Church Greyfriars in London, a church she had generously endowed.[9] Her tomb was destroyed during the Reformation.
Issue
In all, Margaret gave birth to three children:[10]
- Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk (1 June 1300 – 4 August 1338)[10]
- Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent (5 August 1301 – 19 March 1330)[10]
- Eleanor (4 May 1306 – 1311)[10] Died at Amesbury Abbey, buried at Beaulieu Abbey.
Genealogical table
Margaret's relationship to the royal families of France and England[11] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References
- ^ Parsons 2004, p. ?.
- ^ Stanton 2001, p. 219.
- ^ Bradbury 2007, p. 255.
- ^ Boutell 1863, p. 275.
- ^ Prestwich 1997, p. 521.
- ^ Williamson 1986, p. 75.
- ^ Prestwich 1997, p. 129.
- ^ Dodd & Musson 2006, p. 200.
- ^ Crawford 2003, p. 298.
- ^ a b c d Prestwich 1997, p. 131.
- ^ Prestwich 1997, pp. 572–573
Sources
- Boutell, Charles (1863), A Manual of Heraldry, Historical and Popular, Winsor & Newton
- Bradbury, Jim (2007). The Capetians, Kings of France 987–1328. Hambledon Continuum.
- Crawford, Anne (2003). "Margaret of France (c.1277–1318)". In Hartley, Cathy (ed.). A Historical Dictionary of British Women. Europa Publications.
- Dodd, Gwilym; Musson, Anthony, eds. (2006). The Reign of Edward II: New Perspectives. York Medieval Press.200
- Parsons, John Carmi (2004). "Margaret (1279?–1318)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Online ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
- )
- Stanton, Anne Rudloff (2001). The Queen Mary Psalter: A Study of Affect and Audience. Vol. 91 Part 6. American Philosophical Society.
- Williamson, David (1986). Kings and Queens of Britain. Topsfield, MA: Salem House Publ. ISBN 0-88162-213-3.