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Isabella
Isabella: She-Wolf of France, Queen of England | Alison Weir
Described by Christopher Marlowe as the 'She-Wolf of France', Isabella was one of the most notorious femme fatales in history. According to popular legend, her angry ghost can be glimpsed among church ruins, clutching the beating heart of her murdered husband. But how did Isabella aquire this reputation? Born in 1292 she married Edward II of England but was constantly humiliated by his relationships with male favourites and she lived adulterously with Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. Had it not been for her unfaithfulness, history might have immortalised her as a liberator- the saviour who unshackled England from a weak and vicious monarch. Dramatic and startling this first full-length biography of Isabella will change the way we think of her and her world forever.
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hefau
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“On the night before Isabella arrived in Paris, King Philip and his court had witnessed the burning of her godfather, Jaques de Molay, last Grand Master of the Knights Templar.” Pg 98

I had no idea the last Grand Master—the man Isabella‘s father unjustly charged with treason so he could take the Order‘s assets—was also her godfather.

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hefau
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“These happy and auspicious plans were overshadowed in France by the mass arrest of about two thousand Knights Templar, on the King‘s orders, on 13 October. …For the next seven years, the Templars in France would be…interrogated, tortured, tried, and sometimes burned at the stake. Philip‘s treatment of the Templars paved the way for their condemnation by the Pope and the dissolution of the Order.” Pg 13-14

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hefau
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“…in 1309, under pressure from Philip, Clement moved the seat of the papacy from Rome to Avignon in southern France, where it was to remain for nearly seventy years, in thrall to the kings of France.” Pg 11

hefau I‘ve just been cruising through this book and forgot to post some quotes. 2y
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blurb
hefau
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I picked up a couple books by Alison Weir at the bargain store last week. It seemed best to start here since I just read _England in the Age of Chivalry . . . And Awful Diseases_ by Ed West: it offers a very, very brief history of England around the time of Isabella.

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Butterfinger
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"But there was no escaping his tormenters, who spread his legs and inserted 'a long horn into his fundament as deep as they might, and took a spit of burning copper, and put it through a horn into his body, and oft-times rolled therewith his bowels, and so they killed their lord, and nothing was perceived."

?Gee. One more example of how Medieval people were horrific in their methods. Some historians believe Edward II escaped. I sure do hope so.

review
Gezemice
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Pickpick

This was my beach read, and I enjoyed it a lot. Great story and writing, but occasionally tedious due to dense historian detail.

Isabella's story is worthy of an action and sex-packed HBO series. The daughter of the French king, smart and beautiful, Isabella is neglected by her husband, Edward II, who prefers men, and misrules the country. She ends up leading a rebellion and leaves Edward for his mortal enemy. You go, girl. ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Dolly Those are knees, right. 😂 7y
Gezemice @Dolly Eh... yeah... did not think it would look like something else...😂 7y
Laalaleighh All I can think is 🙀 don't burn!!! (I burn in like 10 minutes) 7y
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Gezemice @Laalaleighh I used plenty of sunscreen, and this was actually in the evening. I mostly had a beach dress on, too. And it was overcast about 3/4 of the time... which made for quite pleasant beach walking time. The day it was sunny it was actually too hot! 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Looks like you had a great vacation! 7y
Gezemice @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Thanks, yes! It was too much driving to get home, though, so I am pooped, lol. 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice That's always the price you pay to get away....the actual traveling part is no fun. 7y
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blurb
ValerieAndBooks
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#startswithQ I could have used Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym but posted about it 3 days ago ?. So, here's Queen Isabella ?. Isabella of France married Edward II of England and was also known as "the She-Wolf of France". In the movie Braveheart, Isabella sleeps with William Wallace (Mel Gibson) ?; but IRL she was only about 10 years old when he died and not yet married to Edward II.

EvieBee Fascinating! I love all your monarchy reads there. 7y
rustoryhuf My husbands family has a list of Tudor ancestors, Anne B., QEI, Catherine Howard, so I've read alt of historical fiction from that era. Your titles offer even more suggestions. Yay! 7y
Ubookquitous Alison Weir is one of my favorite historians. As a bonus she also writes historical fiction. 7y
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ValerieAndBooks @EvieBee84 Thanks! I have more, but tried to focus on the female royalty titles in this pic 😊 7y
ValerieAndBooks @rustoryhuf these are non-fiction but I'm sure there's historical fiction on just about every one of these women 👍 7y
ValerieAndBooks @Ubookquitous Weir is good as a historian . However I haven't been able to get into her historical fiction that I've tried 🤷‍♀️ 7y
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