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Royal Mother, Royal Son: Isabella & Edward III

Edward sent Isabella on a diplomatic mission to France, with far-reaching and fatal consequences. Isabella established an independent power base, invaded England, and overthrew her husband in the name of their teenage son. Edward II was imprisoned and then murdered. For three years, Isabella ruled England. Finally, her son Edward III grew to maturity and claimed his throne, toppling his mother’s regime.
Isabella’s prolonged and deadly struggle with Edward II has overshadowed all other aspects of her life. Her story has been interpreted as the degeneration of a queen and wife, in a downward spiral from guile to treachery to murder. Even Isabella’s ultimate loss of power to her son has been seen as the final chapter of her duel with her husband.
The extraordinary clash between Isabella and Edward II was played out on a public stage, to the disbelief and shock of all Europe. Behind the scenes, however, was another equally fascinating set of interactions between Isabella and her son Edward III. Conducted quietly and with discretion, their mother-son relationship remains one of the great mysteries of English royal history.