Queen Isabella has fallen in love with another fella!

‘Gay Paree! Oh gay Paree!

That is the place where Roger Mortimer wished to be!

Once there, he would, with the French king go hand in glove!

Also, with the Queen of England he would find new love!’

Roger Mortimer received a fairly warm reception from the new king, Charles IV when he reached Paris. He was, after all, a man of noble birth and would be accorded the courtesies commensurate with his station in life.

King Charles IV at his wedding ceremony.

However, the relationship would become more cordial later that year. An event that October caused a fall out between the king of France and the king of England.

The English Crown owned the French province of Gascony which was part of the duchy of Aquitaine. Of course King Edward was also Duke of Aquitaine, but he held it as a vassal of the French king.  In 1322  the French government decided that the Gascon village of St Sardos now belonged to France. In October a French royal sergeant proceeded to St Sardos, and in dramatic Gallic fashion solemnly erected a signpost bearing the coat of arms of the French Crown in the village itself. A local nobleman, loyal to King Edward outraged by this action, destroyed St Sardos and hanged the unfortunate sergeant-at-arms from the offending signpost.

‘Sarge! Oh Sarge! What you did was not the right thing to do!

Now as you swing high on the signpost; of the locality, you will have a great view!

                                  As the wind keeps the signpost turning! Yes, turning!

You can watch the whole damn village burning!’

This seemingly trivial bout of unpleasantness escalated into a war between England and France. In March 1325, Edward, realising that the war was going badly, sent his queen, Isabella to negotiate with her brother, King Charles IV. Isabella managed to persuade King Charles to agree to a truce but the eventual outcome was not to England’s advantage. August was the time for Edward to travel to France to pay homage to King Charles for his duchy of Aquitaine. However, Edward was reluctant to leave England as political matters were far from harmonious. So it was agreed that prince Edward could travel to France and pay homage to King Charles in his father’s place. In September young Edward, accompanied by Bishop Stapledon, arrived in France and was reunited with his mother. So something of a family get-together, a little mixing of royal business and personal pleasure.

‘Oh King Edward allowing Prince Edward to travel to France was a terrible decision!

Once Isabella possesses prince Edward, she will be able to move against you with both military and political precision.

Prince Edward paying homage to his uncle King Charles IV of France for the duchy of Aquitaine.

Stapledon brought a command from Edward that Isabella was to return to England as soon as young Edward had performed the duty of homage. This was something that Isabella was loath to do. She told the astonished bishop that Edward’s relationship with Hugh the younger had caused her to consider herself a widow.

‘Hark at the court of King Edward, nothing that comes out of there is any good!

As a consequence, I consider myself consigned to a condition of widowhood!’

Indeed, she took to wearing garments black in colour as widows were inclined to do.

It was during this period that Mortimer and Queen Isabella became romantically attached.

‘Despite being in Paris on matters of state business, Isabella had private hours of leisure!

She spent the time with  Roger Mortimer with whom she found a deep love, a truly golden trove of treasure!’

Isabella in Paris, with her son at her side, now plotted with Mortimer and the anti-Despenser exiles to overthrow King Edward II. The time was now right to launch an invasion of England and rid the kingdom of an incompetent king and his worthless advisers, the hated Despensers. However, Isabella’s brother Charles declined to aid her in this adventure, so ever resourceful, Isabella sought another avenue of succour. Isabella and Mortimer along with their retinue journeyed to the duchy of Hainault. There, a bargain was struck between Isabella and her cousin, William count of Hainault. Young prince Edward was to be betrothed to William’s daughter Philippa, and the dowry received would pay for Isabella’s planned invasion of England.

In September 1326, Isabella’s invasion fleet was set to sail for England.