The Six Year Old Traded By Kings

Isabella of Valois

In the late fourteenth century, a diplomatic alliance between England and France was established through a high-profile marriage. King Richard II of England wedded Isabella of Valois, the daughter of King Charles VI of France, as a means to solidify a truce between the two nations. Isabella was six years old when she arrived in England to be crowned queen. Historical accounts from the period note that Richard II ensured she was treated with the status befitting her rank, providing her with a dedicated household and regular visits during her transition to the English court.

This political stability was disrupted three years later when England faced internal conflict. While Richard II was on a military campaign in Ireland, Henry Bolingbroke returned from exile to challenge the throne. During this period of unrest, Isabella was moved between various secure locations for her protection. After Bolingbroke successfully took the crown as Henry IV and imprisoned Richard, Isabella was held under house arrest. Despite her youth and the pressure from the new administration, she remained loyal to the deposed king and refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the new regime.

Following the death of Richard II in 1400, Isabella became a central figure in a diplomatic tug-of-war. King Henry IV initially sought to keep her in England to maintain the political connection with France, even suggesting future marital alliances to keep her within the English royal circle. Isabella and her French advisors resisted these efforts, demanding her return to her home country. After extensive negotiations between the English and French courts, she was eventually permitted to return to France in 1401, although her significant dowry remained in the possession of the English crown.

Upon her return, Isabella's life continued within the high-ranking circles of the French nobility. She eventually married Charles, Duke of Orléans. Her life was characterized by the immense political pressures placed upon royal figures of the medieval era. Her historical legacy is often defined by her steadfast refusal to cooperate with the political rivals who had overthrown her first husband, marking her as a notable figure in the complex history of the Hundred Years' War.