Abstract
At the beginning of 1314, Queen Isabella acted as a diplomatic ambassador to France for her husband, Edward II.1 A memorandum that outlines the reasons behind Edward’s choice still survives in the National Archives, London.2 According to this memorandum, any French response to Isabella’s requests could later be rejected by Edward should the necessity arise because she had no official credentials.3 It was Isabella’s unofficial status and the “behind-the-scenes” nature of intercession that made Isabella valuable as a mediator for Edward. While the death of Piers Gaveston, the birth of a son, and her natal connections in France all contributed to Edward’s choice of Isabella as an ambassador, her informal status within the court was the most significant factor. In situations such as this, it was useful for the king to have someone in his court who did not always have an official status, and the queen could fulfill this role. No specific details were given on the nature of Isabella’s journey in the formal documents issued in preparation for it, indicating that Edward wanted to emphasize the unofficial capacity of her visit.4 Records of alms in Isabella’s household book for this year indicate that the superficial purpose for Isabella’s trip was a pilgrimage.5
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Notes
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© 2012 Lisa Benz St. John
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St. John, L.B. (2012). The Queen as Intercessor: Power and Influence. In: Three Medieval Queens. Queenship and Power. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137094322_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137094322_3
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