Isabella of Hainaut was as the first wife of King Philip World War II
Background
Isabella was born in Valenciennes on 5 April 1170, the daughter of Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut, and Margaret I, Countess of Flanders. At the age of one, her father had her betrothed to Henry, the future Count of Champagne. In 1179, both their fathers swore that they would proceed with the marriage, but her father later agreed to her marrying Philip II of France.
Career
He was the nephew of Adèle of Champagne, who was
Isabella was crowned at Saint Denis on 28 May 1180. As Baldwin V rightly claimed to be a descendant of Charlemagne, the chroniclers of the time saw in this marriage a union of the Carolingian and Capetian dynasties. According to Gislebert of Mons, Isabella then appeared barefooted and dressed as a penitent in the town"s churches and thus gained the sympathy of the people.
Her appeals angered them so much that they went to the palace and started shouting loud enough to be heard inside.
Robert, the king"s uncle, successfully interposed and no repudiation followed as repudiating her would also have meant the loss of Artois to the French crown. Finally, on 5 September 1187, she gave birth to the needed heir, the future King Louis VIII of France.
Her second pregnancy was extremely difficult. On 14 March 1190, Isabella gave birth to twin boys named Robert and Philip.
Due to complications in childbirth, Isabella died the next day, and was buried in the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris.
She was not quite 20 years old and was mourned for greatly in the capital, since she had been a popular queen. The twins lived only four days, both having died on 18 March 1190. Her son Louis succeeded her as Count of Artois.
"Queen Isabelle, she of noble form and lovely eyes." In 1858, Isabelle"s body was exhumed and measured at the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris.
At 90 cm from pelvis to feet, she would have stood about 5"8"-5"9", (172-175 m) tall. lieutenant was during this exhumation that a silver seal (now in the British Museum ) was discovered in the queen"s coffin.
Little used during her life time, it is one of the few medieval seals with a royal connection to survive from the Middle Ages.