Off With Her Head: Isabeau of Bavaria
Royal Scapegoats, Part II
Welcome back to The Fascinator’s series on Royal Scapegoats! In these installments, we’re examining the lives of women who have been the subjects of blatantly biased treatment throughout history.
We’re taking it back to France today, where we’ll meet a queen who—surprise!—was completely vilified by chroniclers of her day, often for things completely outside of her control. In fact, I’ve seen her referred to as “the most hated Queen in French history.” For years, historians and biographers approached this Queen from an uncritical angle, unquestioningly parroting claims that she was morally bankrupt, carrying on affairs and lavishly throwing money around.
And no, we’re not revisiting Marie Antoinette. We’re discussing Isabeau of Bavaria, a medieval Queen of France.
This Queen was also known for cannily switching up her political allegiances based on who was most likely to accede to the French throne after her husband. You and I, sitting comfortably in 2024, can recognize that this would have been necessary for self-preservation. But to her contemporaries, this was the kiss of death for a woman’s reputation.
These negative portrayals (almost certainly politically motivated) have overshadowed the actual facts of this medieval Queen’s life. Regardless, she wielded a considerable amount of influence and even used it to support other women.