Margaret of France

Depiction in the Nuova Cronica (1346)

Name: Princess Margaret of France

Birth name: Marguerite de Capétiens

Born: c. 1279, Paris, Royal Domain, Kingdom of France

Father: King Philip III of France 'The Bold'

Mother: Lady Maria of Brabant

House: Capet

Nationality: French

Religion: Catholicism 

Consort of: Edward I 'Longshanks'

Reign: 08 September 1299 - 07 July 1307 (7 years)

Coronation: N/A

Predecessor: Eleanor of Castile

Successor: Isabella of France 'The She-Wolf of France' 

Died: 14 February 1318 (aged 39), Marlborough, Wiltshire, Kingdom of England

Cause: *Unknown*

Burial: Christ Church Greyfriars

Motto: N/A 

Spouse(s):

• King Edward I of England 'Longshanks' (m. 1299 - 1307) 

Children:

• With King Edward I of England
• Prince Thomas of Brotherton, Earl of Norfolk (1300 - 1338)
• Prince Edmund of Woodstock, Earl of Kent (1301 - 1330)
• Princess Eleanor (1307 - 1311)  

Appearance:
She was described as being very beautiful.
 
Character:
Margaret was described as being incredibly kind and calm, as well as free from resentment and jealousy. 

She was a loving step-mother, and held a lot of respect and loyalty to her husband, whom she was a positive influence over. She would intercede on behalf of everyone who incurred her husband's wrath, and helped reconcile her husband with his estranged son. 

Margaret also enjoyed playing chess, as well as French fashion. 

She was greatly admired for her kindness, virtue, and piety. Even after her husband died, she remained loyal to him, claiming that he was the only one she could truly love. 

She also greatly respected and honoured her husband's first wife, which endeared her to people even more.
 
Biography:
Margaret was born some time around 1279 in Paris in the Kingdom of France. She was the third of three children born to King Philip III of France and his second wife, Lady Maria of Brabant, and also had five older half-siblings from her father's first marriage. 

Her father died when she was still really young, and she mainly grew up in the care of her mother and her sister-in-law, Queen Joan I of Navarre. Not too much else is known about her early life.
 
In 1291, King Edward I of England planned to marry his son to Margaret's sister, Princess Blanche, before planning to marry her himself after he heard rumours of her beauty. However, this marriage treaty was betrayed, and Blanche went on to marry Prince Rudolph of Germany. King Philip III of France offered Margaret as a bride instead, but Edward I refused and declared war on France. 

By 1299, the Pope intervened and proposed a match between Margaret and Edward once again, with Margaret's niece, Princess Isabella, being a suggested wife for Edward I's son. Edward I agreed and a truce between England and France was reached. Later that same year, Margaret officially married Edward I; she was 20 years old, while her new husband was 60. 

Despite the marriage making her the Queen Consort of England, Margaret was never officially crowned due to financial constraints at the time. 

She became pregnant with their first child, and was originally supposed to stay in London while her new husband went on campaign in Scotland, but she grew bored with this and decided to join her husband instead. This would greatly endear her to Edward, as his first wife, whom he had been very much in love with, had also accompanied him whenever he went. 
 
Despite being a politically arranged marriage, the two of them got on very well together, and she was able to sway his violent temper. She also got along very well with her step-children, becoming very good friends with them. 

Both Margaret and Edward I would go on to have three children together, with their youngest daughter, Princess Eleanor, being named in honour of Edward's first wife and consort. This kindness, compassion, and lack of jealousy, would greatly endear her to everyone around her.
 
In 1307, while on campaign against Scotland once again, Edward I contracted dysentery and passed away, leaving Margaret a widow, and the Dowager Queen of England. Margaret would deeply mourn his death, and claimed that she could never love another man again. 

Though she had originally gotten along with her step-son, now King Edward II of England, she became very displeased when he appointed his male favourite to the role of Earl of Cornwall, a title that should have traditionally gone to one of her sons. She did not get along with Edward II's male favourite (and possible lover), as he would also seize some of her lands. 

However, Margaret appears to have remained quite close with her family as a whole, and attended the wedding of Edward II and her niece, Isabella of France. She would also be present for the birth of her step-grandson and great-nephew, Prince Edward (the future King Edward III of England). Unfortunately, her youngest daughter, Eleanor, would die at an early age. 
 
For the most part, Margaret led a rather quiet life away from the English court, and retired to Marlborough Castle, where she lived out the rest of her days. 

It was here that she would die in 1318 of unknown causes.
 
Rule:
Overall, Margaret was a lot more popular than her predecessor. She would frequently intercede on behalf of her husband's enemies, and would ensure that those who had angered him were treated fairly. 

Margaret also joined her husband on campaigns, though would not play much of an active role in them. 

She was respected for her peaceful nature as a consort, especially by her step-son, and mainly played the role of peacemaker.

 

Trivia: 

• She was the first royal consort since the Norman conquest to not officially be crowned.

 

Quotes:

 

N/A

 

 

Sources & Further Reading:

EdwardandMargaret.png - Wikimedia Commons. (2023). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EdwardandMargaret.png 

Strickland, A., & Strickland, E. (2010). MARGUERITE OF FRANCE, SECOND QUEEN OF EDWARD I. Lives of the Queens of England, 452–470. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511736414.012