Hertford Castle
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Hertford Castle was built in Norman times beside the River Lea in Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire, England. Most of the internal buildings of the castle have been demolished. The main surviving section is the Tudor gatehouse, which is a Grade I listed building. Parts of the bailey walls on the east side of the castle also still stand, and are a Grade II* listed building.
The 16th to 18th-century façade of Hertford Castle Gatehouse.
Hertford Castle pictured in 1851
Isabella of France
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Isabella of France, sometimes described as the She-Wolf of France, was Queen of England as the wife of King Edward II, and de facto regent of England from 1327 until 1330. She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre. Isabella was notable in her lifetime for her diplomatic skills, intelligence, and beauty. She overthrew her husband, becoming a "femme fatale" figure in plays and literature over the years, usually portrayed as a beautiful but cruel and manipulative figure.
Isabella's French family, depicted in 1315: l-r: Isabella's brothers, Charles and Philip, Isabella herself, her father, Philip IV, her brother Louis, and her uncle, Charles of Valois. Bibliothèque nationale de France
Seal of Edward II
Isabella was able to come to an understanding with her husband's first favourite Piers Gaveston, shown here lying dead at the feet of Guy de Beauchamp, in a 15th-century representation.
Tynemouth Priory, seen from the North Sea, where Isabella sought shelter from the Scots army following the disastrous campaign of 1322