The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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Effigy of Isabel d'Angouleme, Queen of King John is in Monumental Effigies of Great Britain.
ISABEL D'ANGOULESME was the third and last wife of King John. She was daughter and inheritrix of Aymer Earl of Angoulesme. Her mother was Alice, daughter of Peter Lord of Courtenay, fifth son of Louis le Gros. She was married to King John in the first year of his reign, and crowned his queen on the 8th of October. She had issue by him, Henry (afterwards Henry III.); Richard Earl of Cornwall and King of the Romans; Joan, married to Alexander the Second, King of the Scots; Eleanor, married to William Mareschal the younger, Earl of Pembroke; then to Simon de Montfort, the celebrated Earl of Leicester, who was slain at the battle of Evesham; and lastly, Isabel, who became the sixth and last wife of Frederick the Second, Emperor of Germany.
Surviving King John, she married Hugh Brun, Earl of Marche, and Lord of Lusignan and Valence, in Poitou. By him she had several children, some of whom were much advanced by Henry the Third, their half-brother, as William de Valence, created Earl of Pembroke; and Athelmar, raised to the Bishopric of Winchester. On the death of the Earl of Marche she took the veil at the monastery of Fontevraud [Map], and was at first unceremoniously interred in the churchyard of that place; her body was however taken up by order of her son, Henry the Third, and the effigy which is delineated placed over her remains.
Details. Plate 1. The camise, fermail, patterns on the border of the tunic and girdle. Plate II. Pattern of the border of the mantle.
