Customer Reviews

The Life and Afterlife of Isabeau of Bavaria (Rethinking Theory)

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Women in history can certainly be a subject worth pursuing, if not as standard fare, At least from time to time. Women at or near the "power", especially those with a reputation always add a bit of spice to historical study.

All of the elements of a good story are here: Isabeau (the name alone conjures medieval heroines), the Queen consort of France; her husband, the mad King Charles VI of France; feuding, power-hungry factions all anxious to rule; and rumors of treachery and adultery.

Isabeau of Bavaria was born around 1370 to Stephen III of Bavaria - Ingolstadt and his wife, Taddea Visconti. The child's legitimacy to rule came from both sides of the family whose family lines descended nobly in Sicily, Hungary, Milan, as well as Bavaria. Chosen as a bride in 1385, Isabeau served as Queen Consort until 1422, when Charles VI died that October. Her husband's frequent bouts of mental illness, now believed to have been schizophrenia, put her in an unusually powerful role in government. The fact that France was torn apart by feuding families lends even more credence to her capabilities as ruler. It was after her death, with France going through even more turmoil, that her reputation suffered, going from respected and revered, to being reviled as a traitor and adulteress. And for those who study the period, it has been the latter reputation that has been repeated enough to become historical truth.

This is where the author steps in and shows in a very convincing manner that Isabeau's evil reputation is a myth for which there is no substantial historical evidence. The rumors began as a consequence of the political power struggle between the Armagnacs and Burgundians for control of France.

This is a fascinating reassessment of medieval French history.