Isabelle of Hainaut
Queen consort of France
Tenure	1180 - 1190
Coronation	28 May 1180
Spouse	Philip II of France
Issue
Louis VIII of France
House	House of Capet
Father	Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut
Mother	Margaret I, Countess of Flanders
Born	5 April 1170(1170-04-05)
Died	15 March 1190 (aged 19) Paris

Isabelle of Hainaut (Valenciennes^[1], 5 April 1170 – 15 March 1190, Paris) was queen consort of France.

Isabelle was born in Valenciennes, the daughter of Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut and Countess Margaret I of Flanders. She married King Philip II of France on 28 April 1180 at Bapaume and brought as her dowry the county of Artois. The marriage was arranged by her maternal uncle Count Philip of Flanders who was advisor to the King^[2].

Isabelle was crowned consort of France at Saint Denis on 28 May 1180. As Baldwin V rightly claimed to be a descendant of Charlemagne, the chroniclers of the time saw in this marriage a union of the Carolingian and Capetian dynasties. Though she received extravagant praise from certain annalists, she failed to win the affections of Philip due to her inability to provide him with an heir^[2]. Meanwhile, King Philip in 1184, was waging war against Flanders, and angered at seeing Baldwin support his enemies, he called a council at Sens for the purpose of repudiating her. Robert, the king's uncle, successfully interposed. Finally, on 5 September 1187, she gave birth to the needed heir, the future King Louis VIII of France.

Her second pregnancy was extremely difficult; on 14 March 1190, Isabelle gave birth to twin sons named Philipp and Robert. Due to complications in childbirth, Isabelle died the next day, and was buried in the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. The twins lived only four days (14 March-18 March 1190)^[3]. Her dowry of Artois eventually returned to the French Crown following the death of Philip.

[edit] Sources

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• Jill M. Phillips The Rain Maiden
• Charles Cawley Medieval Lands
• Worldroots.com

[edit] References

French royalty
Preceded by Adele of Champagne	Queen consort of France 1180 – 1190	Succeeded by Ingeborg of Denmark

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