Isabella of Hainualt, Queen of France
The only queen buried in Notre Dame Cathedral
Isabella of Hainault was married to Philip II, King of France when she was only 10 years old. The marriage was not easy, and in 1184 Philip tried to have it annulled. Isabella was not going to let this happen, so she walked barefoot around the streets of the city of Senlis, and won the support of the people. Philip was compelled to take her back.
In 1187, Isabella gave birth to the future King Louis VIII of France. In 1190, she gave birth to twin boys, but unfortunately her and the twins died soon after. She was just weeks shy of her twentieth birthday. She was a beloved queen, and was greatly mourned by the people of Paris.
Isabella was buried at Notre Dame Cathedral. A marble tomb slab with her image marked her grave, but it was removed during restoration work around 1699. In 1858, her tomb was discovered during another restoration. It contained her silver seal matrix, which identified her remains. It is one of the few royal seal matrix that remains from the Middle Ages, as they were usually destroyed upon the king or queen’s deaths. Isabella’s remains were measured, and showed that she stood between 5′8″ and 5′9″ or 1.72 and 1.75m tall, which was very tall for the time. Isabella’s skeleton was one of the few royal French skeletons that was completely intact, as most were buried at St. Denis Basilica, where the tombs were vandalized during the French Revolution. Soon after the discovery, Isabella was reburied near the high altar in Notre Dame. Her seal matrix, however was not reburied with her, and can now be seen in the British Museum.
For more information on Isabella: https://www.historyofroyalwomen.com/the-royal-women/isabella-of-hainaut-the-young-queen-who-fought-back/
