Philip IV of France had three sons that would succeed him and each other to the throne of France. However, the accusations leveled at his daughters-in-law would end the direct rule of the House of Capet and bring about a cadet branch of the house to the throne.
Philip's three sons were Louis, Philip and Charles. All three were married for political alliances. Louis was married to Margaret of Burgundy, the daughter of Robert II Duke of Burgundy. Their marriage was said to be unhappy, with Louis being an angry man who preferred playing tennis than spending time with his wife. Philip married Joan of Burgundy, the daughter of Otto IV, Count of Burgundy, and they had a loving marriage that produced a number of children in a short period of time. Philip wrote Joan juvenile love poems and was especially kind and giving to his wife. Charles married Joan's sister, Blanche of Burgundy. Their marriage was said to be unremarkable, as Charles was considered to be quite the bore.
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| Charles IV, Philip V, Isabella, Queen of England, Philip IV, Louis X and Charles of Valois |
Isabella was married to King Edward II of England. In 1313, Isabella visited her father, Philip, and gave embroidered purses to her brothers to give to their wives. Later that year, Isabella and Edward held a grand feast in London to celebrate their return to England. At the feast, Isabella noticed two of the embroidered purses were carried by two knights: Gautier and Philip of Aunay. In 1314, Isabella again visited her father and told him of the embroidered purses. She had concluded that her sisters-in-law were carrying on affairs with the Aunay brothers.
Philip decided to investigate this matter and had the Aunay brothers watched. He concluded that Margaret and Blanche were visiting the Tour de Nesle, an old tower, to carry on their illicit loves with the Aunays. Initially, he also accused Joan of being a lookout for the affairs, but later decided she herself participated in the Tour de Nesle orgies. Philip had the three daughters-in-law and the Aunays arrested. The Aunays were tortured and they confessed to the affairs. This meant treason. They were castrated and then they were killed in a terrifying manner: either drawn and quartered, flayed, broken on a wheel or hanged. Margaret and Blanche were convicted by the Paris Parliament of adultery. They were imprisoned for life and their heads were shaved. Joan was acquitted of her role.
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| Tour de Nesle |
Due to a gap in between popes between 1314 and 1316, the Papacy was unable to issues annulments for the brothers' marriages. Philip IV died and Louis succeeded to the throne in 1315. He was crowned as king, but Margaret was not made queen. Instead, she suddenly died in mysterious circumstances. Margaret and Louis had a daughter, Joan. Louis hastily remarried to Clementia of Hungary, who became pregnant quickly. However, Louis himself died due to a challenging game of tennis. Clementia had a son, named King John I of France; however, he died soon after birth. Margaret's daughter, Joan, could not inherit the throne as France only allowed male rulers. Joan instead inherited Navarre, separating the kingdom from France.
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| Seal of Margaret of Burgundy |
Philip supported Joan, throughout the accusations against her. When she was acquitted, she returned to live with him. Philip succeeded his baby nephew and became King Philip V. Joan was crowned queen alongside him. Philip died without producing a male heir, and Joan died in 1330.
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| Joan of Burgundy |
After Philip's death, the crown passed to Charles. Blanche had remained imprisoned for eight years when Charles assumed the throne. However, Charles refused to release Blanche, angered by the fact she became pregnant while imprisoned. Instead he had their marriage annulled and sent her to a nunnery to live out her days. Charles remarried Marie of Luxembourg, and Blanche died a year later, due to poor health as a result of her imprisonment. Charles also died without a male heir. This left the throne of France in disarray as all the direct Capetian male heirs had died.
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| Blanche of Burgundy |
Enter in Isabella, the sister-in-law who started the whole Tour de Nesle affair. Isabella was a schemer, as well as the mother of a son who possessed a martial mind. King Edward III pressed his claim to the French throne, against Philip of Valois, the cousin of the three brother kings. This led to the Hundred Years War between France and England. Perhaps Isabella pressed the issue of the affair to clear the way for her son to take the throne? However, Edward III never reigned over France and Philip of Valois became Philip IV of France. Philip was married to Margaret of Burgundy's sister, Joan, so a Burgundian princess ultimately became the mother of a line of French kings.
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