Birth

Joan of England (5 July 1321 – 7 September 1362), known as Joan of The Tower was the first wife and Queen consort of David II of Scotland. She was born in the Tower of London and was the youngest daughter of Edward II of England and Isabella of France. Her siblings included Edward III of England, John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall and Eleanor of Woodstock.

Marriage

In accordance with the terms of the Treaty of Northampton, she was married on 17 July 1328 (at seven years of age) to David II of Scotland at Berwick-upon-Tweed. On 7 June 1329, her father-in-law Robert I of Scotland died and David II became King. He was crowned at Scone in November 1331.

Scottish rule

Owing to the victory of Edward III of England and his protégé Edward Balliol at Halidon Hill in July 1333, David and his Queen were sent for safety into France, reaching Boulogne in May 1334, where they were received by the French King, Philip VI. Little is known about the life of the Scottish King and Queen in France, except that Château-Gaillard was given to them as their residence. David was present at the bloodless meeting of the English and French armies at Vironfosse in October 1339.

Meanwhile David's representatives had obtained the upper hand in Scotland, and David and Joan were thus enabled to return to his kingdom in June 1341, when he took the reins of government into his own hands. In 1346, David II was taken prisoner at the Battle of Neville's Cross on 17 October 1346, and remained in England for eleven years. This meant that Joan and David were living apart so no children were born during this time.

Death and burial

Joan was close to her mother and died in 1362, aged 41, at Hertford Castle, Hertfordshire and was buried at the Grey Friars Church, London.

References

• Alison Weir - Isabella the She Wolf of France