for they are superfluous

My cat modeled for all four historical figures — simply because I don’t know what these people looked like

Left background figure (wearing armour and waving pom poms) Roger Mortimer, Isabella’s alleged lover

Left foreground figure (wearing a red dress with armour and holding a pole axe) Isabella of France

Right foreground figure (wearing a hat and holding a sword) Hugh Despenser, Edward II’s alleged lover

Right background figure (wearing kingly attire and shedding tears) Edward II, Isabella’s husband

I found this particular fragment of history fascinating because it showed us how ruthlessly ambitious both women and queer men could be in medieval times, a contrast to society’s common perception of them from that era. This manuscript by the French chronicler Jean De Wavrin is not only a gruesome retelling of this event, but also a campy propaganda ; Have I not seen this manuscript from an exhibition, I’d never know these people existed, it also shows that historical women and queer men were sidelined in collective consciousness.

I’d like to read Alison Weir’s She-wolf of France to know more.