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Heavy burden of royalty -

Being part of a royal dynasty in the early 1300s wasn’t all opulence and power. For the daughters-in-law of King Philip IV of France, the weight of the crown came with oppressive expectations and tragic consequences.

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Philip IV -

King Philip IV was obsessed with securing his dynasty, the Capets. His strategic marriages were less about love and more about solidifying alliances and ensuring male heirs to keep the Capet line strong and stable.

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Marriages that bred conflict -

Philip IV's three sons married noblewomen from Burgundy. Louis (the future Louis X) married Margaret, Charles (future Charles IV) married Blanche, and Philip (future Philip V) married Joan. The unions were strategic, but the lack of personal connection made room for scandal and betrayal to fester in the royal family.

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A royal daughter's observations -

The scandal began with a visit from Isabella, Philip IV's daughter. She gave embroidered silk purses to her sisters-in-law, but later noticed that two knights were wearing them. This small detail ignited a suspicion that would shake the French court.

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Suspicion becomes evidence -

In medieval times, gift-giving could signify affection or more. Though the purses alone weren’t damning proof, they spurred an investigation. Philip IV’s spies reported illicit meetings between the princesses and two knights, which led to a shocking revelation.

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Affairs at the Tour de Nesle -

The Tower of Nesle on the Seine River became the secret meeting place for Margaret and Blanche, who were involved in passionate affairs with the d’Aunay brothers. The princesses’ liaisons would soon cost them dearly and have historical ramifications.

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Confessions under duress -

Captured and tortured, the d’Aunay brothers confessed on April 19, 1314. Torture was a brutal norm, and while their confessions seemed genuine, questions remain to this day about the truthfulness of what they admitted under such cruel circumstances.

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The power of torture -

The use of extreme torture raises doubts about the accuracy of confessions. Some chroniclers suggest the d’Aunay brothers might have been innocent and that they indeed maintained their innocence until they couldn’t withstand the agony any longer.

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A conspiracy theory -

One theory proposes that the whole scandal was fabricated. Enguerrand de Marigny, a powerful minister of the time, is alleged to have framed the princesses and knights, though most historians find the evidence of Margaret and Blanche’s adultery credible.

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Gruesome executions -

The punishment for the knights was terrifyingly savage. Accounts suggest they were skinned alive, castrated, and decapitated, with their remains displayed publicly. Such gruesome penalties were considered fitting for their supposed high treason.

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Punishment of the princesses -

Unlike the knights, the princesses faced imprisonment rather than execution. Margaret and Blanche were sentenced to life in the dark, underground cells of Château Gaillard (pictured), and their heads were shaved in shame. Joan, although also accused, escaped with a lighter punishment.

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Margaret’s grim destiny -

Margaret's story grew darker after her husband, Louis X (pictured), ascended the throne. Despite becoming queen, she remained imprisoned. Her death in April 1315 added yet another tragic note to the scandal.

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Margaret's bitter end -

When Louis X became king, he did not forgive Margaret. Her imprisonment persisted, and her death remains suspicious. Some believe she was strangled, especially since Louis remarried almost immediately after her demise.

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Blanche’s years of confinement -

Blanche endured eight years in the Château Gaillard before her release. Her marriage to Charles IV lasted until 1322, when it was annulled. Her fate remains uncertain, though many believe she died in a convent around 1326.

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Joan’s unexpected redemption -

Joan was fortunate. Despite being implicated, her husband, Philip V, defended her. When he took the throne, she became queen. Joan outlived Philip and died in 1330, but the shadows of the affair lingered and marked her legacy.

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Joan’s survival strategy -

Joan outlasted her punishment through loyalty and Philip V’s support. As queen, she attempted to restore her reputation, but her survival came at a cost: her husband’s reign and the dynasty’s stability were both weakened by the scandal.

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The execution of Philip IV’s rule -

Philip IV’s reign was marred by acts of severe cruelty, justified as defense of the monarchy’s dignity. The scandal’s brutal aftermath reflected the harsh consequences of betraying royal trust in a feudal society.

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Disintegration -

Philip IV’s careful planning for a strong succession crumbled. His eldest son, Louis X, died young, and his grandson, John I, lived only five days. This left the Capetian line increasingly vulnerable to collapse.

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Claim to power -

Philip V, Joan’s husband, claimed the throne but faced challenges. To justify disinheriting his niece, he invoked the Salic Law, which prohibited women from ruling. Ironically, his adherence to this law left him without a male successor.

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Charles IV’s tragic legacy -

Charles IV, who annulled his marriage to Blanche and later remarried Marie of Luxembourg, could not produce a son. When he died in 1328, the direct male line of the Capetian dynasty ended, which caused a major shift in the royal succession.

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The rise of a cousin -

Charles IV’s death led to his cousin, Philip of Valois (pictured), taking the throne. Yet, his claim was disputed, especially by Charles’s nephew, Edward III of England, who also had a right to the throne through his mother, Isabella.

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Contested claim -

Edward III of England, Isabella’s son, contested the French crown. The debate over rightful succession became the ultimate catalyst that started a war. This conflict with Philip of Valois set the stage for a century of violence and upheaval.

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A century-long war -

The disputed claims of Edward III and Philip of Valois ignited the Hundred Years’ War. This devastating conflict reshaped medieval Europe and brought untold suffering, especially between the warring nations of France and England.

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Invasion -

The Hundred Years’ War officially began when Edward III invaded Flanders in 1337 so that he could assert his claim over the French crown. The war lasted for 116 years and ended with French victory.

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The Black Death -

The Hundred Years’ War was catastrophic enough, but the Black Death compounded Europe’s misery. Historians have described the calamitous 14th century as a period marked by war, plague, and social upheaval.

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A princess’s pivotal role -

Isabella, the woman who noticed the fateful silk purses, played an ironic role in the dynasty’s unraveling. Her marriage to Edward II of England and her son’s contested claim became central to the ruinous conflict that followed.

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A minister's dark shadow -

Enguerrand de Marigny, the minister who possibly created the rumors of the scandal, was later accused of witchcraft and executed. Whether a villain or scapegoat, his story is entwined with the intrigue and turmoil of Philip IV’s court.

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Engraved in history -

The affair at Nesle Tower, which is now destroyed, was a critical flashpoint in French history that impacted much of Europe in the following century. It truly is emblematic of the misfortune that engulfed France and left a legacy of ruin.

Sources: (National Geographic) (Britannica)

See also: The tragedy that was the Spanish Civil War

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