Claim: Isabella of France was an English regent.

Isabella of France -LRB- 1295 -- 22 August 1358 -RRB- , sometimes described as the She-Wolf of France , was Queen of England as the wife of Edward II , and regent of England from 1326 until 1330 . She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre . Queen Isabella was notable at the time for her beauty , diplomatic skills , and intelligence .   Isabella arrived in England at the age of 12 during a period of growing conflict between the king and the powerful baronial factions . Her new husband was notorious for the patronage he lavished on his favourite , Piers Gaveston , but the queen supported Edward during these early years , forming a working relationship with Piers and using her relationship with the French monarchy to bolster her own authority and power . After the death of Gaveston at the hands of the barons in 1312 , however , Edward later turned to a new favourite , Hugh Despenser the Younger , and attempted to take revenge on the barons , resulting in the Despenser War and a period of internal repression across England . Isabella could not tolerate Hugh Despenser and by 1325 her marriage to Edward was at a breaking point .   Travelling to France under the guise of a diplomatic mission , Isabella began an affair with Roger Mortimer , and the two agreed to depose Edward and oust the Despenser family . The Queen returned to England with a small mercenary army in 1326 , moving rapidly across England . The King 's forces deserted him . Isabella deposed Edward , becoming regent on behalf of her son , Edward III . Many have believed that Isabella then arranged the murder of Edward II . Isabella and Mortimer 's regime began to crumble , partly because of her lavish spending , but also because the Queen successfully , but unpopularly , resolved long-running problems such as the wars with Scotland .   In 1330 , Isabella 's son Edward III deposed Mortimer in turn , taking back his authority and executing Isabella 's lover . The Queen was not punished , however , and lived for many years in considerable style -- although not at Edward III 's court -- until her death in 1358 . Isabella became a popular `` femme fatale '' figure in plays and literature over the years , usually portrayed as a beautiful but cruel , manipulative figure .