Of all the children of this royal couple, the nun-princess and Edward II. were the only ones that reached middle age.
CHAPTER XI.
MARGUERITE OF FRANCE, SECOND QUEEN OF EDWARD I.
(A.D. 1282-1317.)
King Edward I. was so grieved at the death of his "chère reine," that he gave himself up to the deepest melancholy, which lasted several months. He was growing old, and felt the loss of his companion of many years most keenly. However, he learned in time to submit to the inevitable, and roused himself to attend to the affairs of his kingdom.
No sooner did his ministers observe this favorable change in the mind of their monarch than they set to work to effect further improvement by seeking a successor to the defunct queen. Their choice fell on Marguerite, the sister of Philip le Bel of France.
A. D. 1299. After the usual preliminaries the treaty was duly signed, and the marriage was celebrated at Canterbury, Sept. 8, 1299.