Yet Mortimer was not finished. In 1323, he made a daring escape from the Tower, disguised as a servant. He fled to France, where he began plotting his revenge. It was in France that he met Queen Isabella, the estranged wife of Edward II. Their meeting would change the course of English history.
The Queen and the Usurper
Queen Isabella, daughter of the King of France, had grown disillusioned with her husband’s rule and the dominance of the Despensers. In Mortimer, she found both a lover and a political ally. Their partnership was not only romantic but strategic. Together, they orchestrated an invasion of England in 1326, backed by mercenaries and disaffected nobles.
The invasion was swift and largely bloodless. The Despensers were captured and executed, and Edward II was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, Edward III. Edward II was later murdered—almost certainly with the knowledge, if not the direct involvement, of Mortimer and Isabella. Though the young Edward III was crowned king, real power lay with Mortimer and Isabella.
The Rule of Roger Mortimer
From 1327 to 1330, Mortimer was the most powerful man in England. He was created Earl of March, showered with lands and honors, and held absolute sway over the young king. During these three years, he acted almost like a monarch, even signing royal documents and making foreign policy decisions.
However, Mortimer’s rule was marked by excess, favoritism, and paranoia. His enemies were executed or exiled, and he surrounded himself with loyalists. He was blamed for the high taxation and for the suspicious death of Edward II. Many nobles, including young Edward III, grew resentful of his tyranny.
Mortimer committed the cardinal sin of a royal advisor—he overreached. Though he never took the crown, his behavior suggested he aspired to a king-like authority. This unchecked ambition, combined with his arrogance and increasingly autocratic behavior, earned him growing contempt. His critics dubbed him “the King of Folly,” not only for his pride but for his failure to recognize that his power rested on shaky foundations. shutdown123