The Empress’s New Clothes: A Rotulus Pannorum of Isabella, Sister of King Henry III, Bride of Emperor Frederick II

Summary

A crown of the most delicate work [engraved with four English kings, martyrs and confessors, especially chosen by the king for the care of his sister’s soul,] was made from the purest gold and the finest gems, as befitted the dignity of the empress. It was said that the treasures about to be taken out of England seemed almost priceless, and not just abundant, but excessive, what with the gold collars (monilibus) with precious gems, reliquaries, ornaments (faleris) and other womanly apparel (mulebribus ornamentis), as well as an abundant treasure of gold and silver, with horses and a retinue, which seized the eyes [and souls] of onlookers with envy. [… Moreover, dressed in festive garments (festivis), some silk, others wool and diverse linens, and with the most dignified colours for the empress, who was dressed to such a degree that she shone].

Thus is Matthew Paris’s description, adapted from Roger of Wendover, of the trousseau of Isabella, a younger sister of King Henry III of England and the bride of Emperor Frederick II. The gold, silver, and clothes were carried from London to Sandwich, where Isabella, her household attendants, and various imperial representatives bade farewell to the English court on May 8, 1235. As a parting gesture, an act of characteristic benevolence and brotherly affection, Henry III distributed gifts of plate to the imperial party before their embarkation. Three days later, Isabella reached Antwerp. After processing through Cologne, and distributing many of the gifts that had been received from her brother, Isabella married Frederick II at Worms on July 15, 1235.

The description of Isabella’s trousseau in the Chronica Majora is rich, but vague. Roger of Wendover may have witnessed the procession from Westminster to Sandwich, but he could not have known the quality and quantity of all the items that Isabella carried with her. Moreover, the wording of the account suggests Wendover was not primarily concerned to offer a factual rendition, rather a commentary on the “conspicuous consumption” that affronted his sense of Christian sobriety.