On 22 September 1326, a strong wind carried 95 ships from the shores of Flanders into the foamy maw of the North Sea. The weather was fair for the first hours of their voyage, but gradually, blue morning skies were replaced by seething dark clouds, which unleashed a vengeful storm upon the vessels below. The fleet was scattered and blown off course, but only for a moment. By noon on the 24th, the ships had safely landed on the English coast, probably in Suffolk. Around 1,500 men disembarked, unloading crates of provisions, arms, and armor, murmuring to one another in different languages: English, German, Dutch. For this was an invasion force, come to rid England of the evil forces that had bewitched the king and led the kingdom to ruin.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2920/mortimer-and-isabella/.
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- Was Isabella driven more by love, revenge, or justice?
- Do you think Mortimer helped Isabella for noble reasons or for his own power?
- Was Edward II more responsible for his downfall than the people around him?
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