Joan of the Tower

Joan of the Tower, born on 5 July 1321 in the Tower of London, was the daughter of Edward II of England and Isabella of France. She was Queen of Scotland from 1329 until her death, as the wife of David II of Scotland. Raised under the guardianship of Ralph de Monthermer and Lady Isabella de Valence, Joan and her sister Eleanor of Woodstock spent their early years at Pleshy and Marlborough castles.

Married to David II of Scotland in accordance with the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton, their union, beginning when she was seven and he was four, spanned 34 years but produced no children. Joan’s life intersected with significant political events, including her brother Edward III’s invasion of Scotland and her husband’s imprisonment. After David II’s capture at the Battle of Neville’s Cross, Joan remained in England and later chose not to return to Scotland upon his release, living apart from him until her death in 1362 at Hertford Castle.