Philippe II (Augustus) of France Humiliated Queen Ingeborg
Candidate Number Three in the Medieval Misogyny Series
Philippe II (Augustus) of France
A Wedding Day Turned Nightmare
On 14 August 1193, the cathedral at Amiens was filled with splendour. Nobles crowded in, candles glowed, and choirs sang as King Philip II of France — called Augustus for his ambition — married Ingeborg of Denmark, a daughter of King Valdemar I.
Ingeborg of Denmark
It was a diplomatic triumph. The marriage would secure French ties to Denmark, giving Philip allies in the north and prestige across Christendom. Ingeborg, known for her piety and education, arrived prepared to be queen of France.
But before the day was out, her life turned into a nightmare.
“I Find Her Repulsive”
The very morning after their wedding night, Philip declared he could not endure his new wife.
Chroniclers claim he found her physically repulsive or “bewitched.” Others hint at darker motives: perhaps he feared her influence, perhaps he regretted breaking off a prior match. Whatever the reason, he announced that the marriage was invalid and demanded it be annulled.
The humiliation for Ingeborg was staggering. A young woman, newly crowned queen, publicly rejected by the most powerful man in France.
Imprisoned and Isolated
Philip did not stop at words. He imprisoned Ingeborg, sending her away to remote convents and castles, cutting her off from allies. For years she lived in effective captivity, her only crime being unwanted by her husband.
To justify himself, Philip summoned church councils to declare the marriage null. He argued they were too closely related — a claim laughed out of court since the union had papal approval. Pope Celestine III, and later Pope Innocent III, refused to grant him the annulment.
Yet Philip ignored papal commands. He even went so far as to marry another woman, Agnes of Merania, in open defiance of the church.
A Queen’s Defiance
What makes Ingeborg remarkable is that she never yielded. Despite isolation, despite despair, she refused to renounce her title. She styled herself queen, continued to send appeals to Rome, and endured Philip’s hostility for decades.
Ingeborg’s persistence paid off. In 1213, under pressure from Pope Innocent III, Philip finally relented and formally recognised her as his queen once more. But by then she had spent twenty years in misery, her youth wasted in enforced seclusion.
The Scandal Remembered
Even among Philip’s many political manoeuvres, his treatment of Ingeborg was notorious. Chroniclers, papal letters, and Danish records all condemned his cruelty. While he is remembered as the architect of French power, his private life was riddled with hypocrisy and brutality.
Why He’s a Villain
Publicly humiliated his bride on their wedding day.
Imprisoned and isolated her for decades.
Defied the church, marrying another woman while his queen still lived.
Ingeborg’s Legacy
Ingeborg endured degradation few could imagine. Yet she never gave up her claim. By sheer persistence, she outlasted her husband’s cruelty and regained her rightful title. Her survival is a testimony to quiet resistance in a world designed to silence women.
Closing Thought
Philip II’s reign expanded the power of France, but at what cost? To Ingeborg, it cost her freedom, her dignity, and the best years of her life. His cruelty reveals how kingship could be weaponised against the women bound to it.
Was Philip worse than Fulk, who struck his queen, or Matthew, who kidnapped a nun? You decide.
Next week: Geoffrey de Mandeville, the robber baron whose violence terrorised widows and nuns.