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Why did Philip II Augustus marry Isabella of Hainaut?
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Philip II
Philip II.
Philip II Augustus married Isabella of Hainaut on April 28, 1180, primarily as a strategic move to escape the political tutelage of his uncles from the house of Champagne, who had hoped to control the young king following his father's illness.1
By marrying Isabella, the daughter of Baldwin V of Hainaut, Philip secured a powerful alliance that helped him isolate the Champagne faction politically. Furthermore, the marriage provided a significant territorial advantage, as Isabella’s uncle, Philip of Alsace (the count of Flanders), promised to grant the king the territory of Artois as her dowry.1