Isabella of Angoulême was Countess of Angoulême and
queen consortA queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles...
of
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
She was the only daughter and heir of
Aymer Taillefer-History:Aymer , born: c.1160 - died: 16 Jun 1202, is the third of the 6 children of William IV of Angoulême, the Count of Angoulême, and Marguerite of Turenne. His two elder brothers, Wulgrin III of Angoulême and William V of Angoulême became the Counts of Angoulême, respectively, after the death...
,
Count of AngoulêmeAngoulême in western France was part of the Carolingian empire as the kingdom of Aquitaine. Under Charlemagne's successors, the local count of Angoulême was independent and was not united with the French crown until 1307. By the terms of the Treaty of Brétigny the Angoumois, then ruled by the...
, by
Alice de CourtenayThe House of Courtenay was an important dynasty in medieval France originating from the castle of Courtenay in the Gâtinais , going back to the 10th century. The dynasty descended from Athon, the first lord of Courtenay, apparently himself a descendant of the Counts of Sens and from Pharamond,...
. Her paternal grandparents were
William IV of AngoulêmeWilliam IV of Angoulême was the Count of Angoulême from 1140 to 1178. He inherited the territory from his father, Wulgrin II of Angoulême.It is from him, that the territory was split between the three brothers all sons of William IV: Wulgrin III of Angoulême who was the eldest, William V of...
, Count of Angouleme and Marguerite de Turenne. Her maternal grandparents were
Pierre de CourtenayPeter of Courtenay was emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople from 1216-1217.He was a son of Peter of Courtenay , the youngest son of Louis VI of France and his second Queen consort Adélaide de Maurienne. His mother was Elizabeth of Courtenay.Peter first married Agnes of Nevers, via whom...
and Elizabeth de Courtenay. Her maternal great-grandfather was King
Louis VI of FranceLouis VI , called the Fat , was King of France from 1108 until his death . Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power, Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first...
. She became Countess of
AngoulêmeAngoulême is a commune in south-western France and capital of the Charente department.-Early history: Angoulême was taken by Clovis from the Visigoths in 507...
in her own right in 1202, by which time she was already queen of England.
Isabella of Angoulême was Countess of Angoulême and
queen consortA queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles...
of
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Queen of England
She was the only daughter and heir of
Aymer Taillefer-History:Aymer , born: c.1160 - died: 16 Jun 1202, is the third of the 6 children of William IV of Angoulême, the Count of Angoulême, and Marguerite of Turenne. His two elder brothers, Wulgrin III of Angoulême and William V of Angoulême became the Counts of Angoulême, respectively, after the death...
,
Count of AngoulêmeAngoulême in western France was part of the Carolingian empire as the kingdom of Aquitaine. Under Charlemagne's successors, the local count of Angoulême was independent and was not united with the French crown until 1307. By the terms of the Treaty of Brétigny the Angoumois, then ruled by the...
, by
Alice de CourtenayThe House of Courtenay was an important dynasty in medieval France originating from the castle of Courtenay in the Gâtinais , going back to the 10th century. The dynasty descended from Athon, the first lord of Courtenay, apparently himself a descendant of the Counts of Sens and from Pharamond,...
. Her paternal grandparents were
William IV of AngoulêmeWilliam IV of Angoulême was the Count of Angoulême from 1140 to 1178. He inherited the territory from his father, Wulgrin II of Angoulême.It is from him, that the territory was split between the three brothers all sons of William IV: Wulgrin III of Angoulême who was the eldest, William V of...
, Count of Angouleme and Marguerite de Turenne. Her maternal grandparents were
Pierre de CourtenayPeter of Courtenay was emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople from 1216-1217.He was a son of Peter of Courtenay , the youngest son of Louis VI of France and his second Queen consort Adélaide de Maurienne. His mother was Elizabeth of Courtenay.Peter first married Agnes of Nevers, via whom...
and Elizabeth de Courtenay. Her maternal great-grandfather was King
Louis VI of FranceLouis VI , called the Fat , was King of France from 1108 until his death . Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power, Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first...
. She became Countess of
AngoulêmeAngoulême is a commune in south-western France and capital of the Charente department.-Early history: Angoulême was taken by Clovis from the Visigoths in 507...
in her own right in 1202, by which time she was already queen of England. Her marriage to
King JohnJohn , King of England, reigned from 6 April 1199 until his death. He acceded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I, who died without issue...
took place on 24 August 1200, at
Bordeauxis a port city on the Garonne River in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture of the Gironde department...
, a year after he
annulledAnnulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is retroactive: an annulled marriage is considered never to have existed....
his first marriage to
Isabel of GloucesterIsabel of Gloucester was the first wife of King John of England. This historical figure is known by an exceptionally large number of alternative names: Hadwisa, Hawise, Joan, Eleanor, Avise and Avisa....
. Isabella was originally betrothed to Hugh le Brun, Count of Lusignan, son of the then Count of La Marche. As a result of John's temerity in taking her as his second wife, King
Philip II of FrancePhilip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
confiscated all of their French lands, and armed conflict ensued.
At the time of her marriage to John, the 12-year-old Isabella was already renowned for her beauty and has sometimes been called the
HelenIn Greek mythology, Helen , known as Helen of Troy , was the daughter of Zeus and Leda , wife of King Menelaus of Sparta and sister of Castor, Polydeuces and Clytemnestra. Her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War...
of the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
by historians. However, her marriage to John cannot be said to have been successful, in part because she was much younger than her husband and had a fiery character to match his.
Second marriage
When John died in 1216, Isabella was still in her twenties. She returned to
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
and in 1220, proceeded to marry
Hugh X of LusignanHugh X of Lusignan, Hugh V of La Marche or Hugh I of Angoulême or Hugues X & V & I de Lusignan succeeded his father Hugh IX as Seigneur de Lusignan and Count of La Marche in November, 1219 and was Count of Angoulême by marriage.It is unclear whether it was Hugh IX or Hugh X who was betrothed to...
Count of La Marche. It is unclear whether it had been Hugh X or his father to whom Isabella had been betrothed before her marriage to King John. By Hugh X, Isabella had nine more children. Their eldest son
Hugh XI of LusignanHugh XI of Lusignan, Hugh VI of La Marche or Hugh II of Angoulême or Hugues XI & VI & II de Lusignan succeeded his father Hugh X as Seigneur de Lusignan, Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême on 5 June 1249, and was Comte de Penthievre et de Porhoet by marriage.His mother was Isabella of...
succeeded his father as Count of La Marche and Count of Angouleme in 1249.
Death and burial
Isabella was accused of plotting against King
Louis IX of FranceLouis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was a member of the House of Capet, the son of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile...
in 1244; she fled to Fontevrault Abbey, where she died on 31 May 1246, and was buried there. At her own insistence, she was first buried in the churchyard, as an act of repentance for her many misdeeds. On a visit to Fontevrault, her son King
Henry III of EnglandHenry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
was shocked to find her buried outside the Abbey and ordered her immediately moved inside. She was finally placed beside
Henry IIHenry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...
and
Eleanor of AquitaineEleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages...
. Afterwards, most of her many children, having few prospects in France, set sail for England and the court of Henry, their half-brother.
Issue
- With King John of England
John , King of England, reigned from 6 April 1199 until his death. He acceded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I, who died without issue...
: 5 children, all of whom survived into adulthood, including:
- King Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
(1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272) Married Eleanor of ProvenceEleanor of Provence was Queen Consort of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272.- Family :...
- Richard, Earl of Cornwall and King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the elected ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the Imperator futurus prior to his imperial coronation performed by the Pope, King of the Romans was the title used by the elected ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the Imperator futurus ("Emperor to-be"—...
(5 January 1209 – 2 April 1272). Married firstly Isabel MarshalIsabel Marshal was a medieval English countess. She was the wife of both Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford and 1st Earl of Gloucester and Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall...
, secondly Sanchia of ProvenceSanchia of Provence , was the third daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy. Sanchia was described as `of incomparable beauty.'...
, and thirdly Beatrice of Falkenburg.
- Joan
Joan of England, Queen Consort of Scotland was the eldest legitimate daughter and third child of John of England and Isabella of Angouleme....
(22 July 1210 – 1238), the wife of King Alexander II of ScotlandAlexander II , King of Scots, was the only son of William the Lion and Ermengarde of Beaumont...
- Isabella (1214–1241), the wife of Emperor Frederick II
Frederick II of Hohenstaufen was Holy Roman Emperor from his papal coronation in 1220 until his death; he was also a pretender to the title of King of the Romans from 1212 and unopposed holder of that monarchy from 1215. As such, he was King of Germany, of Italy, and of Burgundy...
- Eleanor
Eleanor of England was the youngest child of King John of England and Isabelle of Angouleme.- Early life :...
(1215–1275), who would marry firstly William Marshal, 2nd Earl of PembrokeWilliam Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke was a medieval English nobleman, and the son of the famous William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke.-Early life:...
, and secondly Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of LeicesterSimon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester , was a French-English nobleman, notable as the principal leader of the baronial opposition to King Henry III of England. After the rebellion of 1263 and 1264, de Montfort became de facto ruler of England and called the first directly elected parliament in...
.
- With Hugh X of Lusignan
Hugh X of Lusignan, Hugh V of La Marche or Hugh I of Angoulême or Hugues X & V & I de Lusignan succeeded his father Hugh IX as Seigneur de Lusignan and Count of La Marche in November, 1219 and was Count of Angoulême by marriage.It is unclear whether it was Hugh IX or Hugh X who was betrothed to...
, the Count of La Marche: nine children, all of whom survived into adulthood, including:
- Hugh XI of Lusignan
Hugh XI of Lusignan, Hugh VI of La Marche or Hugh II of Angoulême or Hugues XI & VI & II de Lusignan succeeded his father Hugh X as Seigneur de Lusignan, Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême on 5 June 1249, and was Comte de Penthievre et de Porhoet by marriage.His mother was Isabella of...
(1221–1250), Count of La Marche and Count of AngoulêmeAngoulême in western France was part of the Carolingian empire as the kingdom of Aquitaine. Under Charlemagne's successors, the local count of Angoulême was independent and was not united with the French crown until 1307. By the terms of the Treaty of Brétigny the Angoumois, then ruled by the...
. Married Yolande de Dreux, Countess of Penthièvre and of Porhoet
- Aymer de Valence
Aymer de Valence, also known as Aymer de Lusignan or Thelmar de Valence, was a Bishop of Winchester around 1250.-Life:...
(1222–1260), Bishop of WinchesterThe Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
- Agnès de Lusignan (1223–1269), married William II de Chauvigny
- Alice le Brun de Lusignan
Alice le Brun de Lusignan was a half-sister of King Henry III of England and the wife of John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey.- Lineage :Alice was born in Lusignan, Vienne, France in 1224...
(1224 – 9 February 1256), married John de Warenne, 7th Earl of SurreyJohn de Warenne , 7th Earl of Surrey or Warenne, was prominent during the reigns of Henry III and Edward I. During his long life he fought in the Second Barons' War and in Edward I's wars in Scotland....
and had issue
- Guy de Lusignan (c. 1225 – 1264), killed at the Battle of Lewes
The Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons' War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264...
. (Tufton Beamish maintains that he escaped to France after the Battle of LewesThe Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons' War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264...
and died there in 1269)
- Geoffrey de Lusignan (c. 1226 – 1274), married in 1259 Jeanne, Viscountess of Châtellerault
Châtellerault is a commune in the Vienne département, in the Poitou-Charentes région of France. It is located to the north of Poitou. Population : 34,192...
and had issue
- William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke
William de Valence, 1st Earl of Wexford and 1st Earl of Pembroke, born Guillaume de Lusignan or de Valence was a French nobleman and Knight, who became important in English politics due to his relationship to Henry III...
(c. 1228 – 1296) Married Joan de Munchensi. Had issue
- Marguerite de Lusignan (c. 1229 – 1288), married 1243 Raymond VII of Toulouse
Raymond VII of Saint-Gilles was Count of Toulouse, Duke of Narbonne and Marquis of Provence from 1222 until his death. He was the son of Raymond VI of Toulouse and Joan of England...
, married c. 1246 Aimery IX de Thouars, Viscount of Thouars
- Isabelle de Lusignan (1234 – 14 January 1299), married Geoffrey de Rancon
Geoffrey de Rancon was a French army commander that lived in the 12th century. He served as Eleanor of Aquitaine's army commander during the Second Crusade. When the Crusaders, led by Louis VII of France climbed Mount Cadmos, Rancon disobeyed orders and chose to march further than the spot chosen...
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