Isabella of England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For Isabella of England, the daughter of Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault, see Isabella de Coucy.
| English Royalty |
|---|
| House of Plantagenet |
 Armorial of Plantagenet |
| John |
| Henry III |
| Richard, Earl of Cornwall |
| Joan, Queen of Scots |
| Isabella, Holy Roman Empress |
| Eleanor, Countess of Leicester |
Princess Isabella of England, also called Elizabeth (1214 – December 1, 1241) was a daughter of King John of England and Isabella of Angouleme.
It was at a friendly meeting at Rieti where Pope Gregory IX suggested to Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor that he marry Princess Isabella, a sister of Henry III of England. At first Frederick II was concerned to lose his French allies; but when he realised that an English marriage would end English support for his opponents, he agreed.
The beautiful Isabella was about twenty-one years old when she set out to marry the twice-widowed Emperor Frederick II, who was forty. On her way through Cologne, she delighted the local women when she removed the traditionally worn veil so that they could see her face. She also brought a considerable dowry with her. She was married to Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor in 1235.
However, as soon as she was married she was introduced to the secluded harem life attended by black eunuchs. The marriage was consummated the day after the marriage ceremony. Their marriage had been a political match, and she was allowed to keep only two of her English women-attendants; the others were sent home. In all she gave birth to four children, but only Margaret of Sicily (1237-1270) survived her (according to other sources [1] Margaret was her last child and born in 1241; Isabella died during her childbirth).
Isabella lived in retirement at Noventa where her husband regularly visited her. When her brother, Richard, Earl of Cornwall, returned from the crusades, he was allowed to visit her, although Isabella was not allowed to be present at the official reception. while the imperial court resided at Foggia, Isabella gave birth to her last child and died. She was only twenty-seven years old and according to Thomas Costain, Frederick buried her beside one of his Saracen mistresses in the Cathedral of Andria.
[edit] References
- Tuchman, Barbara W. (1978), A Distant Mirror: the Calamitous 14th Century., Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1984. ISBN 0-394-40026-7.
| Preceded by: Bianca Lancia (dubious)/ Yolande of Jerusalem (definite) |
Holy Roman Empress 1235–1241 |
Succeeded by: Margaret of Hainaut |
| Queen consort of Sicily 1235–1241 |
Succeeded by: Elisabeth of Bavaria |
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| Preceded by: Constance of Aragon |
German Queen 1235–1237 |
