Isabella of Urgell, Duchess of Coimbra

Isabella of Urgell, Duchess of Coimbra (Spanish: Isabel) (12 March 1409 – 29 August 1443) was a Catalan noblewoman of the Urgell branch of the House of Aragon. She was the wife of Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra.

Family

Isabella was born on 12 March 1409 the eldest daughter of James II, Count of Urgell, a candidate to the throne of the Crown of Aragon at the Compromise of Caspe, and Isabella of Aragon. Isabella was one of five children.

The county of Urgell was dissolved in 1413, following her father's revolt against the new King Ferdinand I of Aragon who had been chosen to succeed to the throne of Aragon in 1412 despite James being the closest legitimate agnate to the Royal House of Aragon. Earlier, King Ferdinand had offered James 150,000 florins, the title of Duke of Montblanc, and proposed an alliance between his son Enrique and Isabella but James had refused Ferdinand's offer on the advice of his mother.^[1] In addition to the loss of his title and assets, James was later tried, condemned, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Marriage

On 13 September 1428 at Alcolea del Cinca she married Infante Pedro, Duke of Coimbra (9 December 1392 – 20 May 1449 at the Battle of Alfarrobeira), the son of King John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster. He also held the titles of Regent of Portugal and the Algarve, and Sire of Montemor. They had six children. In 1438, Isabella's husband was appointed Regent of Portugal during the minority of his nephew King Afonso V. King Afonso would later wed the eldest daughter of Isabella and Pedro.

Issue

• Peter V of Aragon, Infante of Portugal, heir of the Dukedom of Coimbra, Duke of Catalonia (23 October 1429 Coimbra, Portugal- 29 June 1466) At the age of fourteen he was Constable of Portugal. In 1464, he was acclaimed King Peter V of Aragon.
• John of Coimbra, Infante of Portugal, Titular Prince of Antioch (1431/33 Coimbra, Portugal- July/11 September 1457 Nicosia, Cyprus). On 26 February 1456, he married Queen Charlotte of Cyprus (28 June 1444 – 16 July 1487). He was her first husband. It was rumoured that he was poisoned by his mother-in-law, Queen Helena of Cyprus.
• Isabella of Coimbra, Infanta of Portugal (1 March 1432 Coimbra, Portugal- 2 December 1455). Married King Afonso V of Portugal on 6 May 1448. She was his first wife. They had three children, including King John II of Portugal and Joana of Portugal.
• James of Coimbra, Infante of Portugal, Cardinal and Archbishop of Lisbon (16 August 1443 Coimbra, Portugal- 27 August 1457 Florence Italy)
• Beatrice of Coimbra, Infanta of Portugal (21 November 1435 Coimbra, Portugal- 22 February 1462 Bruges. Married 13 May 1453 Adolf of Cleves Lord of Ravenstein (28 June 1425 – 18 September 1492). She died of suspected poisoning.
• Philippa of Coimbra, Infanta of Portugal (1 June 1437 Coimbra, Portugal- 25 July 1493 Odivelas). She was a nun at the Convent of Odivelas.

Death

Isabella died in Coimbra, Portugal on 29 August 1443 at the age of thirty-four. She is buried at Batalha. Her father had died in prison at Xàtiva ten years previously.

Ancestry

References