Infanta Isabel, Duchess of Burgundy
Encyclopedia
Isabella of Portugal was a Portuguese
infanta of the House of Aviz
, the only surviving daughter of King John I of Portugal
and his wife Philippa of Lancaster
. Her most notable siblings were Henry the Navigator, Peter, Duke of Coimbra, and King Edward of Portugal. As third wife of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy
, she was Duchess consort of Burgundy for most of her adult life; her son by Philip was Charles the Bold, the last Valois
Duke of Burgundy. Isabella was the regent of the Burgundian Low Countries during the absence of her spouse in 1432 and in 1441–1443. She served as her husband's representative in negotiations with England regarding trade relations in 1439 and those with the rebellious cities of Holland in 1444.
and spent her youth in the Portuguese court in Lisbon
. The only surviving daughter in a family with five sons, she was brought up according to her mother's strict notions of etiquette and formality, but also indulged and protected. She, like her brothers, was given a good education by her parents, who desired their children to be not only healthy but intelligent: the Infanta was thus taught several languages, given a good grounding in mathematics, and allowed to experiment in the sciences. Her father, the romantic but sensible John I, ensured that she was given a good understanding of politics, allowing her to share with her brothers their instructions in affairs of state. Her mother, the demure and pragmatic Philippa, imparted a commitment to duty, firm discipline, and religious faith that would later prove very important to Isabella. Phillippa also instilled in the Portuguese infanta a favourable view of her native England, based as much on pragmatic recognition of the advantages to any nation allied with that kingdom as on sentiment. She was fond of riding and hunting with her brothers, and she became proficient in Latin, French, English and Italian through her studies with the princes.
Two events of importance to Isabella occurred in 1415. The first was an offer of marriage from her cousin Henry V of England
, who desired to form closer links between England and Portugal against France. The marriage negotiations led nowhere. Isabella, even though already slightly old to be a first time bride at the age of 18, was apparently not particularly disappointed. She would not receive another offer of marriage for another 13 years. Of greater importance to her emotional well-being was the death of Philippa of Lancaster on 19 June 1415. Isabella, who had been very close to her mother, briefly withdrew from court life in grief, taking refuge in her chambers with her ladies-in-waiting and refining her skills in needlework and singing.
Upon reaching the age of 30 unmarried, it would have been reasonable to expect that Isabella would never marry, however the Burgundian house of Valois provided her with an attractive offer of marriage in 1428. The reigning Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, had already been married twice by that year. His first wife was his second cousin Michelle of Valois
, with whom he was married between 1409 and 1422. Like many in her family, Michelle went mad, in this case after descending into a cycle of melancholy prompted by the murder of her father-in-law John the Fearless in 1419, the very event that elevated her to the rank of Duchess of Burgundy. In 1424, Philip married for a second time to Bonne of Artois
, widow of his uncle, Philip II, Count of Nevers
, but she died less than a year after the ceremony. Neither marriage left surviving issue. For his third wife, Philip was anxious to seek a candidate from England or a nation allied to England, since he was now firmly allied with England, and wanted to secure that alliance further. Even though Isabella was far beyond the common age of marriage for women of her day, she was attractive to Philip as a potential consort: she was well-bred, shrewd and accomplished; perfectly capable of offering sound political advice and maintaining diplomatic discretion; and of fertile family stock without any history of poor health. Her country was allied to England and cultivated a trading relationship with territories Philip conrolled in the Low Countries that he wished to reinforce.
On 19 October 1428, Philip thus sent a delegation from Sluys led by his chief counsellor, the Seigneur de Roubaix, that arrived in Lisbon
on 16 December after calling at Sandwich
until 2 December and acquiring two more ships. The delegation waited another month while Isabella's father and brothers met at Aviz to discuss the matter. On 19 January 1429, a formal request for the Infanta's hand was made by the Burgundians, and discussions between the two parties began. The Portuguese agreed to the marriage and sent messengers on 2 February to receive the Duke of Burgundy's formal response, which was signed on 5 May and received by the Portuguese on 4 June. After further minor matters, the marriage contract was drawn up, and Isabella, still in Portugal, was married to Philip the Good by proxy on 24 July 1429, with Roubaix acting as groom.
s, plays, and festivals. On 19 October 1429, with a flotilla of about 20 ships prepared, Isabella—accompanied by almost 2000 Portuguese—left Portugal forever. After a rough journey of eleven weeks, which saw the loss of several ships and much of her bridal trousseau, the convoy reached Sluys on 25 December 1429. The Duchess disembarked the following day (having been forced through illness and apprehension to rest for the remainder of Christmas Day). She and Philip celebrated their formal religious marriage two weeks later, on 7 January 1430, and the marriage was consummated shortly afterwards.
Accompanied by her husband, and by the Countess of Namur, Jeanne de Harcourt, Isabella then travelled through the main territories of Burgundy: from Ghent
(16 January) to Kortrijk
(13 February) to Lille
, and then to Brussels
, Arras
, Péronne-en-Mélantois
, Mechelen
and, by mid-March Noyon
, where Isabella, now pregnant, chose to rest through the spring, only leaving when Joan of Arc
led a campaign against the nearby Compiègne
. For several months afterwards, the Duchess was forced to deal with the rebellions and unrest of her husband's subjects and neighbours, as well as with administrative and financial issues, in all of which she proved equal to the task.
Isabella was not at first equal to the style and complexity of court life in Burgundy. Although the Portuguese court had been by no means austere in her time, it could not match the heights of fashion and flamboyance seen in Philip's court, one of the richest and most extravagant in Europe. The Portuguese infanta, described by the Burgundian embassy that had negotiated her marriage as appearing to their eyes as a nun when they had first met, and now dressed in loose clothing and flat over-panels to hide her pregnancy, looked particularly dowdy at her new court. More upsetting to Isabella, however, was her husband's behaviour. He had showered gifts on her when she had first arrived, and still more when she had become pregnant; yet, he made it clear that he had no intention of keeping his vows of fidelity and chastity. In contrast to the style typical of nobles and royalty at that time—to keep a succession of honoured favourites or mistresses at their court or home—Philip had no particular mistress with whom to embarrass his wife. Instead, he kept numerous women as his lovers, several at a time, most living away from the court, who would periodically present him with illegitimate children, of whom he had a great deal. In addition to these, he would flirt with the ladies of the court, on occasion placing one on the pummel of his saddle as he rode in ceremonial progresses. Philip's infidelities would cause Isabella a certain amount of grief during their marriage.
Isabella gave birth to her first child on 30 December 1430 at Coudenberg
, a year after her marriage. The child, Antoine, was worryingly sickly: tiny at birth, he had a weak cry and a listless appetite, none of which boded well. However, his christening took place on 16 January 1431, and soon after both parents were once again attending to ducal business. By the autumn of that year, Isabella was once again pregnant with their second son, Joseph; more importantly, she had spent a long continuous period of time with her husband, and demonstrated her intelligence and abilities, as well as her commitment to Burgundian independence. Because of this, when Charles VII of France
began attacking Burgundy in January 1432, Philip—leaving Coudenburg to defend Dijon
—ordered, "You will serve the Duchess in her state and office representing me during my absence". This command was obeyed, and Isabella found herself treated with all the respect and deference she might expect as a regnant duchess.
Antoine and Joseph both died in 1432, but the duchess then gave birth to the future Charles the Bold on 10 November 1433.
Isabella was a very refined and intelligent woman who liked to be surrounded by artists and poets. She was a generous patron of the arts. In politics, she had a great influence on her son, but even more so on her husband, whom she represented on several diplomatic conferences and for whom she governed when he was absent. Most notably, she negotiated many of the marriages of the members of her court, among them the marriage of her son Charles to Catherine of France. She also took special pains on behalf of Mary of Guelders
, who attended upon Catherine. Isabella helped arrange her marriage to James II of Scotland
, which would make her queen.
By 1457, however, she had withdrawn from the court and distanced herself from her husband, partly to side with her son in his estrangement with him, partly out of a desire to live a more devout and quieter life. She died in Dijon
in 1471.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
infanta of the House of Aviz
House of Aviz
The House of Aviz is a dynasty of kings of Portugal. In 1385, the Interregnum of the 1383-1385 crisis ended with the acclamation of the Master of the Order of Aviz, John, natural son of king Peter I and Dona Teresa Lourenço as king...
, the only surviving daughter of King John I of Portugal
John I of Portugal
John I KG , called the Good or of Happy Memory, more rarely and outside Portugal the Bastard, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
and his wife Philippa of Lancaster
Philippa of Lancaster
Philippa of Lancaster, LG was a Queen consort of Portugal. Born into the royal family of England, her marriage with King John I secured the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance and produced several famous children who became known as the "Illustrious Generation" in Portugal...
. Her most notable siblings were Henry the Navigator, Peter, Duke of Coimbra, and King Edward of Portugal. As third wife of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks...
, she was Duchess consort of Burgundy for most of her adult life; her son by Philip was Charles the Bold, the last Valois
Valois
Valois is a district, in the city of Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada. It was once a separate village, many years ago, but was then merged with Pointe-Claire....
Duke of Burgundy. Isabella was the regent of the Burgundian Low Countries during the absence of her spouse in 1432 and in 1441–1443. She served as her husband's representative in negotiations with England regarding trade relations in 1439 and those with the rebellious cities of Holland in 1444.
Early life
Isabella was born in ÉvoraÉvora
Évora is a municipality in Portugal. It has total area of with a population of 55,619 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Évora District and capital of the Alentejo region. The municipality is composed of 19 civil parishes, and is located in Évora District....
and spent her youth in the Portuguese court in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. The only surviving daughter in a family with five sons, she was brought up according to her mother's strict notions of etiquette and formality, but also indulged and protected. She, like her brothers, was given a good education by her parents, who desired their children to be not only healthy but intelligent: the Infanta was thus taught several languages, given a good grounding in mathematics, and allowed to experiment in the sciences. Her father, the romantic but sensible John I, ensured that she was given a good understanding of politics, allowing her to share with her brothers their instructions in affairs of state. Her mother, the demure and pragmatic Philippa, imparted a commitment to duty, firm discipline, and religious faith that would later prove very important to Isabella. Phillippa also instilled in the Portuguese infanta a favourable view of her native England, based as much on pragmatic recognition of the advantages to any nation allied with that kingdom as on sentiment. She was fond of riding and hunting with her brothers, and she became proficient in Latin, French, English and Italian through her studies with the princes.
Two events of importance to Isabella occurred in 1415. The first was an offer of marriage from her cousin Henry V of England
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
, who desired to form closer links between England and Portugal against France. The marriage negotiations led nowhere. Isabella, even though already slightly old to be a first time bride at the age of 18, was apparently not particularly disappointed. She would not receive another offer of marriage for another 13 years. Of greater importance to her emotional well-being was the death of Philippa of Lancaster on 19 June 1415. Isabella, who had been very close to her mother, briefly withdrew from court life in grief, taking refuge in her chambers with her ladies-in-waiting and refining her skills in needlework and singing.
Upon reaching the age of 30 unmarried, it would have been reasonable to expect that Isabella would never marry, however the Burgundian house of Valois provided her with an attractive offer of marriage in 1428. The reigning Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, had already been married twice by that year. His first wife was his second cousin Michelle of Valois
Michelle of Valois
Michelle of France was a Duchess consort of Burgundy. She was a daughter of Charles VI of France and Isabella of Bavaria-Ingolstadt...
, with whom he was married between 1409 and 1422. Like many in her family, Michelle went mad, in this case after descending into a cycle of melancholy prompted by the murder of her father-in-law John the Fearless in 1419, the very event that elevated her to the rank of Duchess of Burgundy. In 1424, Philip married for a second time to Bonne of Artois
Bonne of Artois
|-...
, widow of his uncle, Philip II, Count of Nevers
Philip II, Count of Nevers
Phillip II, Count of Nevers was the youngest son of Philip the Bold and Margaret III of Flanders....
, but she died less than a year after the ceremony. Neither marriage left surviving issue. For his third wife, Philip was anxious to seek a candidate from England or a nation allied to England, since he was now firmly allied with England, and wanted to secure that alliance further. Even though Isabella was far beyond the common age of marriage for women of her day, she was attractive to Philip as a potential consort: she was well-bred, shrewd and accomplished; perfectly capable of offering sound political advice and maintaining diplomatic discretion; and of fertile family stock without any history of poor health. Her country was allied to England and cultivated a trading relationship with territories Philip conrolled in the Low Countries that he wished to reinforce.
On 19 October 1428, Philip thus sent a delegation from Sluys led by his chief counsellor, the Seigneur de Roubaix, that arrived in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
on 16 December after calling at Sandwich
Sandwich, Kent
Sandwich is a historic town and civil parish on the River Stour in the Non-metropolitan district of Dover, within the ceremonial county of Kent, south-east England. It has a population of 6,800....
until 2 December and acquiring two more ships. The delegation waited another month while Isabella's father and brothers met at Aviz to discuss the matter. On 19 January 1429, a formal request for the Infanta's hand was made by the Burgundians, and discussions between the two parties began. The Portuguese agreed to the marriage and sent messengers on 2 February to receive the Duke of Burgundy's formal response, which was signed on 5 May and received by the Portuguese on 4 June. After further minor matters, the marriage contract was drawn up, and Isabella, still in Portugal, was married to Philip the Good by proxy on 24 July 1429, with Roubaix acting as groom.
Duchess of Burgundy
Despite the conclusion of her marriage, the new Duchess did not leave Portugal for another eight weeks. Rather, her father had a fleet and trousseau prepared for his daughter, who enjoyed a continued period of feasts, tournamentTournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
s, plays, and festivals. On 19 October 1429, with a flotilla of about 20 ships prepared, Isabella—accompanied by almost 2000 Portuguese—left Portugal forever. After a rough journey of eleven weeks, which saw the loss of several ships and much of her bridal trousseau, the convoy reached Sluys on 25 December 1429. The Duchess disembarked the following day (having been forced through illness and apprehension to rest for the remainder of Christmas Day). She and Philip celebrated their formal religious marriage two weeks later, on 7 January 1430, and the marriage was consummated shortly afterwards.
Accompanied by her husband, and by the Countess of Namur, Jeanne de Harcourt, Isabella then travelled through the main territories of Burgundy: from Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
(16 January) to Kortrijk
Kortrijk
Kortrijk ; , ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province West Flanders...
(13 February) to Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
, and then to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Arras
Arras
Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...
, Péronne-en-Mélantois
Péronne-en-Mélantois
-References:*...
, Mechelen
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
and, by mid-March Noyon
Noyon
Noyon is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.It lies on the Oise Canal, 100 km north of Paris.-History:...
, where Isabella, now pregnant, chose to rest through the spring, only leaving when Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
led a campaign against the nearby Compiègne
Compiègne
Compiègne is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.The city is located along the Oise River...
. For several months afterwards, the Duchess was forced to deal with the rebellions and unrest of her husband's subjects and neighbours, as well as with administrative and financial issues, in all of which she proved equal to the task.
Isabella was not at first equal to the style and complexity of court life in Burgundy. Although the Portuguese court had been by no means austere in her time, it could not match the heights of fashion and flamboyance seen in Philip's court, one of the richest and most extravagant in Europe. The Portuguese infanta, described by the Burgundian embassy that had negotiated her marriage as appearing to their eyes as a nun when they had first met, and now dressed in loose clothing and flat over-panels to hide her pregnancy, looked particularly dowdy at her new court. More upsetting to Isabella, however, was her husband's behaviour. He had showered gifts on her when she had first arrived, and still more when she had become pregnant; yet, he made it clear that he had no intention of keeping his vows of fidelity and chastity. In contrast to the style typical of nobles and royalty at that time—to keep a succession of honoured favourites or mistresses at their court or home—Philip had no particular mistress with whom to embarrass his wife. Instead, he kept numerous women as his lovers, several at a time, most living away from the court, who would periodically present him with illegitimate children, of whom he had a great deal. In addition to these, he would flirt with the ladies of the court, on occasion placing one on the pummel of his saddle as he rode in ceremonial progresses. Philip's infidelities would cause Isabella a certain amount of grief during their marriage.
Isabella gave birth to her first child on 30 December 1430 at Coudenberg
Coudenberg
Coudenberg or Koudenberg is a small hill in Brussels where the Palace of Coudenberg was built.For nearly 700 years, the Castle and then the Palace of Coudenberg were the seat of government of the counts, dukes, archdukes, kings, emperors and governors who from the 11th century until its...
, a year after her marriage. The child, Antoine, was worryingly sickly: tiny at birth, he had a weak cry and a listless appetite, none of which boded well. However, his christening took place on 16 January 1431, and soon after both parents were once again attending to ducal business. By the autumn of that year, Isabella was once again pregnant with their second son, Joseph; more importantly, she had spent a long continuous period of time with her husband, and demonstrated her intelligence and abilities, as well as her commitment to Burgundian independence. Because of this, when Charles VII of France
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
began attacking Burgundy in January 1432, Philip—leaving Coudenburg to defend Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
—ordered, "You will serve the Duchess in her state and office representing me during my absence". This command was obeyed, and Isabella found herself treated with all the respect and deference she might expect as a regnant duchess.
Antoine and Joseph both died in 1432, but the duchess then gave birth to the future Charles the Bold on 10 November 1433.
Isabella was a very refined and intelligent woman who liked to be surrounded by artists and poets. She was a generous patron of the arts. In politics, she had a great influence on her son, but even more so on her husband, whom she represented on several diplomatic conferences and for whom she governed when he was absent. Most notably, she negotiated many of the marriages of the members of her court, among them the marriage of her son Charles to Catherine of France. She also took special pains on behalf of Mary of Guelders
Mary of Guelders
Mary of Guelders was the Queen Consort of Scotland as the wife of King James II of Scotland. She served as Regent of Scotland from 1460 to 1463.-Background:...
, who attended upon Catherine. Isabella helped arrange her marriage to James II of Scotland
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
, which would make her queen.
By 1457, however, she had withdrawn from the court and distanced herself from her husband, partly to side with her son in his estrangement with him, partly out of a desire to live a more devout and quieter life. She died in Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
in 1471.
Ancestry
Further reading
- Taylor, Aline S. Isabel of Burgundy : the Duchess who Played Politics in the Age of Joan of Arc, 1397-1471 (Madison Books, 2001) ISBN 1-56833-227-0