Isabelle of France (1241–1271)
Encyclopedia
Isabella of France was a daughter Louis IX of France
and Margaret of Provence. She was married to Theobald II of Navarre
, eldest son of Theobald I of Navarre
and Margaret of Navarre
on 6 April 1255. Isabelle became Queen consort of Navarre.
, who succeeded their father in 1270. Isabella's sisters included Blanche, Princess of Castile
, Margaret, Duchess of Brabant
and Agnes, Duchess of Burgundy
.
Isabella's paternal grandparents were Louis VIII of France
and his wife Blanche of Castile
, daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile
and Eleanor of England. Isabella's maternal grandparents were Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence
and Beatrice of Savoy
. Eleanor of Provence
was Isabella's aunt, this made her cousin of Edward I of England
.
so he married Isabella off to Theobald. Some written parental directives of Louis IX for his daughter survive, an unusual feature since the preparation of royal ladies for marriage was usually entrusted to their mothers, not their fathers. The Archbishop of Rouen
celebrated the marriage between Isabella and Theobald II, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne
, on 6 April 1255 in Melun
. The bridegroom was 18 and the bride 13 years old. They are usually said to have remained childless, but a contemporary Spanish chronicle states that Isabella and Theobald produced and lost a child around 1258, and a rather later Spanish chronicler says that Isabella died in 1271, shortly after Theobald's death, "siendo prenada," presumably meaning that she died in childbirth. Contemporary reports of the couple's extreme modesty had it that they refused to disrobe completely when retiring for the night, and that as she lay dying, Isabella ordered her attendants to see that her corpse was well shrouded so that nothing of it should become visible when it was boiled to remove the flesh from her bones. It seems likely, however, that the couple did not have a chaste or "white" marriage.
Together with her husband and her father, the very pious Isabella travelled to the Seventh Crusade in July 1270. Her father died there in August of the same year. Then, in December, Isabella's husband died of an epidemic
while in Sicily
. After the deaths of both her father and husband, Isabella returned to France
and lived in Provence
until her death only two months later in 1271.
Isabella is buried next to her husband in Provins
.
Louis IX of France
Louis 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 an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
and Margaret of Provence. She was married to Theobald II of Navarre
Theobald II of Navarre
Theobald II , called the Young, was Count of Champagne and Brie and King of Navarre from 1253 until his death....
, eldest son of Theobald I of Navarre
Theobald I of Navarre
Theobald I , called the Troubadour, the Chansonnier, and the Posthumous, was Count of Champagne from birth and King of Navarre from 1234...
and Margaret of Navarre
Margaret of Bourbon, Queen of Navarre
Margaret of Bourbon was the wife of Theobald I of Navarre, she became Countess of Champagne and Queen of Navarre. Margaret was the daughter of Archambaud VIII of Bourbon and his first wife, Guigone of Forez.- Marriage :...
on 6 April 1255. Isabelle became Queen consort of Navarre.
Family
Isabella was the second of eleven children and the eldest surviving child on the death of her sister Blanche in 1243. Of the eleven siblings, eight of them lived to adulthood. Isabella's brother was Philip III of FrancePhilip III of France
Philip III , called the Bold , was the King of France, succeeding his father, Louis IX, and reigning from 1270 to 1285. He was a member of the House of Capet.-Biography:...
, who succeeded their father in 1270. Isabella's sisters included Blanche, Princess of Castile
Blanche of France (1253–1323)
Blanche of France was a daughter of King Louis IX of France and Margaret of Provence, and sister of King Philip III of France and Queen Isabella of Navarre.-Biography:...
, Margaret, Duchess of Brabant
Margaret of France, Duchess of Brabant
Margaret of France was a daughter of Louis IX of France and his wife Margaret of Provence. She was a member of the House of Capet and was Duchess of Brabant by her marriage to John I, Duke of Brabant.- Siblings :...
and Agnes, Duchess of Burgundy
Agnes of France, Duchess of Burgundy
Agnes of France , Daughter of France by birth, was the youngest daughter of Louis IX of France and Margaret of Provence. She served as regent of Burgundy during the minority of her son.- Family :...
.
Isabella's paternal grandparents were Louis VIII of France
Louis VIII of France
Louis VIII the Lion reigned as King of France from 1223 to 1226. He was a member of the House of Capet. Louis VIII was born in Paris, France, the son of Philip II Augustus and Isabelle of Hainaut. He was also Count of Artois, inheriting the county from his mother, from 1190–1226...
and his wife Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile , was a Queen consort of France as the wife of Louis VIII. She acted as regent twice during the reign of her son, Louis IX....
, daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile
Alfonso VIII of Castile
Alfonso VIII , called the Noble or el de las Navas, was the King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. He is most remembered for his part in the Reconquista and the downfall of the Almohad Caliphate...
and Eleanor of England. Isabella's maternal grandparents were Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence
Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence
Ramon Berenguer IV , Count of Provence and Forcalquier, was the son of Alfonso II of Provence and Garsenda of Sabran, heiress of Forcalquier. After his father's death , Ramon was imprisoned in the castle of Monzón, in Aragon until he was able to escape in 1219 and claim his inheritance. He was a...
and Beatrice of Savoy
Beatrice of Savoy
Beatrice of Savoy was the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva. She was Countess consort of Provence by her marriage to Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence.-Family:...
. Eleanor of Provence
Eleanor of Provence
Eleanor of Provence was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272....
was Isabella's aunt, this made her cousin of Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
.
Life
Louis IX wanted to make peace with NavarreNavarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
so he married Isabella off to Theobald. Some written parental directives of Louis IX for his daughter survive, an unusual feature since the preparation of royal ladies for marriage was usually entrusted to their mothers, not their fathers. The Archbishop of Rouen
Archbishop of Rouen
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen is an Archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the ecclesiastical province of the archdiocese comprises the majority of Normandy....
celebrated the marriage between Isabella and Theobald II, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne
Count of Champagne
The Counts of Champagne ruled the region of Champagne from 950 to 1316. Champagne evolved from the county of Troyes in the late eleventh century and Hugh I was the first to officially use the title "Count of Champagne". When Louis became King of France in 1314, upon the death of his father Philip...
, on 6 April 1255 in Melun
Melun
Melun is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Located in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, Melun is the capital of the department, as the seat of an arrondissement...
. The bridegroom was 18 and the bride 13 years old. They are usually said to have remained childless, but a contemporary Spanish chronicle states that Isabella and Theobald produced and lost a child around 1258, and a rather later Spanish chronicler says that Isabella died in 1271, shortly after Theobald's death, "siendo prenada," presumably meaning that she died in childbirth. Contemporary reports of the couple's extreme modesty had it that they refused to disrobe completely when retiring for the night, and that as she lay dying, Isabella ordered her attendants to see that her corpse was well shrouded so that nothing of it should become visible when it was boiled to remove the flesh from her bones. It seems likely, however, that the couple did not have a chaste or "white" marriage.
Together with her husband and her father, the very pious Isabella travelled to the Seventh Crusade in July 1270. Her father died there in August of the same year. Then, in December, Isabella's husband died of an epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
while in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. After the deaths of both her father and husband, Isabella returned to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and lived in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
until her death only two months later in 1271.
Isabella is buried next to her husband in Provins
Provins
Provins is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.Provins, a town of medieval fairs, became a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 2001.-Administration:...
.
Ancestors
See also
- List of Navarrese royal consorts
- French monarchs family treeFrench monarchs family treeBelow are the family trees of all French monarchs, from Pepin the Short to Louis Philippe I. Earlier kings are included in the list of Frankish kings. Monarchs from the House of Bonaparte are excluded from this article.-Carolingian Dynasty :...