*disputed*
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Birth name: Isabel FitzWilliam of Gloucester
Born: c. 1160 - 1166, Kingdom of England
Father: William FitzRobert, Earl of Gloucester
Mother: Lady Hawise of Leicester
House: N/A
Nationality: English
Religion: Catholicism
Consort of: John *disputed*
Reign: 27 May 1199 - August 1200 (1 year)
Coronation: N/A
Predecessor: Berengaria of Navarre
Successor: Isabella of Angoulême
Died: October 1217 (aged 51-57), Kingdom of England
Cause: *Unknown*
Burial: *Unknown*
Motto: N/A
Spouse(s):
- King John of England 'Lackland' (m. 1189 - 1200)
- Geoffrey FitzGeoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Essex (m. 1214 - 1216)
- Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent (m. 1217 - 1217)
Children:
- N/A
Unknown.
Character:
She appears to have been very resilient in character, as she was able to survive many hardships in her life, most of which were caused by her first husband, King John.
Her lands and titles were often stolen from her, and she was often left poor and penniless. However, she would fight back, and actively took part in rebellions against John.
Biography:
Isabella was the fourth of four children born to William FitzRobert, Earl of Gloucester, and his wife, Lady Hawise of Beaumont, some time between the years 1160 and 1166. The place of her birth is also unknown, but it was likely within the Kingdom of England, or general Angevin Empire. Her line of ancestry came from an illegitimate son of King Henry I of England, who was Isabella's great-grandfather.
Not much is known about her early life, other than that her brother, Robert, died in 1166, making her and her sisters the joint heirs to the Earldom of Gloucester. She likely received an education befitting a woman of her station during this period.
In 1176, Isabella was betrothed to Prince John, the youngest son of the current King of England, Henry II, in the hopes that her father would be able to reconcile his differences with the king, and secure his land. It would also ensure that Prince John would be provided for upon Henry II's death. Upon her own father's death, it was agreed that John would become the Earl of Gloucester, and would also still be able to inherit some of the land should he and his wife have another male child.
Isabella's father would then die in 1183, and King Henry II nominated her as the sole heiress of the earldom. She then fell under his care, and Henry II took control of all her lands and estates, while he delayed her marriage to John.
When Henry II died in 1189, his eldest surviving son became King Richard I of England, and he finally ended her ward-ship and allowed her and John to marry later that year. However, both Isabella and John were too closely related in the eyes of the Catholic Church, sharing a great-grandfather, King Henry I of England. A papal dispensation needed to be granted for their marriage, but this was never carried out, therefore the question of the validity of their marriage remained open. Prince John was then forbidden from seeing Isabella by the Archbishop of Canterbury as a result of this oversight. Thus, they only spent a brief period of time together after their marriage ceremony, and the two of them never had any children together. John would not be a loyal husband, and fathered illegitimate children during the time of their marriage.
John then became King John of England in 1199 after the death of his brother, but Isabella did not join him at his coronation ceremony. As his wife, Isabella was technically the official consort of England, but questions still remained as to whether her marriage to John was valid, as it had never been blessed by the Pope on the grounds of their close relation.
Meanwhile, John began plotting to marry Princess Alys of France, and began seeking an annulment from his marriage to Isabella. The annulment and divorce was then granted to him in 1200 by the bishops of Normandy and Aquitaine on the grounds of them being too closely related.
However, despite the annulment, John maintained control over Isabella's lands, and she was forced to become his ward. Despite effectively stealing her lands and keeping her trapped in his care, he did ensure she was well cared for, and continued to send her gifts. John re-married, this time to Isabella, Countess of Angoulême. Isabella was even housed with her ex-husband's new wife until 1207. He gave away Isabella's titles and lands to her nephew, Amaury, as part of his compensation for the loss of his lands previously seized by the French king in retaliation for John's marriage to the already betrothed Isabella of Angoulême. However, he soon died without an heir in 1213, and Isabella once again became the Countess of Gloucester.
In 1214, King John arranged for Isabella to be married to Geoffrey FitzGeoffrey, Earl of Essex, in exchange for large sums of money - a debt he would never be able to re-pay. She would then join her new husband in a rebellion against King John just a year later, and it appears that certainly by this point in time, Isabella greatly despised her ex-husband.
However, their marriage would be short lived, as just a year after their rebellion, Geoffrey would be killed in an accident.
Isabella's lands and titles would once again be confiscated from her, and she would continue to take part in rebellions against King John. Her lands were instead given to Hubert of Burgh until King John died shortly afterwards, and Isabella swore fidelity to the new King Henry III of England, who granted her lands and titles back in exchange.
Isabella would then go on to marry her third husband, the previously mentioned Hubert of Burgh, in 1217.
But just one month later, Isabella would die of unknown causes.
Rule:
Due to being ordered to stay away from John for the majority of their marriage, and the question remaining over the validity of their union, Isabella was not formally recognised as Queen Consort.
She also did not play an active role in government during the very short period her marriage to John remained in the first year of his reign.
Trivia:
- N/A
Quotes:
N/A
Sources & Further Reading:
Wilkinson, L. J. (2015). Isabella of Gloucester. Magna Carta Trust 800th Anniversary | Celebrating 800 Years of Democracy. https://magnacarta800th.com/schools/biographies/women-of-magna-carta/isabella-of-gloucester/
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