Isabella of Angoulême

Also known as: Isabell · Family: Angoulême · Role: wife of King John · First appears: King John 4

Around c. 1200, Isabella of Angoulême married King John. She was the daughter of Aymer of Angoulême, and they had two sons, Henry III and Richard of Cornwall, and three daughters, Isabella of England, Holy Roman Empress, Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester, and Joan of England: “After that, he married Isabell the daughter of Amerie earle of Angolesme, by whome he had two sonnes, Henrie and Richard, and thrée daughters, Isabell, Elianor, and Jane.” After returning to England, King John had Isabella crowned at England on 8 October.

In 1202, it was recorded that Isabella had previously been promised in marriage to Hugh le Brun, Earl of March, before King John was proposed to her. Around 1207, at Winchester, she gave birth to Henry III, who later succeeded his father. Her daughters included Isabella of England, Holy Roman Empress, Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester, and Joan of England; another account names Eleanor (daughter of King John), while stating that Joan of England married Alexander, Isabella of England, Holy Roman Empress married the emperor Frederick II, and Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester married William, earl of Gloucester.

Relationship record

c. 1200 · King John married Isabella of Angoulême and had five children by her.(King John 4)
- With: King John
- “After that, he married Isabell the daughter of Amerie earle of Angolesme, by whome he had two sonnes, Henrie and Richard, and thrée daughters, Isabell, Elianor, and Jane.”
c. 1200 · King John caused his newly married wife Isabella of Angoulême to be crowned.(King John 4 · 📍 England)
- With: King John
- “These things being thus performed, king John returned into England, and there caused his new married wife Isabell to be crowned on the sundaie before the feast of S. Denise, the eight of October.”
1202 · Isabella of Angoulême had been promised in marriage to Hugh le Brun, Earl of March.(King John 6)
- With: Hugh le Brun, Earl of March
- “Herevpon Hugh le Brun earle of March (vnto whome quéene Isabell the wife of king John had béene promised in marriage, before that king John was motioned vnto hir, and therefore bare an inward displeasure towards the king of England, for that he had so bereft him of his promised spouse)”
c. 1207 · Henry V was born to King John and Isabella of Angoulême at Winchester.(King John 13 · 📍 Winchester)
- With: Henry III King John
- “Also vpon the first of October, Henrie the sonne of king John, begotten of his wife quéene Isabell, was borne at Winchester, who after succéeded his father in the kingdome.”

married with King John “After that, he married Isabell the daughter of Amerie earle of Angolesme, by whome he had two sonnes, Henrie and Richard, and thrée daughters, Isabell, Elianor, and Jane.”
parent: Aymer of Angoulême “he married Isabell the daughter of Amerie earle of Angolesme”
child: Henry III “by whome he had two sonnes, Henrie and Richard, and thrée daughters, Isabell, Elianor, and Jane”
child: Richard of Cornwall “by whome he had two sonnes, Henrie and Richard, and thrée daughters, Isabell, Elianor, and Jane”
child: Isabella of England, Holy Roman Empress “by whome he had two sonnes, Henrie and Richard, and thrée daughters, Isabell, Elianor, and Jane”
child: Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester “by whome he had two sonnes, Henrie and Richard, and thrée daughters, Isabell, Elianor, and Jane”
child: Joan of England “by whome he had two sonnes, Henrie and Richard, and thrée daughters, Isabell, Elianor, and Jane”

married with King John “in the which feast he sat crowned, togither with his wife quéene Isabell”
engaged with Hugh le Brun, Earl of March “vnto whome quéene Isabell the wife of king John had béene promised in marriage, before that king John was motioned vnto hir”

child: Henry III “Henrie the sonne of king John, begotten of his wife quéene Isabell, was borne at Winchester, who after succéeded his father in the kingdome.”
married with King John “Henrie the sonne of king John, begotten of his wife quéene Isabell, was borne at Winchester”

child: Henry III “For he had issue by his wife quéene Isabell two sonnes, Henrie who succéeded him in the kingdome, and Richard;”
child: Richard of Cornwall “For he had issue by his wife quéene Isabell two sonnes, Henrie who succéeded him in the kingdome, and Richard;”
child: Joan of England “thrée daughters, Joane married to Alexander king of Scotland, Isabell coupled in matrimonie with the emperour Frederike the second, and Elianor whome William earle of Glocester had to wife.”
child: Isabella of England “thrée daughters, Joane married to Alexander king of Scotland, Isabell coupled in matrimonie with the emperour Frederike the second, and Elianor whome William earle of Glocester had to wife.”
child: Eleanor of England, Countess of Gloucester “thrée daughters, Joane married to Alexander king of Scotland, Isabell coupled in matrimonie with the emperour Frederike the second, and Elianor whome William earle of Glocester had to wife.”
child: Eleanor (daughter of King John) “He had also another daughter (as some haue left in writing) called Elianor.”

Extracted from the original text of Holinshed's Chronicles — the reigns Shakespeare dramatized. Made with Rho MD.