Isabella of Valois, Duchess of Bourbon

Family

Isabella of Valois (1313 – August 26, 1388). Was a daughter of Charles of Valois and his third wife Mahaut of Chatillon. Her paternal grandparents were Philip IV of France and Isabella of Aragon. Her maternal grandparents were Guy IV, Count of Saint-Pol and Marie of Brittany. She was a sister of Blanche of Valois, who married Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, Blanche's daughter was Katharine of Bohemia, Blanche died in 1348 at the age of 31. Isabella's other sister was Marie of Valois who married Charles, Duke of Calabria in 1323, Marie was the mother of Joan I of Naples. Isabella had a brother called Louis, he became Count of Chartres but he died at the tender age of ten, Isabella, her mother and sisters were very upset. When her father died in 1325 all his titles went to Isabella's older half siblings by his first marriage to Marguerite of Anjou and Maine. We know Isabella was born in 1313 but it is unknown what her exact birthday was.

Marriage and husband's death

On 25 January 1326 she married Peter I, Duke of Bourbon, son of Louis I, Duke of Bourbon. Peter and Isabella had only one son, Louis and seven daughters. Her husband sadly died at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356, Isabella never remarried. After her husbands death Isabella's son Louis became the Duke of Bourbon, in 1356 Isabella arranged for her daughter Jeanne to marry Charles V of France, at the time he was the Dauphin of France so Jeanne became Dauphine.

Children

*Jeanne (1338–1378), married King Charles V of France
*Blanche (1339–1361, Medina-Sidonia), married King Pedro of Castile in 1353 in Valladolid, poisoned by her husband
*Bonne (1341 – January 19, 1402, Château de Mâcon), married Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy in 1355 in Paris
*Catherine (1342–1427, Paris), married John VI, Count of Harcourt
*Margaret (1344–1416), married Arnaud Amanieu, Viscount of Tartas
*Isabelle (b. 1345)
*Mary (1347–1401, Poissy), Prioress of Poissy

Isabella outlived her eldest two daughters. Her husband suffered from madness, so this was passed on to the couples children, Jeanne and Louis were the only two of the seven children to suffer from madness, nobody thought that Jeanne suffered from insanity until she had a nervous breakdown shortly after the birth of her seventh child Louis I de Valois, Duke of Orléans, Isabella's grandson Charles VI of France is well known for suffering from the mental disorder. In 1361 Isabella's daughter Blanca was murdered on the orders of her husband Pedro because he had fallen in love with Maria de Padilla, Blanca was either shot by a crossbowman or she was poisened, Isabella was very upset to hear of the death of her second eldest daughter.

Ancestors

Through her mother, Isabella was a descendent of Henry III of England, her greatgrand mother Beatrice was his daughter, and Henry wass a direct descendent of William I of England. Through her father she was a descendent of French kings. She was also an ancester of French kings through her daughter Jeanne, and Isabella is also an ancester of Tudor kings and queens such as Elizabeth I of England and Henry VIII of England.

In 1328 her cousin Charles IV of France died, her half brother Philip became king of France as Philip IV of France, Isabella was 15 years of age at the time of her half brother corination. Isabella died in 1388 at the age of 75, she had outlived two of her children and at the time of her death was the only child of all of her fathers wives left alive, her sisters Marie and Blanche had died young ( Marie aged 23 and Blanche aged 31).

Isabella had many grandchildren,

Her grandchildren by her daughter Jeanne were:
* Jeanne (1357–1360)
* Jean (1359–1364)
* Bonne (1360)
* Jean (1366)
* Charles VI of France (1368–1422)
* Marie (1370–1377)
* Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans (1372–1407)
* Isabelle (1373–1378)
* Catherine (1378–1388)By her son Louis were:
* Catherine of Bourbon (b. 1378)
* John of Bourbon (1381–1434), Duke of Bourbon
* Louis of Bourbon (1388 – 1404)
* Isabelle of Bourbon (1384 – aft. 1451)By Her daughter Bonne were:
*Amadeus VII of Savoy (1360 - November 1, 1391)
*Louis of Savoy (1362 - 1365).Her daughter Margaret had a son called Charles d'Albret.

Links

*http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/history/characters/charles_iii_valois.shtml

*http://geneweb.inria.fr/roglo?lang=en;i=318412