Isabel de Romieu

Mistress of John I of England

Margaret FitzRoy

Edmund FitzRoy

**Isabel de Romieu** (C. 1157 - 1201) was the Mistress of John I of England until her death in 1201. She was the second child of Charles de Romieu and Marie de Badeaux, when Isabel was 15, her father became the French Ambassador to England and secured her position as lady-in-waiting of Isabella I, Countess of Auvergne. Isabel de Romieu though caught the eye of Isabella's husband King John, and Isabel became his mistress, and soon his top mistress, Isabella of Auvergne became very jealous and kicked Isabel out of her court, but Isabel joined her husband's court in Buckingham Castle. She mothered 4 of John's illegitimate children, whom they were, Elizabeth, Mary, Margaret and Edmund FitzRoy, she died aged 44 at Maiden Castle of an unknown illness.

## Early Life

Isabel de Romieu was born in the Château de Romieu as the second child of Charles de Romieu and Marie de Badeaux, the Romieu Family was a influecial and wealthy family, her father became the French Ambassador to Hungary, her father left Isabel and her mother in France as he traveled to Budapest. When Isabel was 8, her family wen't into debt and her father was fired from his job as Ambassador, but the family fell back into wealth and her father became the French Ambassador to Scotland, Isabel moved to Scotland with her older brother and youngest siblings in the court of Alexander I of England and Margaret of England, she became a lady-in-waiting of Margaret of England who called her, "Margareta." When her father stepped down after a 4 year tenure as Isabel said farewell to Queen Margaret. When Isabel was 15, her father became the French Ambassador to England, Isabel moved into the English court as the lady-in-waiting of Isabella of Auvergne.

## English Court

Isabel de Romieu moved into Isabella of Auvergne's court, Isabella of Auvergne was the second wife of John I of England, thus making her Queen of England. Isabella was not the most impressed with Isabel de Romieu, the Queen was weary of her because she had been a previous lady-in-waiting to the Queen of Scotland, and Isabella of Auvergne hated the Scots. Isabel de Romieu also was not interested in marrying Henry de Dunois, who was a partner chosen by the Queen for Isabel de Romieu as it was a custom for the Queen to give her unmarried ladies-in-waiting husbands. But soon Isabel caught someone else's eye, someone way more important then Henry de Dunois.

## Royal Mistress

Isabel de Romieu met Isabella of Auvergne's husband, John I of England in a feast celebrating the Anglo-French peace treaty, Isabel de Romieu attended and danced with John who fell-in-love with her. He soon made Isabel his mistress and gave her a monthly allowance of 2,000 English Pounds. She soon gave birth to her husband's illegitimate child named Elizabeth FitzRoy, though historically her real name was Elizabeth FitzJohn, but the name was invalid as she was baptized Elizabeth FitzRoy. Isabel neglected her daughter as she personally said she did not wan't to be a mom. John took Elizabeth in, and had a governess raise Elizabeth and some other illegitimate children of John from past mistresses. Isabel gave birth again to Mary FitzRoy, Isabel again neglected her daughter and Mary was sent in the nursery with Elizabeth. Once again she gave birth to Margaret FitzRoy who was once again sent in the nursery. She gave birth a last child Edmund FitzRoy, Isabel sent her son to the nursery, she never had anymore children, she retired at 38 to Maiden Castle, which was a gift given to her by King John.

## Death

Isabel died somewhere in 1201 of unknown causes, her lover John buried his mistress in Westminister Abbey in the Plantagenet vault, in her casket was her jewlery, her coat of arms, and her letters to John of England, though no portraits were ever painted of her, many artists in the mid 13 and 1400's made paintings of what Isabel de Romieu would have looked like based on the description of her by the royal court. John died a few years later.