Isabella Stewart, Countess of York

## Isabella of Scotland

Countess Consort of York

Constance of York

Richard of York

Isabella of York

Edmund of York

**Isabella of Scotland** (C. 1155 - 1192) was Countess Consort of York, as the wife of Henry, 1st Earl of York. She was the third child of Alexander I of Scotland and Margaret of England, who were well known monarchs during the middle ages. To seal a treaty between Scotland and England, Isabella's younger brother David I of Scotland, married Isabella to Henry, 1st Earl of York, who was one of the most powerful men in Europe. When Isabella arrived at the English court, after an augsausting 16 day trip, she was joined by her younger sisters Margaret and Mary, who were also going to be married to English Earls. Isabella spoke fluent English and impressed King John and his Queen Isabella of Auvergne, with her splended English. When she was finally married to her betrothed, they had a rocky relationship, when Isabella gave birth to a daughter: Margaret of York, who later became a nun in reading abbey, Isabella caught her husband in an affair with the lady of the bed chamber to the Queen. But to be fair, Henry was the most handsome men along side the king at court, so many woman indeed crushed on Isabella's husband. Isabella became a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, whom Isabella understood, despite the fact Isabella had a deep French accent. When Isabella's husband died in Oxford Castle. Isabella was all the way in York with her son Henry of York, Isabella had to take a 5 day trip to Oxford with her son to bury the ex-Earl. After being widowed, she joined the convent in reading abbey with her daughters, Margaret and Isabella of York. She died there a few years later, there was debate were should she be buried, many nobles argued that Isabella was to important as the wife of a rich Earl, to be buried in reading abbey, so her son placed her body next to her husbands in westminister. Isabella is a direct desendent of Louis the Pious of the Franks, by his daughter Hedvig Klottergaue.

## Early Life

Isabella Stewart, was born in Huntly in Scotland to Alexander I of Scotland and Queen Margaret. Isabella was born while her parents were on campain to Turkey during the 7th Crusade, her maternal grand-mother Eleanor of Aquitaine briefly met the young and beautiful Isabella in Huntly. Isabella was indeed a beautiful Princess, but she lacked smartness, her father did love her, but never bothered to teach Isabella the skills of a modern day woman, but Isabella excelled in Music, Art, Chess, Dance, Horse Back Riding, Archery, knitting, house hold duties, and conversation, which were common skills of a mideval Princess, Isabella was suppose to get her first portrait done by 1162, but her father was to busy to send the girl to Ross to get a carve out of her done, her father was to busy fighting the English, in the Anglo-Scottish wars which continued even after Isabella's death. Isabella's betrothal was discussed a lot, Isabella was a possible canidate of the heir apparent of the King of France, but the betrothal broke off for the heir to marry a more famous Princess. The King of Hungary, Géza III did propose to Isabella when she was 8, but her parents feared Hungary would be invaded by Turks, and Isabella would be killed, so the King married a Slavic Princess instead.

## Possible Matches

Her mother attempted to marry Isabella, to the Count of Savoy, or the Count of Geneva, whom were both cousins to Isabella Stewart, but the Count of Geneva was to poor to ask for a Scottish Princesses hand in marriage, and the Count of Savoy was execommunicated by the Pope, and it was considered a sin to marry someone who had been execommunicated, and doing so would get yourself execommunicated, Isabella's parents certainly did not wan't that to there daughter, so they refused the Count of Savoy access to Isabella's Castle in Rothesay. Isabella was offered a hand-in-marriage to the King of Viken who was looking for a western European bride, as Western Europe was the most powerfulest. The Marriage was going to go ahead, but while the King of Viken was going to pick up his new bride, he was killed by the king of Norway who invaded Viken. The King of Norway then asked for Isabella's hand in marriage as he had been deeply in-love with Isabella when she visited Viken, which was the main reason he killed her fiance and took over Viken, was to win Isabella's heart, but the king was very ugly and his parents had been first cousins making him look inbred, Isabella indeed was not impressed and the King of Norway was quickly defeated by the King of Sweden who also was in love with Isabella. The King of Sweden had invaded Norway, in an attempt to win Isabella heart, but Isabella was unimpressed, and the King of Sweden wen't into a mad rage and made sculptures of Isabella all around his palace for the rest of his life in an attempt to summon Isabella's heart. Her parents also did not wan't Isabella being sent North to countries in Northern Europe, because of how bloody they were. When Isabella was 15, her father died after being hit with a boulder while on Crusade, and the following year when she turned 16 her mother was murdered and Isabella was left by herself in Moray, her brother David sent a carriage to pick Isabella up, and take her to Edinburgh.

## Marriage

That Late March, she arrived with her best friend Lady Elizabeth O'Donald who was an Irish noblewoman. David knew his sister was a valuble pawn of the crown in marriage, due to her being a famous beauty, he wanted to make peace with King John of England, so that David would not have to spend a lot of money on troops. David wanted to re-enstate the Sweden match with Isabella, but he despised Sweden for killing the son of the King of Norway, who was known to be a companion to David, so instead he kept the idea of betrothing his sisters, Isabella, Margaret and Mary to English nobles, Margaret who lacked beauty wanted to become a nun, but David refused to allow her to, which Isabella agreed with David to further secure the treaty, the Earl of Bath was offered to Isabella, but Isabella found the Earl to serious and boring, she was then offered to the Earl of Kent, but the Earl found Isabella to be Haughty and Arrogant, and married Isabella's younger sister Margaret, to get out of the match, when she turned 17, her brother was still concerned Isabella was not married, and quickly arranged a marriage between Henry, 1st Earl of York and Isabella. Henry was ranked below the King of England's heir, making the Earl of York one of the most powerful and richest men in Europe, he was even richer and powerfuler then the King of France and Castile and Aragon combined. Isabella arrived in London, after a quick visit with Louis VIII of France, the Earl of York was very handsome, and many woman were already crushing on Henry when Isabella arrived, Isabella fell in love with her husband and her husband loved her back, but along with many of his other mistresses. They were married the next day at Canterberry Cathedral, where Isabella wore a dress, that was worn by her great-great grand-mother, Margaret of Wessex. Isabella was a talented dancer, and a wonderful singer, she quickly became the favorite lady-in-waiting of the Queen, Isabella of Auvergne. King John gifted the newly weds a Castle in London, which Isabella rarely visited unlike her husband. She traveled to York, where she was accompanied by her 9 best-friends, and 18 lesser friends.

## Life in York

Yorkshire was a loud and beautiful Earldom, when Isabella arrived, she fit right in 2 days. But her husband was not a faithful husband, he had many affair behind Isabella's back, she did not know of these affairs until she gave birth to a daughter Margaret of York, she caught her husband cheating on her with the mistress, to the Queen's bed chambers. Isabella so furious she shut herself away from everyone, including her daughter, and convinced the Queen to exepell the Mistress who was exiled and later murdered in the Jersey Islands. Margaret was 2 years old when she returned to York and actually took care of her, Isabella was very close to her daughter whom she nicknamed, Margarete Mae, after the legendary Queen Mae of Sussex and Queen Margarete of Gothenland, who was probably based on a legend of several woman of the time. Isabella gave birth a second time when she was 21, to a son, Henry of York, who became heir to the Earldom of York. Isabella returned to London with her 3 year old daughter who was put in the care of the King and Queen who were charmed by the child. Following that pregnancy was another daughter named Constance, most likely after the English Princess Constance of England, who had been long dead. Isabella gave birth to a son named Richard of York, whom was said to have be Isabella's least favorite child for his lack of jugement. Isabella's most favorite was probably her son Henry of York. She gave birth to a daughter, Isabella of York, who died 3 days after birth, Isabella was heart broken and contracted serious mental illnesses after the death of her daughter, at age 25, she gave birth a last time of Edmund of York, who became an Arch-Bishop of an unknown English Bishop-rick.

## Dowager Countess

When Isabella was 36, her husband visited Oxford for a month to visit his sister the Countess of Oxford, Isabella cared for her children and married her daughter Constance, to the Earl of Morton, while Henry, 1st Earl of York was in Oxford, he caught tuberculosis and his sister caught in 3 hours later, Isabella was not informed of her husband's sickness for a while, her husband died in 1190 of Tuberculosis, and his sister died a week later. The Oxford local lord to York rushed to York to inform the now Dowager Countess, about Henry's death. Isabella was heart-broken and cried for 2 weeks straight, her son was named Earl of York and wen't on Crusade, before Isabella could see him. Isabella lived through the murder of Isabella of Auvergne, and many downfalls of local lords and knights. Isabella enjoyed powerful positions at the royal court of England, and the Yorkish court of her son. Her sister Margaret came to live in York, after her husband the Earl of Kent died in crusade. Isabella never liked her sister Margaret for there long time rivalry, but they got along in York, and maintained a friend-ship, Margaret died in late 1191, of fever. Isabella saw the birth to her grand-son and grand-daughters.

## Death

4 days after the death of her sister, she moved to reading abbey in London, where her daughter Margaret of York was an abbess, Isabella became a nun, and enjoyed the life-style with her daughter, 1 year later she caught malaria from flies, the same illness that would kill her younger brother, Alexander II of Scotland, her daughter was devastated and when Isabella was on her death-bed, Isabella gifted her eldest daughter her necklace which was decorated with jewels. Isabella died 1 week later, her burial spot was debated, the nuns (Including her daughter) wanted Isabella to be buried in reading abbey, but the nobles saw Isabella far to important to be buried in a not well known abbey, so her body was taken away from Margaret of York, and placed in Westminister Palace, next to her husband's tomb in the Palace.