Isabella of Navarre, Countess of Armagnac

Isabella of Navarre
Countess of Armagnac
Born	1395 Kingdom of Navarre
Died	31 August 1450
Spouse	John IV of Armagnac
Issue	Marie, Duchess of Alençon John V of Armagnac Eleanor, Princess d'Orange, Lady of Arlay and Arguel Charles, Viscount of Fézensaguet Isabella, Lady of the Four-Valleys
House	House of Évreux
Father	Charles III of Navarre
Mother	Eleanor of Castile

Isabella of Navarre (1395 – 31 August 1450) was the younger surviving daughter of Charles III of Navarre and his wife Eleanor of Castile. She was a member of the House of Évreux.

Early Life and Family

Shortly before Isabella's birth, her mother was dealing with problems in Castile, involving her brother John I of Aragon. Eleanor was forced to return to Navarre for her daughter's birth.

Isabella was the sixth of eight children. Her two younger brothers died in childhood, leaving Isabella and her five older sisters. Her sisters included: Joanna (died before inheriting the throne), Blanche (successor of their father) and Beatrix, (married James II, Count of La Marche)

Isabella's maternal grandparents were Henry II of Castile and Juana Manuel of Castile. Her paternal grandparents were Charles II of Navarre and Joan of France, herself daughter of John II of France and Bonne of Bohemia.

Marriage

Isabella was firstly betrothed to Infante John of Aragon around 1414.^[1] Her mother, Queen Eleanor bequeathed her money for the marriage.^[2] John later became King of Aragon but broke off his contract with Isabella, in hopes of marrying Joanna II of Naples.^[1]

Isabella eventually married on 10 May 1419 John IV of Armagnac.^[3] This marriage was John's second marriage, after the death of his first wife Blanche of Brittany, who had left no sons.

Isabella and John had five children:

• Marie of Armagnac (b. 1420–1473), married in 1437 John II of Alençon (b. 1409–1476), Duke of Alençon; maternal great-grandparents of King Henry IV of France.
• John V of Armagnac (b. 1420–1473), Viscount of Lomagne, then Count d' Armagnac, of Fézensac and Rodez. He married illegally to younger sister Isabella, had issue and married secondly to Joan of Foix, also with issue.
• Eleanor (b. 1423–1456), married in 1446 Louis de Chalon (b. 1389; † 1463), Prince d'Orange, Lord of Arlay and Arguel, had issue
• Charles I (b. 1425–1497), Viscount of Fézensaguet, then Count d' Armagnac, of Fézensac and Rodez
• Isabella (b. 1430–1476), Lady of the Four-Valleys, married illegally to brother John and had issue.

Isabella and her husband both died in 1450; she died in August and he died three months later in November, she was around fifty-four at the time of death.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Isabella of Navarre, Countess of Armagnac

16. Louis, Count of Évreux               8. Philip III of Navarre                       17. Margaret of Artois               4. Charles II of Navarre                             18. Louis X of France               9. Joan II of Navarre                       19. Margaret of Burgundy               2. Charles III of Navarre                                   20. Philip VI of France               10. John II of France                       21. Joan the Lame               5. Joanna of Valois                             22. John of Bohemia               11. Bonne of Bohemia                       23. Elisabeth of Bohemia               1. Isabella of Navarre                                         24. Ferdinand IV of Castile               12. Alfonso XI of Castile                       25. Constance of Portugal               6. Henry II of Castile                             26. Pedro Núñez de Guzmán               13. Eleanor of Guzman                       27. Beatriz Ponce de León               3. Eleanor of Castile                                   28. Manuel of Castile               14. Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena                       29. Beatrice of Savoy               7. Juana Manuel of Castile                             30. Fernando de la Cerda               15. Blanca de La Cerda y Lara                       31. Juana Núñez de Lara

References

1. Elena Woodacre, The Queens Regnant of Navarre: Succession, Politics, and Partnership, 1274-1512, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), 91.
2. Yanguas, Tomo II, p. 191, quoting "caj. 104, n. 8".
3. Régine Pernoud and Marie-Véronique Clin, Joan of Arc: Her Story, transl. Jeremy duQuesnay Adams, (St. Martin's Press, 1999), 174.