Isabel Enríquez (nun)

Isabel Enríquez (died 1420/1) was a member of the Castilian royal family and a Poor Clare. She was an illegitimate daughter of King Henry II of Castile and an unknown woman.^[1]

She married Gonzalo Núñez de Guzmán in secret.^[1][2] For this, Gonzalo was excommunicated and imprisoned.^[3] It has been suggested that Gonzalo may have kidnapped Isabel, on the grounds that a merely secret marriage would not have incurred either prison or excommunication.^[4] In any case, Gonzalo later entered the Order of Alcántara, rising to become master in 1384.^[4] His excommunication was only lifted by Archbishop Pedro Tenorio on 23 September 1395.^[5]

Isabel and Gonzalo are usually assumed to have had no children,^[1] although Luis González de Guzmán may have been their son.^[6]

By 1387, Isabel had entered the convent of Santa Clara la Real de Toledo.^[1][4][7] In 1393, her sister Inés Enríquez [es] was elected abbess and Isabel acted as de facto co-abbess with her.^[7] Their presence attracted royal largesse. Both Henry III and, after the sisters' deaths, John II, made donations to Santa Clara because of their "aunts, abbesses" (tías abadesas).^[8] A contemporary painting of the sisters can be seen on the wall of the choir.^[9]

She died at Santa Clara in 1420 or 1421.^[1]