Isabella of Scotland, Countess of Norfolk
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| Isabella of Scotland | |
|---|---|
| Countess of Norfolk | |
| Born | 1195 |
| Died | after October 1263 |
| Spouse | Roger Bigod, 4th Earl of Norfolk (m. 1225) |
| House | House of Dunkeld |
| Father | William I of Scotland |
| Mother | Ermengarde de Beaumont |
Isabella of Scotland (1195–after October 1263), also known as Isobel or Isabel, was a daughter of William the Lion, King of Scotland and his wife Ermengarde de Beaumont.[1] She was a member of the House of Dunkeld and by marriage she was Countess of Norfolk.
Isabella was born before 1195 and was the second of four children born to her father by his marriage to Ermengarde de Beaumont.[2] Her older sister was Margaret, Countess of Kent, her younger brother was King Alexander II of Scotland and her younger sister was Marjorie, Countess of Pembroke. Isabella also had many illegitimate half-siblings from her father.[3]
Isabella's father William the Lion had battled with Henry II of England and his younger son John of England. Due to the Treaty of Norham, 7 August 1209,[3] King William was forced to submit to a peace and send Isabella and Margaret to England as hostages.[2] The sisters were imprisoned at Corfe Castle along with Eleanor, the Fair Maid of Brittany,[1] who had been under house arrest to prevent her claim on England. Isabella was only fourteen when she was sent to England and was a hostage with her sister for around 16 years.[4] In June 1213, John sent green robes, lambskin-trimmed cloaks, and summer slippers to the three princesses.[5]
Isabella and Margaret were both intended in marriage to John's sons[4] and the Scots made a payment of 15,000 marks,[6] equivalent in modern values to tens of millions of pounds, to pay for these royal weddings.[7] The marriages of legitimate daughters should have been a powerful diplomatic and dynastic tool for William but they were now in John's control.[6] William died on 4 December 1214 and was succeeded by his son.[3]
The ladies were sometimes allowed to ride out under the strictest guard and were treated in good form as befitted their rank, but Isabella and Margaret's potential marriages continued to be delayed by John throughout the 1210s and early 1220s, demonstrating of his power over Scotland.[4] This was reflected in the Magna Carta, with clause 59 promising to do justice to the Scottish king in respect of "the sisters and hostages of Alexander, king of Scotland, his liberties and his rights".[7] Despite this legal concession, John failed to honour his word and the marriages had still not taken place by 1220. King Alexander demanded that his sisters be married as had been agreed,[4] with the concessions that they were only required to be found 'suitable' husbands and not the royal princes that were originally promised.[8]
