Lady Isabel Neville (5 September 1451 – 22 December 1476) was the elder daughter and co-heiress of
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...
(the ''Kingmaker'' of the
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...
), and
Anne de Beauchamp, suo jure 16th Countess of Warwick. She was the wife of
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence (21 October 144918 February 1478), was the 6th son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of English kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the ...
. She was also the elder sister of
Anne Neville
Anne Neville (11 June 1456 – 16 March 1485) was Queen of England as the wife of King Richard III. She was the younger of the two daughters and co-heiresses of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (the "Kingmaker"). Before her marriage to Ric ...
, who was
Princess of Wales by her first marriage and
Queen consort of England
The English royal consorts listed here were the spouses of the reigning monarchs of the Kingdom of England, excluding the joint rulers, Mary I and Philip who reigned together in the 16th century, and William III and Mary II who reigned toget ...
by her second.
Life
Isabel Neville was born at
Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a meander of the River Avon. The original wooden motte-an ...
, the seat of the
Earls of Warwick
Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick.
Overview
The first creation ...
, on 5 September 1451. On 11 July 1469, Isabel secretly married
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence (21 October 144918 February 1478), was the 6th son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of English kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the ...
, the younger brother of
Edward IV in
Calais. The marriage was arranged against the King's wishes by her father, and the ceremony was conducted by Isabel's uncle
George Neville, archbishop of York. Following their marriage,
Clarence Clarence may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division
* Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow
* Clarence River (New South Wales)
* Clarence Strait (Northern Territory)
* City of Clarence, a l ...
joined forces with
Warwick
Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...
and allied with the
Lancastrians led by
Margaret of Anjou, queen consort to
Henry VI. After Isabel Neville's sister
Anne
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
was married to
Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales
Edward of Westminster (13 October 1453 – 4 May 1471), also known as Edward of Lancaster, was the only son of King Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou. He was killed aged seventeen at the Battle of Tewkesbury.
Early life
Edward was born ...
, the son and heir of
Henry VI,
Clarence Clarence may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division
* Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow
* Clarence River (New South Wales)
* Clarence Strait (Northern Territory)
* City of Clarence, a l ...
rejoined his brother, realizing that it was now unlikely that he would become king. Letters, from King Edward, were taken to Clarence by an unnamed lady who came to visit Isabel before Warwick and Clarence invaded England for the Lancastrians in September 1470. Inside these letters were promises of reconciliation from the king if Clarence abandoned the cause of Warwick and the Lancastrians. Clarence replied that he would join King Edward as soon as was conveniently possible.
Marriage and children
![Plantagenet family](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Plantagenet_family.jpg)
Isabel Neville married
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence (21 October 144918 February 1478), was the 6th son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of English kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the ...
, in Calais, France, on 11 July 1469. Four children resulted:
*No name (c. 17 April 1470), born outside
Calais. Died at sea.
**Identified by some sources as a girl named Anne, and by others as an unnamed boy.
*
Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury
Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury (14 August 1473 – 27 May 1541), also called Margaret Pole, as a result of her marriage to Sir Richard Pole, was the only surviving daughter of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, a brother ...
(14 August 1473 – 27 May 1541). Married
Sir Richard Pole
Sir Richard Pole, KG (1462 – October 1504) was a supporter and first cousin of King Henry VII of England. He was created a Knight of the Garter and was married to Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury, a member of the Plantagenet dyn ...
; executed by
Henry VIII.
*
Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick
Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick (25 February 1475 – 28 November 1499) was the son of Isabel Neville and George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, and a potential claimant to the English throne during the reigns of both his uncle, ...
(25 February 1475 – 28 November 1499). Executed by
Henry VII for attempting to escape from the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
.
* Richard of Clarence (6 October 1476 – 1 January 1477), born at
Tewkesbury Abbey
The Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tewkesbury–commonly known as Tewkesbury Abbey–is located in the English county of Gloucestershire. A former Benedictine monastery, it is now a parish church. Considered one of the finest examples of No ...
, Gloucestershire, died at
Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a meander of the River Avon. The original wooden motte-an ...
, Warwickshire, buried Warwick.
Death
![Cardiff castle - Eingangshalle 1c Erkerfenster](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Cardiff_castle_-_Eingangshalle_1c_Erkerfenster.jpg)
Isabel Neville died on 22 December 1476, two and a half months after the birth of Richard. It is now thought the cause was either consumption or childbed fever, yet at the time her husband accused one of her ladies-in-waiting of having murdered her, and committed in his turn a notorious judicial murder of the lady, called Ankarette Twynyho. Ankarette's grandson Roger Twynyho received from Edward IV a full retrospective pardon for Ankarette, and the petition he submitted to the king in 1478 describes fully the circumstances of the case, well illustrating the quasi-kingly high-handedness of Clarence, which was ultimately not tolerated by the king:
"That whereas the said Ankarette on Saturday, 12 April, 17 Edward IV .e.1477 was in her manor at Cayford .e. Keyford, Somersetand Richard Hyde late of Warwick, gentleman, and Roger Strugge late of Bekehampton, co. Somerset, towker, with divers riotous persons to the number of fourscore by the command of George, duke of Clarence, came to Cayforde about two of the clock after noon and entered her house and carried her off the same day to Bath and from thence on the Sunday following to Circeter .e. Cirencester co. Gloucester, and from thence to Warwick, whither they brought her on the Monday following about eight of the clock in the afternoon, which town of Warwick is distant from Cayforde seventy miles, and then and there took from her all her jewels, money and goods and also in the said duke's behalf, as though he had used king's power, commanded Thomas Delalynde, esquire, and Edith his wife, daughter of the said Ankarette, and their servants to avoid from the town of Warwick and lodge them at Strattforde upon Aven that night, six miles from thence, and the said duke kept Ankarette in prison unto the hour of nine before noon on the morrow, to wit, the Tuesday after the closing of Pasche .e. Easter and then caused her to be brought to the Guildhall at Warwick before divers of the justices of the peace in the county then sitting in sessions and caused her to be indicted by the name of Ankarette Twynneowe, late of Warwick, widow, late servant of the duke and Isabel his wife, of having at Warwick on 10 October, 16 Edward IV., given to the said Isabel a venomous drink of ale mixed with poison, of which the latter sickened until the Sunday before Christmas, on which day she died, and the justices arraigned the said Ankarette and a jury appeared and found her guilty and it was considered that she should be led from the bar there to the gaol of Warwick and from thence should be drawn through the town to the gallows of Myton and hanged till she were dead, and the sheriff was commanded to do execution and so he did, which indictment, trial and judgment were done and given within three hours of the said Tuesday, and the jurors for fear gave the verdict contrary to their conscience, in proof whereof divers of them came to the said Ankarette in remorse and asked her forgiveness, in consideration of the imaginations of the said duke and his great might, the unlawful taking of the said Ankarette through three several shires, the inordinate hasty process and judgement, her lamentable death and her good disposition, the king should ordain that the record, process, verdict and judgement should be void and of no effect, but that as the premises were done by the command of the said duke the said justices and sheriff and the under-sheriff and their ministers should not be vexed. The answer of the king was: ''Soit fait comme il est désiré'' ("Let it be done as the petitioner requests")".[See also: Jackson, Canon J. E. ''The Execution of Ankarette Twynyho'', 1890, Catalogue of the Printed books, pamphlets etc. in the Library of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society's Museum at Devizes]
Arms
Modern Portrayals
Isabel has been featured in two books by author
Philippa Gregory:
*
The Kingmaker's Daughter;
*
The King's Curse
''The King's Curse'' is a 2014 historical novel by Philippa Gregory, part of her series ''The Cousins' War''. A direct sequel to '' The White Princess'', it follows the adult life of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, the daughter of George Pl ...
Isabel is also a character in
Sharon Penman
Sharon Kay Penman (August 13, 1945 – January 22, 2021) was an American historical novelist, published in the UK as Sharon Penman. She was best known for the Welsh Princes trilogy and the Plantagenet series. In addition, she wrote four medieval ...
’s novel,
The Sunne in Splendour.
She is also portrayed by
Eleanor Tomlinson
Eleanor May Tomlinson (born 19 May 1992) is an English actress and singer. She has appeared in films including '' Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging'' (2008), ''Jack the Giant Slayer'' (2013), ''Colette'' (2018) and ''Love Wedding Repeat'' (20 ...
in the television mini-series ''
The White Queen'' (2013) by Starz Media.
Ancestry
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarence, Isabel
1451 births
1476 deaths
Isabel, Duchess of Clarence
Clarence, Isabel Neville, Duchess of
Daughters of British earls
People from Warwick
Isabel
Isabel is a female name of Spanish origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of '' Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew ''Elisheva''), Arising in the 12th century, it became popul ...
15th-century English nobility
15th-century English women
Deaths in childbirth
Lords of Glamorgan