Isabella Stewart (autumn of 1426 – 13 October 1494/5 March 1499), was a Scottish princess who became

Duchess of Brittany This is a list of rulers of the Duchy of Brittany. In different epochs the sovereigns of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary r ...

by marriage to Francis I of Brittany. Also known as Isabel, she was the second daughter of

James I of Scotland James I (late July 139421 February 1437) was King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III and Annabella Drummond. His older brother David, Duke of ...

and Joan Beaufort.

Life

It was said she was more beautiful than her elder sister Margaret, who married the Dauphin of France, and that John V, Duke of Brittany proposed to marry her; thus he sent ambassadors to Scotland to take a description of her. They reported "she was handsome, upright and graceful but she seemed simple too". The Duke's reply was "My friends, return to Scotland and bring her here, she is all I desire, and I will have no other; your clever women do more harm than good". The marriage contract was signed on 19 July 1441 and ratified on 29 September of that year, but the marriage did not take place as Duke John V died on 29 August 1442. Isabella of Scotland Arms

Once in Brittany, Isabella married instead with the eldest son of her groom, now

Francis I, Duke of Brittany Francis I (in Breton Fransez I, in French François I) (11 May 1414 – 17 July 1450), was Duke of Brittany, Count of Montfort and titular Earl of Richmond, from 29 August 1442 to his death. He was born in Vannes, the son of John V, Duke of ...

at the Château d'Auray on 30 October 1442, after which the whole court went to Rennes for eight days of festivities. On the marriage, her husband gave her an illuminated Book of Hours known as the

Hours of Isabella Stuart The Hours of Isabella Stuart, Duchess of Brittany (MS 62) is an illuminated Book of Hours produced at Angers either between 1417 and 1418 or before 1431 (there are two competing theories as to its commission), in the workshop of the Rohan Master ...

. Upon her husband's death in 1450, there were talks of Isabella's marrying

Charles, Prince of Viana Charles, Prince of Viana ( eu, Karlos IV.a) (29 May 1421 – 23 September 1461), sometimes called Charles IV of Navarre, was the son of King John II of Aragon and Queen Blanche I of Navarre. Background His mother was the daughter and heiress of C ...

, heir to the disputed Kingdom of Navarre, but this proposal fell through due to the disapproval of Charles VII of France. Her brother James II of Scotland made vigorous efforts to persuade her to return to Scotland, where he hoped to arrange a second marriage for her. Isabella however refused, saying that she was happy and popular in Brittany and was in any case too frail to travel, and complaining that her brother had never paid her dowry.MacDougall, Norman '' James III'' Revised Edition John Donald Edinburgh 2009 Isabella died ca. 1494/99, which suggests that her claims of ill health 40 years earlier were much exaggerated.

Issue

Margaret of Brittany Margaret of Brittany (in Breton Marc'harid Breizh, in French Marguerite de Bretagne) (c. 1443 – 25 September 1469) was a duchess consort of Brittany. She was the elder of the two daughters of Francis I, Duke of Brittany (died 1450), by his se ...

(1443–1469, Nantes), married

Francis II, Duke of Brittany Francis II ( Breton: ''Frañsez II'', French: ''François II'') (23 June 1433 – 9 September 1488) was Duke of Brittany from 1458 to his death. He was the grandson of John IV, Duke of Brittany. A recurring theme in Francis' life would be ...

. * Marie of Brittany (1444–1506), married

John II, viscount of Rohan and count of Porhoët John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

References

Sources

*Alison Weir, ''Britain's Royal Families'' *Annie Forbes Bush ''Memoirs of the Queens of France'' , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Isabella Of Scotland 1426 births 1494 deaths House of Stuart House of Dreux 15th-century French women writers Scottish princesses Duchesses of Brittany 15th-century Breton women 15th-century Scottish women Daughters of kings