Isabella of Coimbra

Isabella of Coimbra
Queen consort of Portugal
Tenure	6 May 1447 – 2 December 1455
Born	1 March 1432
Died	2 December 1455 (aged 23) Évora
Burial	Batalha Monastery
Spouse	Afonso V of Portugal
Issue	John, Prince of Portugal Joan, Princess of Portugal John II of Portugal
House	Aviz
Father	Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra
Mother	Isabella of Aragon, Countess of Urgel
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Infanta Isabella of Coimbra (Isabella of Portugal) (1 March 1432 – 2 December 1455) was a Portuguese infanta and a queen consort of Portugal as the first spouse of King Afonso V of Portugal.

Life

Isabella was a daughter of the Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra, and Isabella of Aragon, Countess of Urgel. Her paternal grandfather was King John I of Portugal and her maternal grandfather was James II, Count of Urgel.

Isabella's father was the regent for her cousin Afonso V during his minority. Reportedly, Isabella and Afonso fell in love with each other. They were engaged in 1445, which caused a conflict between Peter of Coimbra and Duke Afonso of Braganza, who had wished for the monarch to marry his grandchild. Isabella was given the income of Santarém, Alvaiázere, Sintra and Torres Vedras at her wedding.

Marriage and Issue

Isabella and Afonso V were married on 6 May 1447. Both the bride and groom were fifteen. They had three children:

• John, Prince of Portugal (29 January 1451 – 22 April 1455)
• Joan, Princess of Portugal (6 February 1452 – 12 May 1490): Known as Saint Joan of Portugal or Saint Joan Princess. Beatified in 1693 by Pope Innocent XII.
• John II of Portugal (3 March 1455 – 25 October 1495): Succeeded his father as 13th King of Portugal.

Late life

In 1448, the king took Afonso of Braganza as his advisor. Isabella's father died (suspected to have been killed), and her brother John was exiled. Isabella herself did not fall out of favour with the king, however, and she took control of the duchy of Coimbra until her brother returned to Portugal in 1454. In 1455, Isabella had her father honoured with a grand ceremony of exoneration at court and had him re-buried in a grand way. Shortly after this, she died at age twenty-three, possibly from poisoning.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Isabella of Coimbra

16. Afonso IV of Portugal               8. Peter I of Portugal                       17. Beatrice of Castile               4. John I of Portugal                             18. Lourenço Martins               9. Teresa Lourenço                       19. Sancha Martins               2. Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra                                   20. Edward III of England               10. John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster                       21. Philippa of Hainault               5. Philippa of Lancaster                             22. Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster               11. Blanche of Lancaster                       23. Isabel de Beaumont               1. Isabella of Coimbra                                         24. James I, Count of Urgell               12. Peter II, Count of Urgell                       25. Cecile de Comminges               6. James II, Count of Urgell                             26. John II, Marquess of Montferrat               13. Margaret Palaiologue of Montferrat                       27. Isabella of Majorca               3. Isabella of Urgell                                   28. Alfonso IV of Aragon               14. Peter IV of Aragon                       29. Teresa d'Entença               7. Isabella of Aragon                             30. Berenguer de Fortià               15. Sibila of Fortia                       31. Francesca of Palau

External links

• Genealogical Information on Isabel of Coimbra (in Portuguese)