A letter from Isabel of Angoulême (1220)

Translated letter:

To her dearest son Henry, by the grace of God king of England, lord of Ireland, duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, count of Anjou, Y[sabel] by that same grace queen of England, lady of Ireland, duchess of Normandy, Aquitaine, countess of Anjou and of Angoulême, greetings and maternal blessings. We make known to you that when the counts of La Marche and Angoulême died, lord Hugh of Lusignan remained alone and without heir in the region of Poitou, and his friends did not permit our daughter to be married to him, because she is so young; but they counseled him to take a wife from whom he might quickly have heirs, and it was suggested that he take a wife in France. If he had done so, all your land in Poitou and Gascony and ours would have been lost. But we, seeing the great danger that might emerge from such a marriage — and your counsellors would give us no counsel in this — took said H[ugh], count of La Marche, as our lord; and God knows that we did this more for your advantage than for ours. Whence we ask you as a dear son that this please you, since it is of great utility to you and yours, and we diligently pray you to give him back his right, that is, Niort, Exeter and Rockingham, and 3500 marks which your father, once our husband, endowed us with: and so, if it please you, act towards him who is so powerful that he can not act towards you but to serve you well. For he has good will to serve you faithfully with all his power, and we are certain and take in hand that he will serve you well if you restore his rights to him: and therefore we advise that you take appropriate counsel on the aforesaid. And when it please you, send for our daughter, your sister, since we do not hold her; and by sure messenger and letters patent, fetch her from us.

Original letter:

Carissimo filio suo Henrico, Dei gratia regi Angliae, domino Hiberniae, duci Normanniae, Aquitaniae, comiti Andegaviae, Y[sabella] eadem gratia regina Angliae, dominae Hiberniae, ducissa Normanniae, Aquitaniae, comitissa Andegaviae et Engolismae, salutem et maternam benedictionem. Significamus autem vobis quod cum comites Marchiae et Angolismae in fata decesserunt, dominus Hugo de Leziniaco quasi solus et sine herede in partibus Pictaviae remansit, et non permiserunt amici ejus quod filia nostra lege maritali ei copularetur, quae tam tenerae aetatis est; sed consilium ei dederunt quod talem duceret in uxorem de qua cito heres exiret, et prolocutum fuit quod uxorem caperet in Francia. Quod si hoc fuisset, tota terra vestra in Pictavia et Gasconia et nostra amitteretur. Nos autem videntes magnum periculum quod potuit emergere si istud maritagium foret, (et consiliarii vestri nullum consilium in nobis apponere voluerunt) dictum H[ugonem], comitem Marchiae, duximus in dominum; et sciat Deus quod nos magis hoc fecimus pro utilitate vestra quam pro nostra. Unde vos rogamus, ut carum filium, quod hoc vobis placeat, cum hoc cedat maxime utilitati vestrae et vestrorum, et precamur vos diligenter quod ei reddatis jus suum, scilicet Niortum, Castrum Exonense et de Rokingham, et tria millia et quingentas marcas quas pater vester, maritus quondam noster, nobis legavit: et ita, si placet, vos habeatis erga eum qui tam potens est, quod in vobis non remaneat quin vobis bene serviat. Nam bonum animum habet vobis fideliter servire pro toto posse suo, et certae sumus et in manu capimus quod bene vobis serviet, si vos ei jura sua reddideritis: et ideo consulimus quod super praedictis consilium opportunum habeatis. Et quando vobis placuerit, pro filia nostra, sorore vestra, mittatis, quoniam eam penes non habemus; et per certum nuncium et literas patentes et eam nobis mittetis.

Historical context:

Isabel justifies her marriage to Hugh of Lusignan, explaining why he could not marry her daughter, Henry's sister, and might have taken a French wife, posing a risk to the interests of her son Henry. Isabel is herself a French wife, who would not consistently support Henry's interests. She asks Henry to make good her dower claims, with a suggestion that if he does it will ensure her new husband's support, an implicit threat of his enmity, if not.

Printed source:

Chronicles and Memorials of Great Britain and Ireland during the Middle Ages: Royal and Other Historical Letters Illustrative of the Reign of Henry III, 1.114-15, ep.96; Champollion-Figeac, Lettres de Rois, Reines et Autres Personnages, 1.27, ep.21.  Anne Crawford has also translated this letter,  see Letters of the Queens of England 1100-1547 (Bath: Alan Sutton, 1994)p.53

Date:

1220