Editing Isabella of Angoulême (section)

==Queen consort of England==
Isabella was the only daughter and heir of [[Aymer, Count of Angoulême|Aymer Taillefer]], [[Counts and Dukes of Angoulême|Count of Angoulême]], by [[Alice of Courtenay]],{{sfn|Vincent|1999|p=171}} who was a sister of [[Peter II of Courtenay]], Latin Emperor of Constantinople. Alice and Peter II were grandchildren of King [[Louis VI of France]] through their father [[Peter I of Courtenay]].

Isabella became Countess of [[Angoulême]] in her own right on 16 June 1202, by which time she was already queen of England. Her marriage, at age 12 or 14, to [[John, King of England|King John]] took place on 24 August 1200, in Angoulême, a year after he [[Annulment|annulled]] his first marriage to [[Isabel, Countess of Gloucester]]. She was crowned queen in an elaborate ceremony on 8 October at [[Westminster Abbey]] in London.{{sfn|Church|2015|p=69}} Isabella was originally betrothed to [[Hugh IX of Lusignan|Hugh IX le Brun, Count of Lusignan]],{{sfn|Vincent|1999|pp=171, 177}} grandson and heir of the [[Count of La Marche]]. As a result of John's temerity in taking her as his second wife, King [[Philip II of France]] confiscated all of their French lands and armed conflict ensued.

At the time of her marriage to John, the blonde-haired blue-eyed Isabella was already renowned by some for her beauty{{sfn|Costain|1962|pp=251–252}} and has sometimes been called the [[Helen of Troy|Helen]] of the [[Middle Ages]] by historians.{{sfn|Costain|1962|p=306}} Isabella was much younger than her husband and possessed a volatile temper similar to his own. King John was infatuated with his young, beautiful wife; however, his acquisition of her had at least as much to do with spiting his enemies as romantic love. She was already engaged to Hugh IX le Brun when she was taken by John. It was said that he neglected his state affairs to spend time with Isabella, often remaining in bed with her until noon. However, these were rumors spread by John's enemies to discredit him as a weak and grossly irresponsible ruler, given that at the time John was engaging in a desperate war against King Philip II of France to hold on to the remaining Plantagenet duchies. The common people began to term her a "[[Siren (mythology)|siren]]" or "[[Messalina]]" for her allure.{{sfn|Costain|1962|pp=253–254}} Her mother-in-law, [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]], readily accepted her as John's wife.{{sfn|Costain|1962|p=246}}

On 1 October 1207, at [[Winchester Castle]], Isabella gave birth to a son and heir, the future King [[Henry III of England]], who was named after his grandfather King [[Henry II of England|Henry II]]. He was quickly followed by another son, [[Richard of Cornwall|Richard]], and three daughters: [[Joan of England, Queen of Scotland|Joan]], [[Isabella of England|Isabella]] and [[Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester|Eleanor]]. All five children survived into adulthood and made illustrious marriages; all but Joan produced offspring of their own.