sabella of Angouleme was the daughter of Aymer, the Count of Angouleme and Alice of Courtenay. At an early age Isabella was betrothed to Hugh of Lusignan the son of the ruler of the lands to the north of Aquitaine. At the age of around fifteen she was taken to the court of her future proposed husband. But at a banquet that she attended she was noticed by John, the King of England. Although John was already married her was taken by her beauty the King offered her his hand in marriage. The marriage was also an important political move linking him to Aquitaine. John divorced his first wife and married Isabella in 1200 at Bordeaux. When Count Hugh was informed of the marriage he sent a demand to King John for a duel to the death, but the English King refused and the coronation of the new Queen took place at Westminster Abbey on the 8th of October. Across the channel the Lusignans were causing problems still angry over John's marriage to Isabella. John ordered that an army should assemble at Portsmouth and both he and his wife went to Normandy. The next year the Lusignans attacked the castle of Mirabeau where John's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was living. In response and quite out of character,John launched a rescue mission. His army succeeded in defeating the attackers and Prince Arthur of Brittany, who was supporting the Lusignans, was captured.
Back in England Isabella gave birth to a son, the future King Henry III and several other children. When the barons of England rose up against her husband Isabella was at Gloucester and upon John's death she was quick to ensure Henry was crowned King of England at Gloucester Cathedral. Shortly after this she returned to Hugh of Lusignan and became his wife.
