Annabella of Scotland

Annabella Stewart (ca. 1436 – 1509) was the youngest daughter of King James I and Joan Beaufort.

Early life

Annabella was presumably named after her father's mother, Annabella Drummond. She was the youngest of the six daughters and two sons of James I and Joan Beaufort. Her sisters were Margaret, Isabella, Eleanor, Mary and Joan, and her brothers were James II of Scotland and his twin brother Alexander, who died in infancy.

First marriage

Her first husband was Louis of Savoy, Count of Geneva whom she married in 1447 on either 1 April or 14 December. However, in the year 1458 they separated, divorced and the marriage was annulled upon the request of Charles VII of France.

Second marriage

Annabella returned to Scotland and married George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly. Notwithstanding this alliance, her ill fate pursued her, and she was legally divorced from her second husband by a sentence pronounced in the year 1471 which proceeded on the ground of consanguinity with his first wife, Elizabeth Dunbar, 8th Countess of Murray, as the two ladies were within the third and fourth degrees of relation.

Issue

Annabella and her second husband, the Earl of Huntly had issue:

• Isabella (d. 1485), wife of William Hay, 3rd Earl of Erroll (d. 1507).
• Alexander, 3rd Earl of Huntly (d. 1523)

She was thought also to have been mother to another four of his children, however this has not been proved nor disproved.

Lord Byron claimed descent from Princess Annabella through his mother, Catherine, daughter of George Gordon, 12th Lord of Gight. Byron wrote: "By her [Annabella] he [the 2nd Earl of Huntly] left four sons: the third, Sir William Gordon, I have the honour to claim as one of my progenitors."

Ancestry

Family of Annabella of Scotland

16. Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland 8. Robert II of Scotland 17. Marjorie Bruce 4. Robert III of Scotland 18. Sir Adam Mure of Rowallan or Rawalla 9. Elizabeth Mure 19. Joan Cunningham or Janet Mure of Ponkelly or Pokellie 2. James I of Scotland 20. Sir Malcolm Drummond, 10th of Lennox 10. Sir John Drummond, 11th of Lennox 21. Margaret de Graham 5. Anabella Drummond 22. Sir William de Montifex 11. Mary Montifex 1. Annabella of Scotland 24. Edward III of England 12. John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster 25. Philippa of Hainault 6. John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset 26. Paen de Roet 13. Katherine Roet 3. Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots 28. Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent 14. Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent 29. Joan of Kent 7. Margaret Holland 30. Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel 15. Alice FitzAlan 31. Eleanor of Lancaster

External links

• thepeerage.com