Isabeau of Bavaria - Children

Children

The births each of Isabeau's 12 children are well chronicled. Of the 12 children she bore, three outlived her. She had six sons and six daughters; the first child was born in 1386 and the last one, Philip, only lived a single day, in 1407. Of the six sons she bore, three died young with her last son, Charles VII living to adulthood. Five of the six daughters survived; four were married and one, Marie (1393–1438), was sent at age four to be raised in a convent, where she went on the become the prioress.

According to modern historians, when the children were young, Isabeau stayed with them; traveled with them; bought them gifts; wrote letters; bought devotional texts; and had the daughters educated. She disliked having her sons sent to live in other households and was dismayed when her third surving son, Jean, was sent to live in Hainaut as a condition of his marriage contract. When the daughters left her household to live with their husbands she maintained relationships with them with frequent letters and messages.

In 1386 at age 16 she bore her first son, Charles, who did not survive infancy. A daughter, Joan, born two years later lived to 1390. Her second daughter, Isabella born in 1389, was married at age seven, to Richard II of England; and after he died to Charles, Duke of Orléans. The third daughter, Joan (1391–1433), married John VI, Duke of Brittany and lived to age 42. The fourth daughter, Michelle (1395–1422) was first wife to Philip the Good, dying at age 27. Catherine, Queen of England, (1401–1438) married Henry V of England, and upon his death she married Sir Owen Tudor. Charles VII, (1403–1461) married Marie of Anjou.

Charles, Dauphin of Viennois, Duke of Guyenne (1392–1401), had no issue. Louis, Dauphin of Viennois (1397–1415), married Marguerite of Burgundy, depicted later as the Dauphin in Shakespeare's Henry V, and died at age 19. John, Dauphin of France (1398–1417), Dauphin of Viennois, Duke of Touraine (1398–1417) was first husband to Jacqueline, Countess of Hainault. Charles VII, (1403–1461) married Marie of Anjou, and was depicted as the Dauphin in Shakespeare's Henry VI.