The Royal Bride Who Was A Child

 

Richard II of England was considered a handsome man, although some found his face a tad too "feminine". Others, like e.g. William Shakespeare, couldn't care less as all they saw was a man with some exalted ideas about the rights of a king which made him turn into a tyrant who had to be disposed of. According to historical documents he really loved his first wife, Anne of Bohemia, although they didn't have an heir which are seen as the cement of any royal lines. Historical reports say that he grieved deeply when Anne died, but two years later he married a French princess, the daughter of King Charles VI, Isabella of Valois. This marriage was more or less based on political reasons and it was never consummated which was due to one fact: She was only 6 years old when she married the 29 year old widower, Richard II.

It has been said that he treated her more like a daughter than a wife which of course makes the marriage less offensive to modern, Western people. Most non-Muslims take offense at the marriage of the Prophet Muhammad and the 6 years old Aisha and the consummating when she was c. 8-10 years old, but as can be seen in the case of e.g. Richard II and Isabella there also were VERY young brides in the world of the Christians.

Queen Isabella was considered very pretty indeed

As the legend has it the marriage was/may never have been consummated which saved the young woman from the fate of the Tudor matriarch, Margaret Beaufort. When she was one year old she was married off to John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk. Later on she herself did not recognize this marriage which was dissolved some time later. Then she was married off to Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, still at a very young age, and C. 12 years old she had a son, Henry (born in 1457), who became the first Tudor king as Henry VII. 

Henry VII

Before the birth of her son she became a widow, but in her later marriage she had no children. It has been suggested that the reason for this is that she suffered some irreparable damages to her uterus by giving birth as such a tender age. However, as the mother of the king she obtained and kept a genuine power position at the court, even dominating the queen of her son, Elizabeth of York,the mother of Henry VII.

As we know the life of women and even royal ladies were dangerous because of childbirth. Both Elizabeth and Margaret survived, but what about the widow of Richard II, Isabella of Valois? Well, she married her 11 years old cousin, Charles, Duke of Orleans, in 1406 when she herself was 16. A couple of years later she died in childbirth ....

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-II-king-of-England/Tyranny-and-fall 

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Lady-Margaret-Beaufort/ 

Wikipedia