Annabella of Scotland facts for kids

Annabella of Scotland (around 1436 – 1509) was a Scottish princess. She belonged to the House of Stewart, a famous royal family. Through her two marriages, she became the Countess of Geneva and the Countess of Huntly. Both of her marriages were later officially ended, or annulled. This means they were declared invalid, like they never happened.

Life of Annabella

Her Early Life

Annabella was likely named after her grandmother, Annabella Drummond. She was the eighth child and sixth daughter of King James I of Scotland and Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland. Her sisters included Margaret and Isabella. Her brothers included James II of Scotland.

Her First Marriage

On December 14, 1444, a marriage agreement was signed. This was for Annabella and Louis, Count of Geneva. Louis was the son of Louis, Duke of Savoy. The agreement was made at Stirling Castle. Both Annabella and Louis were only about 8 years old at the time. The next year, Annabella traveled to Savoy to continue her education there.

Annabella's journey to Savoy was long and took 86 days. She arrived in September 1445. Even though she was not the future Queen of Scotland, a lot of money was spent on welcoming her.

Why the Marriage Ended

However, the official wedding ceremony never took place. King Charles VII of France did not approve of this marriage. He sent several groups of people to stop it. The marriage agreement was finally broken in 1458. This happened during talks in Gannat, France. The French King and representatives from Savoy and Scotland were all there. The Duke of Savoy had to pay a large sum of money to the Scottish royal family.

Her Second Marriage

After her first marriage was cancelled, Annabella went back to Scotland. She then married Lord George Gordon. He was the son of the 1st Earl of Huntly. They married before March 10, 1460.

When George's father died in 1470, George became the 2nd Earl of Huntly. This made Annabella the Countess of Huntly.

Why This Marriage Also Ended

Soon after, the 2nd Earl of Huntly started a process to end his marriage to Annabella. He said they were too closely related by blood. This is called consanguinity. He claimed Annabella was related to his first wife, Elizabeth Dunbar. The marriage was officially ended on July 24, 1471.

Her Children

Annabella had children with her second husband, the 2nd Earl of Huntly. Two children are definitely known to be hers:

• Lady Isabella Gordon (died 1485). She married William Hay, 3rd Earl of Erroll.
• Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly (died 1523 or 1524).

There were other children of the 2nd Earl of Huntly. It is not clear if Annabella was their mother. They might have been children of his third wife, Lady Elizabeth Hay. These possible children include:

• Adam Gordon. He married Lady Elizabeth de Moravia. Their son was Alexander Gordon, Master of Sutherland.
• William Gordon. He married Janet Ogilvy.
• James Gordon. He was mentioned in a document from 1498.
• Lady Janet Gordon. She married four times.
• Lady Elizabeth Gordon. She was planned to marry William Keith, 3rd Earl Marischal, in 1481.