Between Husband and Father: Queen Isabel of Lancaster’s crossed loyalties

Isabel of Lancaster became engaged to Afonso V of Portugal when they were both seven years old. Her father was Pedro, the uncle of the infant king and regent of the realm after the forcing out of the qneen rnother Leonor of Aragon. The regency allowed Pedro to favoiir his own lineage. However, when Afonso V took over the governinent, other branches of the roya1 family and the high nobility who felt endangered by Pedro's policy started to turn the king against him. We will show how Isabel negotiated her loyalty both to her husband and to her fatber during the conflict that arose between thern, and how she managed to keep her status and power while honouring her father's memory and protecting the other women of her lineage after thc ignominious death of Pedro in a battle against the king.