Arabella

What we are certain of is that Arabella originated in Scotland; what we don’t know is the precise source of that origin. Most etymological sources conclude that Arabella is an alteration of Annabella, from the medieval Amabel derived from the Latin “amabilis” meaning ‘lovable’. Others say it could be a mutation from the Latin word “orabilis” meaning ‘susceptible to prayer’ (from “orare” meaning ‘to pray’). The most notable Scottish bearer of this name was Lady Arabella Stuart (1575-1615) who was a possible successor to the English throne after Queen Elizabeth I of England. Arabella was the cousin of King James VI of Scotland and the great-great-granddaughter of King Henry VII of England. It would turn out that James became the successor king of both Scotland and England, but a plot was hatched (with the aid of Spain and apparently Sir Walter Raleigh) to replace him with Arabella. She, having no aspirations to the throne, promptly reported the plan to James. It seems that she was in-and-out of the king’s good graces from thereon despite her integrity. As 4th in line to the throne, her marriage selections were a subject of much controversy. Arabella and Lord Beauchamp (who happened to be 6th in line to the throne) secretly married but were separated by imprisonment. They attempted to escape and sail to France, but after Beauchamp’s delay, Arabella was forced to sail by herself. King James’s men intercepted her ship and she was placed in the notorious Tower of London where she died of starvation without seeing her beloved husband again. Poor Arabella was another casualty of the paranoid family in-fighting and obsessive political protection of the English monarchy. Can you imagine imprisoning and basically killing your cousin? This was just another typical medieval day among the English royals when the love of power outweighed familial bonds.