| Philippa of Lancaster | |
|---|---|
.png) Queen Philippa inGenealogia dos Reis de Portugal (António de Holanda; 1530–1534) | |
| Queen consort of Portugal | |
| Tenure | 14 February 1387 – 19 July 1415 |
| Born | 31 March 1360 Leicester Castle,Leicester, England |
| Died | 19 July 1415(1415-07-19) (aged 55) Sacavém, Portugal |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | John I of Portugal |
| Issue among others... | |
| House | Lancaster |
| Father | John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster |
| Mother | Blanche of Lancaster |
| Signature |  |
Philippa of Lancaster (Portuguese:Filipa[fiˈlipɐ]; 31 March 1360 – 19 July 1415) wasQueen of Portugal from 1387 until 1415 as the wife ofKing John I. Born into theroyal family ofEngland, her marriage secured theTreaty of Windsor and produced several children who became known as the "Illustrious Generation" in Portugal. She was the only Queen of Portugal of English origin.[1]
Born on 31 March 1360, Philippa was the eldest child ofJohn of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, andBlanche of Lancaster.[2] Philippa spent her infancy moving around the various properties owned by her family with her mother and her wet-nurse, Maud.[3] Here, she was raised and educated alongside her two younger siblings,Elizabeth, who was three years younger, andHenry, seven years younger, who would later become King Henry IV. Philippa's mother, Blanche, died in 1368. Her father remarried in 1371 toInfanta Constance of Castile, daughter of KingPeter of Castile and on Constance's death in 1394, he married his former mistress,Katherine Swynford, who had been Philippa's governess. The affair and eventual marriage was considered scandalous, and in the future Philippa would protect herself against such embarrassment.[4]
Katherine seems to have been well liked by Philippa and her Lancastrian siblings and played an important role in Philippa's education. Katherine had close ties withGeoffrey Chaucer, since her sister,Philippa Roet, was Chaucer's wife. John of Gaunt became Chaucer's patron, and Chaucer spent much time with the family as one of Philippa's many mentors and teachers. She was remarkably well educated for a woman at the time and studied science under Friar John, poetry underJean Froissart, and philosophy and theology underJohn Wycliffe.[3] She was well read in the works of Greek and Roman scholars such asPliny andHerodotus and was diligent in her study of religion.[3]
Philippa becameQueen consort ofPortugal through her marriage to KingJohn I. This marriage was the final step in theAnglo-Portuguese Alliance against the Franco-Castillian axis. The couple were blessed by the church in theCathedral of Porto on 2 February 1387 and their marriage was on 14 February 1387. The Portuguese court celebrated the union for fifteen days.[5] Philippa married King John I byproxy, and in keeping with a unique Portuguese tradition, the stand-in bridegroom pretended to bed the bride. The stand-in for King John I was João Rodrigues de Sá.[6]
The marriage itself, as was usually the case for the nobility in the Middle Ages, was a matter of state and political alliance, and the couple did not meet until twelve days after they were legally married. Philippa was considered to be rather plain, and King João I (John I) already had a mistress, Inês Peres Esteves, by whom he had three children.[7][8] Their sonAfonso was ten when Philippa and John married. Philippa allowed Afonso and his sisterBeatrice to be raised in the Portuguese court (the third child, Branca, died in infancy). Their mother left the court at Philippa's command to live in a convent, and under Philippa's patronage, she became thePrioress.[8]
In marrying Philippa, John I established a political and personal alliance with John of Gaunt, initially because it was rumoured that John of Gaunt wouldclaim the Kingdom ofCastile throughCatherine of Lancaster, his daughter by his second wife Constance of Castile. As the "de facto King of Castile," it was feared that John of Gaunt could challenge King John's claim to the newly installed dynasty.[5] Instead, at Windsor in 1386, John I of Portugal signed the remarkably long-lastingPortuguese–English Alliance, which continued through theNapoleonic Wars and ensured Portugal's tenuousneutrality in World War II.[9][page needed][10]
Philippa, at the age of 27, was thought to be too old to become a bride for the first time, and the court questioned her ability to bear the King's children; however, Philippa bore nine children, six of whom survived into adulthood.[citation needed]
Though Philippa was seen to present a demeanour of queenly piety,[11] commenting that "it would be regarded as an indecent thing for a wife to interfere in her husband's affairs",[11] she wielded significant influence in both the Portuguese and English courts and was "actively involved in world affairs".[11] Surviving letters show that Philippa often wrote to the English court from Portugal and stayed involved in English politics. In one instance, Philippa intervened in court politics on "behalf of followers of the dethronedRichard II when they appealed for her help after her brother,Henry IV, had usurped the English throne".[11] On another occasion, she persuaded the reluctantEarl of Arundel to marry her husband's illegitimate daughter Beatrice,[11] further cementing the alliance between Portugal and England.
Philippa's main political contribution, however, was in her own court. Upon the end of the Portuguese involvement in several wars with Castile and theMoors, the Portuguese economy was failing, and many soldiers now unemployed. Philippa knew that the conquest and control ofCeuta would be quite lucrative for Portugal with the control of the African and Indianspice trade. Though Philippa died before her plan was realised, Portugal did send an expedition to conquer the city, a goal that was realised on 14 August 1415 in theConquest of Ceuta.[3]
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At the age of 55, Philippa fell ill with theplague. She moved fromLisbon toSacavém and called her sons to her bedside so that she could give them her blessing.[citation needed] Philippa presented her three eldest sons with jewel-encrusted swords, which they would use in their impending knighthoods, and gave each a portion of theTrue Cross, "enjoining them to preserve their faith and to fulfil the duties of their rank".[12]
Though he had been reluctant to marry her, the king had grown quite fond of his wife, and it is said that he was "so grieved by [her] mortal illness… that he could neither eat nor sleep".[12] In her final hours, Philippa was said to be lucid and without pain. According to legend she was roused by a wind which blew strongly against the house and asked what wind it was, upon hearing it was the north wind, she claimed it quite beneficial for her son's and husband's voyage to Africa, which she had coordinated.[13] At her death she prayed with several priests and, "without any toil or suffering, gave her soul into the hands of Him who created her, a smile appearing on her mouth as though she disdained the life of this world".[12]
Philippa was apparently a generous and loving queen, the mother of the "Illustrious Generation" (inPortuguese,Ínclita Geração) ofinfantes (princes) andinfantas (princesses).
She had eight children:[14][15]
Philippa and King John's union was praised for establishing purity and virtue in a court that was regarded as particularly corrupt.[17] Philippa is remembered as the mother of "The Illustrious Generation" (Portuguese:Ínclita Geração). Her surviving children went on to make historically significant contributions in their own right. Edward became the eleventh King of Portugal, and was known as, "The Philosopher," or the "Eloquent".Henry the Navigator sponsored expeditions to Africa.
Philippa's influence was documented in literary works. The medieval French poetEustache Deschamps dedicated one of his ballads to "Phelippe en Lancastre," as a partisan of the Order of the Flower.[18] It has also been speculated that Geoffrey Chaucer may have alluded to Philippa in his poem, "The Legend of Good Women," through the character Alceste.[19]
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Philippa of Lancaster Cadet branch of theHouse of Plantagenet Born: 31 March 1360 Died: 19 July 1415 | ||
| Portuguese royalty | ||
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| Vacant Title last held by Leonor Teles | Queen consort of Portugal 11 February 1387 – 19 July 1415 | Vacant Title next held by Eleanor of Aragon |
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| National | |
| People | |
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