Philippa of Hainault

Philippa of Hainault was queen consort of England as the wife of Edward III from 1328 until her death in 1369. She accompanied the king on campaigns, maintained a substantial household and was the mother of a large royal family whose descendants became central to later Plantagenet politics.

Philippa was remembered for patronage, charity and diplomacy, and chroniclers famously described her interceding for the citizens of Calais after the town surrendered in 1347. Her children included Edward the Black Prince, Lionel of Antwerp and John of Gaunt.

In Anne O’Brien’s The King’s Concubine, Alice Perrers rises from obscure origins to enter the household of Queen Philippa of Hainault. In Anne O’Brien’s The Uncrowned Queen, in 1330, Philippa of Hainault is married to the young Edward III but remains politically and financially restricted while Isabella of France and Roger Mortimer dominate the government. Philippa recognises that her husband cannot rule independently until he breaks their control. In Jean Plaidy’s Vow on the Heron, Young Edward has already met and fallen in love with Philippa of Hainault and, to prevent him enquiring into the details of his father's death, Isabella allows the marriage to take place.

Periods

Periods linked to Philippa of Hainault

Reign of Edward III1327–1377 CE

Series

Historical novels and book series featuring Philippa of Hainault (1 series)

Plantagenet Saga in Order

by Jean Plaidy 14 books 4.1(16,124)

The Plantagenet Saga spans the dynasty from Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine to Richard III. Across fourteen novels, family rebellion, disputed succession, royal marriage and war connect the Angevin Empire, the conquest of Wales, conflict with Scotland, the Hundred Years’ War and the Wars of the Roses.