Philippa of Lancaster

On this day ~ 19th July 1415

Death of Philippa of Lancaster

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Philippa of Lancaster was the eldest daughter of John of Gaunt, and his first wife Blanche of Lancaster.

Philippa was born in Leicester on 31st March 1360.

Philippa’s father was one of the richest men in the country ~and one of the most powerful.

Her life as a child would have been one of luxury and privilege, with a glorious dynastic marriage awaiting her in the future.

Philippa was raised alongside her younger sister, Elizabeth, and her baby brother, Henry of Bolingbroke.

They were raised with Blanche Swynford, the daughter of their mother’s lady-in-waiting, Katherine Swynford.

John of Gaunt provided well for his daughters, with an annual allowance of £200.

The children lost their mother when Blanche died at Tutbury on 12th September 1368, from the complications following the birth a daughter, Isabella, who did not survive.

The Lancaster household was well-organised and run by Katherine Swynford, now the girls’ governess.

Katherine became mistress to their father John of Gaunt, in early 1371.

Despite his relationship with Katherine, in September 1371 the Lancaster children gained a stepmother in their father’s new bride, Constance of Castile.

In 1385, despite several dynastic marriage propositions, 25 year old Philippa was still unmarried.

However, in the following year her father took all three of his daughters on his military expedition to Spain, hoping to claim the kingdom of Castile in right of his second wife, Constance.

As part of an alliance made with her father, Philippa was betrothed to John I of Portugal.

Philippa was married to King John at Oporto on 2nd February 1387, before they had even received the required papal dispensation.

Philippa was 26, John of Portugal was three years her senior and had been king for just short of two years.

Almost immediately after the wedding, John returned to war.

In July 1387 Philippa miscarried their first child, while visiting John at Curval, where he lay seriously ill.

Philippa became known as ‘Dona Fillipa’ in Portugal, and would be one of the country’s best-loved queens.

Her natural disposition to austerity and piety was endearing to the Portuguese people.

Philippa reformed the court, and encouraged courtly games among her ladies.

Philippa and John were to have a large family, which they brought up with great care.

Of their 9 children, five sons and a daughter survived infancy, and would later be known in Portugal as ‘the Illustrious Generation’

Their eldest surviving son, Edward, was born in 1391, and would succeed his father as King of Portugal in 1433.

By 1415 Philippa’s oldest sons persuaded their father to mount an attack on the port of Ceuta in North Africa.

It was as they were about to set sail, that Philippa fell ill with the plague.

Philippa died of the plague, at Odivelas near Lisbon, on 18/19th July 1415, aged 55.

On her deathbed she gave each of her three eldest sons a jewel encrusted sword, in anticipation of their impending knighthoods.

Described as pious, charitable, affable and obedient to her husband, Queen Philippa was held up as a model queen.

She was buried in the Dominican Priory at Batalha Abbey, which had been founded by King John, who would be laid beside her after his death in August 1433.

Their sons, Ferdinand, John, Henry and Peter, were laid to rest along the south side of the same chapel.

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Queen Philippa in the 'Genealogia dos Reis de Portugal', by António de Holanda ~ Created between 1530 and 1534