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| Depiction by Jean Froissart (c. 1400) |
- King Edward III of England (m. 1328 - 1369)
- With King Edward III of England
- Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales 'The Black Prince' (1330 - 1376)
- Princess Isabella, Countess of Bedford (1332 - 1382)
- Princess Joan (c. 1333 - 1348)
- Prince William of Hatfield (1337 - 1337)
- Prince Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence (1338 - 1368)
- Prince John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (1340 - 1399)
- Prince Edmund of Langley, Duke of York (1341 - 1402)
- Princess Blanche (1342 - 1342)
- Mary of Waltham, Duchess of Brittany (1344 - 1361)
- Princess Margaret, Countess of Pembroke (1346 - 1361)
- Prince William of Windsor (1348 - 1348)
- Prince Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester (1355 - 1397)
Appearance:
Philippa is described as having tanned skin with dark brown, maybe even black hair. She was also noted as having full lips, deep brown eyes, and a slight under-bite. She was described as average height and being pleasant in appearance.
Character:
She was very well liked, both as a person and as a queen. She was renowned for her gentle nature and was incredibly compassionate to those around her. She respected the people of England and they respected her in return. She was also described as liberal and courteous.
Philippa was also loyal to her husband and family, and cared for them deeply. She was a hard worker, and was able to balance that with her family life.
Due to her upbringing, she was a skilled diplomat and had an interest and talent for finance. She adored English culture and also held a love for nature.
Overall, she was described as a very charming person.
Biography:
Philippa was born some time between 1310 and 1315 in the County of Hainault, and was the fourth of eight children born to William I, Count of Hainault, and his wife, Lady Joan of Valois. She also had a younger illegitimate half-brother.
From an early age, both her and her sisters were considered as possible marriage candidates for Prince Edward, son of King Edward II of England. She received an excellent education, being skilled in finances and diplomacy.
In 1326, the Queen Consort of England, Isabella of France, arrived on the continent and began plotting against her husband, Edward II. She journeyed to Hainault in order to ask for help in deposing her husband from Philippa's father, and in exchange for his support, Philippa was betrothed to Isabella's son, Prince Edward. However, a papal dispensation was required for this betrothal due to Philippa and Edward being second cousins.
Isabella's invasion of England was a success, and Edward II was forced to abdicate in favour of his son, who became King Edward III of England. In 1327, Philippa finally arrived in her new home in England to the huge celebration of the kingdom.
Although they had already been married by proxy in 1327, Philippa and Edward officially married in 1328, when Philippa was aged around 15 years old, and Edward was 16. The two of them would initially live a quiet life in Oxfordshire, while her mother-in-law, Isabella, and her lover, Mortimer, acted as the de facto rulers of England. Philippa immediately threw herself into her new life, and worked very hard to adopt English culture and became a patron of literature.
Out of jealousy, Isabella postponed Philippa's coronation, unwilling to relinquish her title as Queen of England. However, she would finally be crowned two years after her marriage, and she quickly fell pregnant with her and Edward's first child. After the birth of their first child, Prince Edward, Edward III finally established his personal rule of England, and Isabella and Mortimer were arrested. Mortimer would be executed for treason, and Isabella would spend many years under house arrest.
Philippa and Edward would go on to have twelve children together, and she became one of her husband's most trusted advisors. Edward would frequently be away on military campaigns in France due to the Hundred Years War, and she would successfully rule as regent while he was away. She even faced a Scottish invasion of England head on, and was able to capture King David II of Scotland during the Battle of Neville's Cross.
Unfortunately, not all of her children survived infancy, and she would outlive a few more. One of her daughters, Princess Joan, was famously killed by the outbreak of the Black Death in 1348. She and her husband would greatly mourn her death, and the horrific death of a princess cemented just how serious the outbreak of the disease was. Their infant son, Prince Thomas, would then also die of the plague. Despite these losses, her marriage remained happy, and both Philippa and Edward enjoyed a close relationship with each other.
However, by early 1369, Philippa began growing increasingly ill. Around this time, Edward III began an affair with a female courtier, who it's argued took advantage of Edward's fragile emotional state during this time, as he worried and grieved for his wife.
Philippa died later that same year from complications related to oedema.
Rule:
She was extremely popular as a royal consort and was beloved by the people of England. She adopted as much English culture as she could.
Philippa also worked very hard as a consort and was talented as a financial advisor in the English court. She established the textile industry in East Anglia and promoted coal mining. She helped see England through some difficult times such as the wars with France and Scotland, as well as the outbreak of the Black Death.
She was able to successfully gather an army during the time of her regency and defeat King David II of Scotland, taking him as prisoner.
Her reign was also marked by her peaceful nature and she would frequently intercede on behalf of those who had angered her husband, sparing many lives in the process.
- It is believed that most people in the UK of long standing English descent are descendants of both her and her husband.
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