Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal

[Prince_Lieven]

Hey everyone!  

I adore the Plantagenet family of England, but I just realised that this is one Plantagenet I know very little about. She was the daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, son of Edward III, and his wife Blanche of Lancaster. She was born on March 13 1360 and married Joao I of Portugal on February 11 1387. They had these children:

1. Blanca (1388-1389)
2. Alfonso (1390-1400)
3. Duarte I (1391-1438)
4. Pedro (1392-1449)
5. Henrique ('the Navigator' 1394-1460)
6. Isabel (1397-1471)
7. Joao (1400-1442)
8. Fernando (1402-1443)

Was Philippa a popular queen of Portugal? Why did she get married so late in life? Did she keep in touch with her relatives in England - her siblings, Henry, Elizabeth and the Beauforts - or her half-sister in Spain, Catalina of Lancaster?

Thanks!  

[umigon]

Philipa had two other daughters: Leonor (1395-1395) and Blanca (1398-1400).

[Eric_Lowe]

Glad to know that someone did something on this popular Queen, who started as a n English Princess and ended up Queen of Portugal. Her children were famous Like Henry the Netvigator and Isabel, Duchess of Burgundy. Both have their own bios, I want to know was she ever been written and researched ?  

[Bernardino]

I don't know if she kept in contact with England...but she must have appreciated very much her family...many of her children have names honouring their British connections:

Branca (in honour of Philippa's mother Ctss Blanche of Derby)
Duarte (=Edward)
Henrique (=Henry)...


There seems to be an unusual fact about Philippa: when King João legitimated his natural issue, I believe Philippa adopted them too...

[Eric_Lowe]

Really how nice of her. Maybe shr thought of her father, who also adopted his natural issue (The Beauforts).  

[Bernardino]

The Braganças weren´t just a noble house...their were counted as princes in Portugal...I wonder if this was also a consequence of Philippa's act...During 200 years they were the 3rd power in the Peninsula, their wealth was only inferior to the King of Castile and the King of Portugal...and of course the Duke of Bragança hadn't the same troubles they had  ...

The Duke of Bragança, his children and the children of his heir had no surname like the Infants and their children...Every member of the Royal House, except the King's and the Prince's children (whom had the title of Infantes) were 'Senhor Dom' or 'Senhora Dona'...Ooops but this topic is about Philippa... ...I'll try to find something more about her...

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes...more is welcome on Philippa.  

[Prince_Lieven]

Really how nice of her. Maybe shr thought of her father, who also adopted his natural issue (The Beauforts).  

Well, he didn't adopt them but certainly acknowleged them, and they were later legitimated.  

Does anyone know why Philippa married at such an old age for the time? Had she been engaged previously? Wasn't she considered a good catch, the eldest daughter of one of the most powerful men in England? Also, what was she called in Portugal? Is there a Portuguese equivilant to Philippa?

[YaBB_Jose]

The portuguese equivalent is Filipa.

Children of D. João I and D. Filipa:
1. D. Branca (1388-89)
2. D. Afonso (1390-1400)
3. D. Duarte (1391-1438) succeeded his father in 1433
4. D. Pedro (1392-1449) duke of Coimbra and regent for his nephew D. Afonso V, killed in the battle of Alfarrobeira (against his nephew) **had a daughter named Filipa
5. D. Henrique (1394-1460) duke of Viseu, a.k.a. Henry the Navigator
6. D. Isabel (1397-1462) marr. Philip of Burgundy.  For their marriage, Philip founded the Order of the Golden Fleece
7. D. João (1400-42) duk of Beja
8. D. Fernando (1402-43) Grand aster of the Order of Aviz, the Saint or the martyr as he died in captivity in Morocco

Before his marriage to D. Filipa, D. João had two illegitimate sons:
D. Afonso, founder of the ducal (later royal) house of Bragança and D. Beatriz.
D. Filipa never adopted her husband's children but she took her step-daughter under her "wing" and due to her influence she got married to Thomas Fitzalan, count of Arundel.

She died in 1415 when her husband was going to attack the moroccan town of Ceuta but she found the strenght to encourage her elder children to act bravely and gave them the swords she had commanded before.

She is a well respected queen, and she has been credited the fact that all of her children had an elevated education fit for their rank.

[Prince_Lieven]

Thank you very much, YaBB Jose.   BTW, the daughter who married the Earl of Arundel later married John Holland, Duke of Exeter, son of Philippa's sister Elizabeth.

[YaBB_Jose]

Thank you very much, YaBB Jose.   BTW, the daughter who married the Earl of Arundel later married John Holland, Duke of Exeter, son of Philippa's sister Elizabeth.

That was her 3rd marriage.
She married 2ndly Gilbert Talbot, baron Irchenfield

[Prince_Lieven]

That was her 3rd marriage.
She married 2ndly Gilbert Talbot, baron Irchenfield

Yes, I know, I was mentioning that marriage because it was Philippa's nephew she had married.  

[Eric_Lowe]

Thanks...I was wondering if there were books on her...

[CountessKate]

'Dona Filipa of Portugal' by Thomas William Edgar Roche is a book on Philippa of Lancaster, published in 1971.  I got it from the library, and found it desperately dull.  I can't recall an explanation as to why she married so late but I'm sure it would be mentioned in this worthy, if somewhat stupefying, study.  You can't really call it a biography in the modern sense as there simply isn't enough information available to provide a real indication of her character.  I vaguely recall that she appeared to be rather austere and pious and brought her sons up to be pious as well.

There's a bit about her in biographies of her children, e.g. Peter Russell's 'Prince Henry "the navigator" - a life'  and 'Isabel of Burgundy' by Aline Taylor (curiously enough, Isabel married at a much later age than was considered usual in those days).

[Prince_Lieven]

Thanks, CountessKate.   Maybe the reason Philippa was so late in marrying was lack of suitors? Or perhaps her father was more concerned with matters in Castile - until he realised Philippa could be of use to him on that front.