Philippa of Hainault

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Philippa of Hainault (c. 1314 – August 15 1369) was the Queen consort of Edward III of England.

Philippa was born in Valenciennes (then in Flanders, now France) and was the daughter of William III, Count of Hainaut and Jeanne of Valois, the granddaughter of Philip III of France.

She married Edward at York Minster, on 24 January, 1328, eleven months after his accession to the English throne and, unlike many of her predecessors, she did not alienate the English people by retaining her foreign retinue upon her marriage or bringing large numbers of foreigners to the English court.

Philippa accompanied Edward on his expeditions to the Kingdom of Scotland (1333) and Flanders (1338-40), where she won acclaim for her gentleness and compassion. She is also remembered by history as the tender-hearted woman, who interceded with her husband and persuaded him to spare the lives of the Burghers of Calais whom he had planned to execute as an example to the townspeople.

Philippa and Edward had fourteen children, including five sons who lived into adulthood and whose rivalry would eventually bring about the long-running civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Their sons are listed below: