Philippa of England

Philippa of England (June 4 1394 – January 7 1430) was the Queen of Denmark, Sweden and Norway from 1406 to 1430. She was also the consort to King Eric of Pomerania. In fact, Philippa of England was the de-facto regent of Sweden in 1420 and the regent of Denmark and Norway from 1423 to 1425. [ [http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/Norway_Heads.htm "Norway Heads of State and Territorial Leaders".] Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership.] She also received The Most Noble Order of the Garter in 1408.

Biography

Philippa was born to Henry of Bolingbroke, later Henry IV of England and Mary de Bohun at Peterborough Castle, Peterborough. She was married on October 26, 1406 to Eric of Pomerania at Lund in Sweden. Philippa was actually the first documented princess in history to wear a white wedding gown during a royal wedding ceremony: she wore a tunic with a cloak in white silk bordered with grey squirrel and ermine). [ [http://www.amalfi-wedding-planner.com/eng/StoriaMatrimonio.htm "The History of Matrimony".] ] She had large parts of Sweden as her dowry.

During King Eric's periods of absence abroad, she practically was the regent, and in Sweden, she was in charge most of the time even when the King was not abroad; she spent a lot of her time in Sweden and was a frequent guest at the convent of Vadstena. He evidently had great trust in her. Both ancient and modern authors give a favourable account of her rule. It is even said that in certain matters she was more efficient than her husband. Scholars have largely accepted this judgement of the Queen without, however, going into details. [ [http://www.sanctabirgitta.com/underniva/forska/artikel_visa.asp?ID=484 "Flemberg, Marie-Louise".] ]

During his stay abroad from 1423 she was regent in Denmark and among others made a treaty with some members of the North-German Confederation of so-called Hanse-States about the validity of the coin-system. In 1428 she successfully organized the defence of Copenhagen against the Hanseatic League, a heroic feat later recounted by Hans Christian Andersen in "Godfather's Picture Book" (1868).

The queen bore a stillborn boy in 1429. She died on January 7 1430 and was buried in the Cloister Church at Vadstena, close to Linköping in Östergötland, Sweden.

Ancestry

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1= 1. Philippa of England
2= 2. Henry IV of England
3= 3. Mary de Bohun
4= 4. John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
5= 5. Blanche of Lancaster
6= 6. Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford
7= 7. Joan FitzAlan
8= 8. Edward III of England
9= 9. Philippa of Hainault
10= 10. Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster
11= 11. Isabel de Beaumont
12= 12. William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton
13= 13. Elizabeth de Badlesmere
14= 14. Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
15= 15. Eleanor of Lancaster
16= 16. Edward II of England
17= 17. Isabella of France
18= 18. William I, Count of Hainaut
19= 19. Joan of Valois
20= 20. Henry Plantagenet, 3rd Earl of Lancaster
21= 21. Maud Chaworth
22= 22. Henry de Beaumont
23= 23. Alice Comyn
24= 24. Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford
25= 25. Elizabeth of Rhuddlan
26= 26. Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere
27= 27. Margaret de Clare
28= 28. Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel
29= 29. Alice de Warenne
30= 30. Henry Plantagenet, 3rd Earl of Lancaster (= 20)
31= 31. Maud Chaworth (= 21)

References

* Herman Lindqvist, "Historien om Sverige" (In Swedish)
* Åke Ohlmarks "Alla Sveriges drottningar" (In Swedish)

Sucession