Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and his Scandalous Duchess
Encyclopedia
Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and his Scandalous Duchess is a biography of Katherine Swynford
written by Alison Weir
and published in 2007. In the US, the book is titled Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster.
Katherine Swynford was the mistress and later the third wife of John of Gaunt
, third surviving son of Edward III
. Through their legitimized
children, she is an ancestress of several royal dynasties
. As Weir notes, "...no letter survives, no utterance of hers is recorded. None of her movable goods are extant...Her will is lost...She is famous but, paradoxically, she is little known." Weir reconstructs her subject's history through entries in court and municipal records, the descriptions of chronicle
rs including Thomas Walsingham
and Froissart
, and other sources; the list of primary sources alone occupies over 7 pages. A full telling of Katherine's life emerges from these, and from other inferences based on the author's understanding of 14th century England. The resulting portrait is necessarily veiled — John of Gaunt emerges more clearly than she does — but still enough is established to show an intelligent and devoted companion and mother.
In an appendix, Weir briefly discusses the novel Katherine
, by Anya Seton
, which had already made their subject familiar to a broad reading public.
The book (ISBN 0224063219) was first published in Great Britain by Jonathan Cape
.
Katherine Swynford
Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster , née Roet , was the daughter of Sir Payne Roet , originally a Flemish herald from County of Hainaut, later...
written by Alison Weir
Alison Weir (historian)
Alison Weir is a British writer of history books, and latterly historical novels, mostly in the form of biographies about British royalty.-Personal life:...
and published in 2007. In the US, the book is titled Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster.
Katherine Swynford was the mistress and later the third wife of John of Gaunt
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster , KG was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
, third surviving son of Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
. Through their legitimized
Legitimation
Legitimation or legitimization is the act of providing legitimacy. Legitimation in the social sciences refers to the process whereby an act, process, or ideology becomes legitimate by its attachment to norms and values within in given society...
children, she is an ancestress of several royal dynasties
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
. As Weir notes, "...no letter survives, no utterance of hers is recorded. None of her movable goods are extant...Her will is lost...She is famous but, paradoxically, she is little known." Weir reconstructs her subject's history through entries in court and municipal records, the descriptions of chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
rs including Thomas Walsingham
Thomas Walsingham
- Life :He was probably educated at St Albans Abbey at St Albans, Hertfordshire, and at Oxford.He became a monk at St Albans, where he appears to have passed the whole of his monastic life, excepting a period from 1394 to 1396 during which he was prior of Wymondham Abbey, Norfolk, England, another...
and Froissart
Jean Froissart
Jean Froissart , often referred to in English as John Froissart, was one of the most important chroniclers of medieval France. For centuries, Froissart's Chronicles have been recognized as the chief expression of the chivalric revival of the 14th century Kingdom of England and France...
, and other sources; the list of primary sources alone occupies over 7 pages. A full telling of Katherine's life emerges from these, and from other inferences based on the author's understanding of 14th century England. The resulting portrait is necessarily veiled — John of Gaunt emerges more clearly than she does — but still enough is established to show an intelligent and devoted companion and mother.
In an appendix, Weir briefly discusses the novel Katherine
Katherine (novel)
Anya Seton's Katherine is a historical novel based largely on fact. It tells the story of the historically important love affair between the titular Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the third surviving son of King Edward III...
, by Anya Seton
Anya Seton
Anya Seton was the pen name of Ann Seton, an American author of historical romances.-Biography:...
, which had already made their subject familiar to a broad reading public.
The book (ISBN 0224063219) was first published in Great Britain by Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape was a London-based publisher founded in 1919 as "Page & Co" by Herbert Jonathan Cape , formerly a manager at Duckworth who had worked his way up from a position of bookshop errand boy. Cape brought with him the rights to cheap editions of the popular author Elinor Glyn and sales of...
.