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Philippa was born in Flanders (modern Belgium) and was the daughter of William III, Count of Hainaut and Jeanne de Valois , the grandaughter of Philip III of France. She married Edward at York Minster, on October, 1327, nine 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 amounts of foreigners to the English court.
Philippa accompanied Edward on his expeditions to 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 thirteen 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:
They also had several daughters.
Philippa died of dropsy in Windsor CastleWindsor Castle is (along with Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh) one of the principal official residences of the British monarch, who always stays there at Easter and during "Royal Ascot" week (in June) at the nearby Ascot Racec, and was buried at Westminster Abbeyexoskeleton formed by flying buttresses. The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster Westminster Abbey , a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral, is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English monarchs. It is located in.
| Father: William III, Count of Hainaut | Mother: Jeanne of Valois |