Philippa of Lancaster - Legacy

Legacy

Philippa and King John’s union was praised for establishing purity and virtue in a court that was regarded as particularly corrupt. Philippa is remembered as the mother of “The Illustrious Generation” (Portuguese: Ínclita Geração). Her surviving children went on to make historically significant contributions in their own right. Duarte of Portugal became the eleventh King of Portugal, and was known as, “The Philosopher,” or the “Eloquent.” Henrique, or Henry the Navigator, sponsored expeditions to Africa.

Philippa’s influence was documented in literary works. The medieval French poet Eustache Deschamps dedicated one of his ballads to “Phelippe en Lancastre,” as a partisan of the Order of the Flower. It has also been speculated that Geoffrey Chaucer may have alluded to Philippa in his poem, “The Legend of Good Women,” through the character, Alceste.