Background

Born in March 1340, John of Gaunt was the fourth son of Edward III and received his name from his birthplace, Ghent. He was created Earl of Richmond in September 1342.

Education

He was trained in military skills.

Career

At the age of 19 he took part in an expedition to France, and on May 19, 1359, he married Blanche, younger daughter and coheiress of Henry of Lancaster. Through this marriage he was created Earl of Derby in April 1362 and in November Duke of Lancaster.

For the next years Lancaster was active in various military campaigns, serving under his brother Edward the Black Prince in Spain in 1367, as captain of Calais 2 years later, and in 1371 as lieutenant of Aquitaine. After the death of his first wife in September 1369, he married Constance of Castile in 1372, surrendered his title of Earl of Richmond, and assumed the title of king of Castile.

Upon his return to England Lancaster took an active part in politics as head of the court party that was opposed by the "Good Parliament" of 1376. At the same time he supported John Wyclif and protected him from the Londoners at the Council of London the following year. With the accession of Richard II in 1377, Lancaster had great influence at court, advising on the French war, serving on the Scottish border and making a truce there in 1380, and serving on several commissions the following year to deal with the rebellion of 1381 and the reform of the royal household.

Lancaster continued to serve Richard II in other roles: negotiating peace with France and dealing with the Scottish border. But in 1385 he fought with the King and, though reconciled, continued to serve as a mediator between the King and his opponents. In 1388 he was made lieutenant of Guienne and in 1390 Duke of Aquitaine, but he failed to have the latter claim recognized. After he married his daughter Catherine to Henry of Castile, he gave up the claims to the kingship of that country, and after effecting a reconciliation between the Duke of Gloucester and Richard, Lancaster retired from active politics. He died in early February, 1399.

After Lancaster's death Richard seized his estates, which caused Lancaster's son, Henry of Bolingbroke, to claim the throne as Henry IV. The children of his last marriage, known as the Beauforts by patent in 1397, were the line through which Henry Tudor (Henry VII) claimed the throne.

Achievements

• John of Gaunt played an active part in military and political affairs. He exercised a moderating influence in the political and constitutional struggles of the reign of his nephew Richard II.

Connections

On 19 May 1359 at Reading Abbey, John married his third cousin, Blanche of Lancaster, daughter of Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. The wealth she brought to the marriage was the foundation of John's fortune. Blanche died on 12 September 1368 at Tutbury Castle, while her husband was overseas. Their son Henry Bolingbroke became Henry IV of England, after the duchy of Lancaster was taken by Richard II upon John's death while Henry was in exile. Their daughter Philippa became Queen of Portugal by marrying King John I of Portugal in 1387. All subsequent kings of Portugal were thus descended from John of Gaunt.

In 1371, John married Infanta Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile, thus giving him a claim to the Crown of Castile, which he would pursue. Though John was never able to make good his claim, his daughter by Constance, Catherine of Lancaster, became Queen of Castile by marrying Henry III of Castile. Catherine of Aragon is descended from this line. Constance died in 1394.

During his marriage to Constance, John of Gaunt fathered four children by a mistress, the widow Katherine Swynford (whose sister Philippa de Roet was married to Chaucer). Prior to her widowhood, Katherine had borne at least two, possibly three, children to Lancastrian knight Sir Hugh Swynford. The known names of these children are Blanche and Thomas. (There may have been a second Swynford daughter. ) John of Gaunt was Blanche Swynford's godfather.

John married Katherine in 1396, and their children, the Beauforts, were legitimised by King Richard II and the Church, but barred from inheriting the throne. From the eldest son, John, descended a granddaughter, Margaret Beaufort, whose son, later King Henry VII of England, would nevertheless claim the throne.

Queen Elizabeth II and her predecessors since Henry IV are descended from John of Gaunt. Edward IV, Edward V and Richard III were the grandchildren (or, in Edward V's case, great-grandson) of John's daughter with Katherine Swynford Joan Beaufort.

Father:

Edward III

(13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377)

Mother:

Philippa of Hainault

(24 June 1314 – 15 August 1369)

child:

Isabel

(1368–1368)

child:

Edward

(1365)

child:

Henry Beaufort

(c. 1375 – 11 April 1447)

child:

Henry IV

(15 April 1367 – 20 March 1413)

child:

Catherine of Lancaster

( 31 March 1373 – 2 June 1418)

child:

Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland

(c. 1379 – 13 November 1440)

child:

John Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Somerset and 1st Marquess of Dorset, later only 1st Earl of Somerset

(c. 1373 – 16 March 1410)

child:

Thomas Beaufort, 1st Duke of Exeter

(c. 1377 – c. 31 December 1426)

child:

Elizabeth of Lancaster

(bf. 21 February 1363 – 24 November 1426)

child:

Philippa of Lancaster

( 31 March 1360 – 19 July 1415)

child:

Blanche

(1359–1388/89)

child:

John

(1374–1375)

Spouse (3):

Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster

(25 November 1350 – 10 May 1403)

Spouse (2):

Constance of Castile

(1354 – 24 March 1394)

Spouse (1):

Blanche of Lancaster

(25 March 1345/1347 – 12 September 1368)

References

• The Great Chevauchee - John of Gaunt's Raid on France 1373 by Nicolle, David Osprey Publishing, 2011 (Paperback) Paperback
• The Later Plantagenets: A Survey of English History between 1307 and 1485
• John of Gaunt: The Exercise of Princely Power in Fourteenth-Century Europe
• The Last Knight: The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era by Norman F. Cantor (2004-05-25)
• John of Gaunt: King of Castile and Leon, Duke of Aquitaine and Lancaster, Earl of Derby Lincoln and Leicester, Seneschal of England (Classic Reprint)