Background
She was the daughter of Adolf of Egmond and Catharine of Bourbon.
She was the daughter of Adolf of Egmond and Catharine of Bourbon.
To strengthen the ties between the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Lorraine, she was chosen as the bride of René II, Duke of Lorraine (1451–1508). The marriage took place in Orléans on 1 September 1485. However, when Duke Anthony left to serve in the French campaign in Italy, he appointed his mother Philippa to serve as regent in Lorraine during his absence.
Her regency has been regarded as a wise one.
On 13 June 1509 she redeemed the lordship of Mayenne from Margaret of Vaudémont, Duchess of Alençon. She retired to the convent Clarisse to Pont-à-Mousson on 15 December 1519 where she remained until her death.
She was still a dominant figure in her family and often visited by her relatives, who treated her with great respect, and she maintained a reputation of piety and popularity with the public. While at the convent she commanded a magnificent altarpiece for the congregation, it remained there until his death.
Her twin brother Charles, Duke of Gelderland, died on 30 June 1538, without legitimate offspring.
Philippa claimed the duchies of Gelderland and Jülich but Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, seized the duchies.