Philippa of Hainault

Queen consort of King Edward III of England

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Lived 1310–1369, aged 59France

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Wikipedia
43 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1310–1369
Aged 59
Awards
1
recognised work

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

Queen of England who ran the kingdom as regent during war, changed her husband's mind on executions, and steered Edward III toward economic expansion — compassion as statecraft in the fourteenth century.

Biography

About

Daughter of William I, Count of Hainaut, and French princess Joan of Valois, Philippa was engaged to Edward, Prince of Wales, in 1326 and married him at York Minster on 24 January 1328, months after he took the throne. She pushed Edward III to focus on England's commercial growth and joined him on expeditions to Scotland and France. In 1346 she acted as regent while he fought in the Hundred Years' War, and took part in the Battle of Neville's Cross. A year later she persuaded the King to spare the Burghers of Calais from execution, an act that won her wide regard among the English people. That…

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