Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- List of Abbreviations
- Maps
- Genealogical Tables
- 1 Loosened Bonds
- 2 Tragic Beginnings
- 3 Bigamy
- 4 Married Bliss
- 5 A Whirlwind Rom
- 6 Princess of Wales and of Aquitaine
- 7 Deaths of Princes
- 8 The King's Mother
- 9 Terrors and Tribulations
- 10 Venus Ascending?
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Acknowledgements
- Index
7 - Deaths of Princes
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 October 2017
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- List of Abbreviations
- Maps
- Genealogical Tables
- 1 Loosened Bonds
- 2 Tragic Beginnings
- 3 Bigamy
- 4 Married Bliss
- 5 A Whirlwind Rom
- 6 Princess of Wales and of Aquitaine
- 7 Deaths of Princes
- 8 The King's Mother
- 9 Terrors and Tribulations
- 10 Venus Ascending?
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Acknowledgements
- Index
Summary
THE LAST SEVEN YEARS of Edward III's reign, during which Joan once more lived in England, must have contrasted sadly in some ways with some of her memories of her previous life there. When she had left, the Prince had been at the height of his power and fame. Queen Philippa, such a vibrant influence at court, was now dead. The king's health and political vigour had declined. His house was no longer the exemplar of chivalry and courtliness it once had been. The Prince's chronic debility inhibited his ability to influence and execute his father's policies. If he had the inclination to take the reins of government, as the sick Henry IV's heir Prince Henry was to be determined to do, he lacked the vigour. For the most part, he had perforce to be a spectator of military failures abroad and embezzlement at home. Probably one consolation for him, and for Joan, was that their son Richard grew up (as far as we know) healthy, tall, an apt pupil – and resembling his father in appearance.
The couple and their son made landfall in Plymouth Sound early in 1371: the Prince convalesced at Plympton Priory for about three months. He revived sufficiently to take part in a ceremonial entry into the city of London, whose citizens were eager to secure Joan's as well as his favour. The corporation of London had raised a subsidy from the wards to pay for a present for each of them (perhaps monetary in form) – presents demonstrating the reverence in which they were held, which for Joan may suggest that she had acquired a better reputation in England than the one she had when she left.
In the years immediately after their return, the Prince's health does not seem to have deteriorated further. He was able on occasion to take part in public affairs. In 1372 John of Gaunt also returned from Gascony to England, his lieutenancy expired, with his bride, Constance, eldest daughter of Pedro I of Castile.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Joan, the Fair Maid of KentA Fourteenth-Century Princess and her World, pp. 109 - 130Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2017