Alice Perrers

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Alice Perrers (c. 1348 - 1400) was notorious as the mistress of King Edward III of England. She married (2) William of Windsor, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and was lady-in-waiting to Queen Philippa. After Philippa's death, Perrers' relationship with Edward became semi-official, though she had probably already had at least one child by him, a son named John. Edward lavished extravagant gifts on her, including Philippa's jewelry and the manor of Wendover.

As Edward III reached the end of his life and retired to Sheen Lodge, Alice advised him to take in tournaments as a form of recuperation. French chroniclers reported that Alice stripped the rings from Edward's fingers when he was near death, but this was almost certainly an attempt to discredit Edward's court rather than an accurate portrayal of the facts.

Although multiple sources agree that John was a son of Edward, Alice and the king may have produced as many as four children together. These are the possible offspring:

  • Sir John de Southeray (c. 1364 - 1383). Married Matilda Percy.
  • Nicholas Lytlington (d. 1386). Abbot of Westminster.
  • Jane Plantagenet. Married Richard Northland.
  • Joan Plantagenet. Married Robert Skerne.

Nicholas seems never to have claimed royal blood.

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