The Queen and the Mistress: The Women of Edward III

Fourteenth-century English king Edward III’s devoted wife of over 40 years, Philippa of Hainault, and his long-term mistress, Alice Perrers, take center stage in this intriguing yet somewhat dry dual portrait from historian Hollman (Royal Witches). Sketching Philippa’s biography primarily through her travels with her husband on military campaigns and her 12 pregnancies, Hollman presents the queen as a steadfast and mostly traditional matriarch, who periodically asked her husband for mercy on behalf of lawbreakers and courageously called meetings with powerful men over state matters when Edward could not. Hollman creates a somewhat fuller portrait of Alice, Edward’s late-life companion, who shrewdly amassed a large property portfolio and an array of well-placed allies. Somehow, Alice also secretly bore three illegitimate children to Edward, though Hollman’s account leaves several unanswered questions about how Alice quietly juggled childbirth with serving as Philippa’s “damsel.” While Philippa retained an almost saintlike reputation, both women received public derision for their enormous debts, which emptied an already low treasury decimated by Edward’s military ambitions. Hollman is an assiduous researcher with a deep appreciation for the era, but the inner lives of both women remain elusive. Still, medieval history buffs will savor this fresh take on a consequential reign. (Apr.)