Katherine Swynford

Family

Katherine's father was Paon de Roet, a herald and, later, knight (who was "probably christened as Gilles"), who came to England in the entourage of Philippa of Hainaut, who married King Edward III. His origin is not documented. Payne's family nickname was Roe (French: Roët). On this basis, it has been suggested that he was related to the powerful family of the Lords of Le Roeulx, who owned a lordship in the County of Hainaut, whose name was spelled differently: Rouet, Roëlt, Ruet. The origin of this genus has been traced back to Charlemagne. Their possessions were mainly concentrated around the city of Le Rœulx, located 8 miles northeast of Mons. They also included the towns of Roux (located 40 miles east of Mons) and Faurœulx (20 miles south). However, according to the historian Alison Weir, there is reason to doubt this version of Paon's origin: the chronicler Jean Froissart, who himself was from Hainaut, was most likely well aware of his origin, but does not write anything about his nobility. As Paon's father, he points to a certain Jean de Roët (died 1305), son of Huon de Roët. Froissart gives no titles for any of them. At the same time, Weir notes that this version cannot be completely discarded: Paon de Roet could indeed come from a younger line of the Le Roeulx family, since the spelling of the generic names Roeulx and Roët are quite similar and they could well be interchangeable. In addition, the name Gilles, which Paon received at baptism, was quite common in the family of the Lords of Le Roeulx.

Additional evidence of the possible relationship of Paon de Roet with the Lords of Le Roeulx is the heraldic similarity of the coats of arms of Paon and the Le Roeulx family. The coat of arms of the city of Le Rœulx is a golden lion on a green field with a wheel in its paw, which is a play on words: in French, roue means wheel. The same theme was adopted by Paon's family: the coat of arms of his daughter, Katherine Swynford, was three gold wheels on a red field, however, judging by the heraldic emblems on the vestments given to her by Lincoln Cathedral, on her coat of arms until 1396, when she married John of Gaunt, there were three simple silver wheels; she probably inherited this coat of arms from her father.

Based on the description of his epitaph, Paon was King of Arms of Aquitaine for a time. In England, he was in the service of Queen Philippa. After the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War in 1340, he took part in the early stages of the English army, including fighting at the Battle of Crécy and the siege of Calais. Not later than 1349, Paon returned to Hainaut, where he served Countess Margaret II of Hainaut, sister of Queen Philippa.

Life

Birth and early years

Katherine's year of birth is not documented. In 1631, John Weever claimed that she was the eldest of Paon de Roet's daughters, but that would make her at least 28 years old at the time of her first marriage, which is much older than the typical age girls married. Alison Weir believes that Weever did not know about the existence of Elizabeth de Roet and the other two daughters. The author of the article of Katherine Swynford in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography believes that she was born around 1350, with which Weir agrees. They calculate the possible year of her birth based on the fact that Katherine married for the first time around 1362/1363 and gave birth to her first child around 1363/1364, and the canonical age at which a girl could marry and have marital relations with her husband, in that time was 12 years old. Weir further clarifies that Katherine was most likely born in 1349. She was probably named after St. Catherine of Alexandria whose cult at that time was gaining strength.

Katherine's birthplace is sometimes called Picardy, with which Alison Weir does not agree. This error, in her opinion, arises from the fact that some historians confuse Philippa de Roet, Katherine's sister, who was in the service of Queen Philippa, with certain Philippa Picard, but these are completely different personalities. Katherine was probably born in the County of Hainaut, as indicated by the account of the chronicler Jean Froissart, who calls her a "resident" from there, and the chronicler Henry Knighton, who calls her "a certain foreigner". It is possible that Katherine's birthplace was her father's possessions, located near Mons.

In 1351, her father was in the service of Margaret II, Countess of Hainaut, whose position was rather precarious. In 1350 she renounced her claims to the Counties of Holland and Zeeland in favor of her second son, William, hoping to keep Hainaut under her rule. However, in the spring of 1351, William also captured Hainaut, Margaret II's supporters were expelled, their castles were destroyed, and their positions were transferred to others. In December, Margaret II, hoping to enlist the support of her brother-in-law King Edward III, fled to England, among others Paon de Roet accompanied her. Given the uncertainty in Hainaut, he probably took his entire family with him —his wife (if she was still alive) and children, except for Elizabeth, who remained in her abbey.

Soon Margaret II agreed with her son. Under the terms of the agreement, Hainaut was returned to her. William himself arrived in England at the beginning of 1352, where he married Maud of Lancaster, a close relative of King Edward III. In March, Margaret II returned to Hainaut, accompanied by Paon de Roet. However, after August 1352, his references completely disappear from contemporary sources. Alison Weir believes that he died in early 1355, since it was then that his son Walter moved from the service of the Countess of Hainaut to the service of Edward the Black Prince, the eldest son and heir of King Edward III and Queen Philippa of Hainaut.

First marriage

In the 1360s, Katherine was in the service of Blanche of Lancaster, who by that time had become the wife of John of Gaunt. Jean Froissart mentions that Katherine was in the service of Blanche's family in her youth, but does not mention how old she was then. Gaunt's wife had her own household, independent of her husband, which had its own staff of officers, servants and ladies. The first record of Katherine in this new capacity dates to 24 January 1365, when she is mentioned as a servant. However, John of Gaunt's journals for an earlier period have not been preserved, and it is possible that her employment began at an earlier date. Blanche gave birth to her first daughter in March 1360, and she lived in the household of her mother-in-law, queen Phillipa, during her pregnancy. It is possible that Queen Philippa transferred Katherine to the service of Blanche at this time, and she probably accompanied Blanche to Leicester Castle for the confinement. Katherine's duties would have been to help care for the newborn, possibly to rock the baby. Such work was often entrusted to young girls of the age of Katherine, who at that time was about 10 years old.

At this time, Katherine herself married. This early marriage was probably arranged by John of Gaunt himself at the behest of his wife. Her first husband, Sir Hugh Swynford, descendant from an ancient English family, was a professional soldier and a tenant of the Duke of Lancaster. At first, he served Edward the Black Prince, who probably knighted him. In 1361, he moved to the service of John of Gaunt, in the same year inheriting his ancestral domains after the death of his father. For a long time, it was believed that the marriage was concluded around 1366–1367; however, Alison Weir does not agree with this. Weir posits that Katherine's eldest daughter in 1368 was old enough to be placed in the chambers of the daughters of the Duke of Lancaster. In addition, there are indications that another daughter was born in this marriage, who became a nun in 1377, and the earliest age at which this is possible was 13–14 years. On this basis, Weir considers that the marriage took place in 1361 or 1362. Katherine was definitely married by 24 January 1365 when, in the register of the Bishop of Lincoln, John Bokyngham, she is referred to as "Katherine Swynford". The marriage may have been celebrated in one of the Duke of Lancaster's residences, possibly the chapel of Savoy Palace.

Although some researchers wrote that Katherine got married in an old aristocratic house, this is not true. Despite the fact that the Swynford family were quite an ancient and branched family, whose representatives had possessions in Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Essex and Suffolk, they were not aristocrats, but ordinary landowners, and never rose above the knightly rank. Hugh was not particularly rich, he owned only two estates in Lincolnshire —

Mistress of the Duke of Lancaster

Katherine's position after the death of her husband was not the best, since his financial condition was poor, and she had several small children to care for. But the Duke of Lancaster came to her aid. Although no documentary evidence of Katherine's presence in the household of the new Duchess before March 1373 has survived, there are facts that, according to Alison Weir, indicate that John of Gaunt accepted Katherine into the service of his new wife, possibly in the same quality, as with the late Duchess Blanche. In the spring of 1372 John of Gaunt and the King helped her financially; and in the summer of the same year, Katherine was present at the birth of the first child by Duchess Constance, a daughter called Catherine. There is also documentary evidence that in the same year, Philippa Chaucer, Katherine's sister, was in the service of the Duchess. In addition, the fact that it was Katherine who was chosen to inform the King about the birth of his new granddaughter speaks of the position she occupied.

The Duke's new wife settled into Hertford Castle in early 1372, and Gaunt's three children from his first marriage were also sent there. Katherine and her sister also resided there, becoming members of the Duchess Constance's household. It can be assumed that Katherine's duties included looking after the Duke's children, who she knew well.

It is not established when exactly Katherine became John of Gaunt's mistress. Jean Froissart wrote that the love affair began during the lifetime of Blanche of Lancaster and Hugh Swynford, but he sometimes made mistakes in his chronicle (in particular, he pointed out that Katherine gave birth to three children from John of Gaunt, although there were four of them). Therefore, according to Alison Weir, his testimony cannot be considered reliable, because the people who provided him with information could be wrong. Also, some later studies indicate that the love affair between Katherine and John of Gaunt began during the life of her first husband, and her eldest son Thomas Swynford was "a child from two fathers", but this seems unlikely to modern researchers. In the document of the grant of an annuity to Katherine Swynford by King Richard II dated 7 June 1392, it is indicated that her first-born son with the Duke of Lancaster, John Beaufort, was 21 years old. Based on this, he must have been born between June 1371 and June 1372. However, Alison Weir doubts that he could have been born at this time, as from June 1370 to November 1371 the Duke was in Aquitaine, where in September 1371 he married Constance of Castile. Although it is possible that Katherine could have joined her husband in Aquitaine, Weir considers this unlikely as wives rarely accompanied their husbands to war. In addition, someone had to manage the estates in England and take care of small children during Gaunt's absence. In a petition to the Pope dated 1 September 1396, John of Gaunt indicates that the affair began when he was married to Constance of Castile, and Katherine was free from marriage. Therefore the affair, according to him, began after the death of Katherine's husband. Based on this, Weir concludes that most likely the love affair began in the late autumn of 1372, when there was a significant increase in Katherine's social status in the Lancastrian household.

Formal break with John of Gaunt

In June 1377, King Edward III died. It is possible that Katherine, who was the governess of the late monarch's granddaughters, was in London during this period, but it is unlikely that she often saw the Duke busy preparing for the coronation of his infant nephew and new King Richard II. Although John of Gaunt was not officially a member of the regency council, but among his 12 lords there were 5 of his supporters, so he could influence decisions. Already on 20 July, the young King confirmed the grant to Katherine Swynford of the Gringley and Wheatley estates, and on 24 July the Duke again presented her with oaks for the repair of Kettlethorpe.

The first public appearance of John of Gaunt with Katherine Swynford, which made their affair explicit, is in March 1378. Thomas Walsingham wrote in his "Chronicle" that the Duke, "casting aside every shame of man and the fear of God, allowed himself to be seen riding through the Duchy with his concubine, a certain Katherine Swynford". Further, the chronicler reports that the people were indignant and despaired because of such scandalous behavior. In his opinion, it was because of Katherine, whom he called "a witch and a whore", that "the most terrible curses and vile insults began to circulate against the Duke". Walsingham's account is the first mention of the name of the Duke's mistress in chronicles. In the future, a negative attitude towards Katherine is also found in the messages of some other chroniclers. Even Henry Knighton, pro-Lancastrian, did not approve of Gaunt's mistress: "a certain foreigner Katherine Swynford lived in his wife's house, whose relationship with him was very suspicious". In addition, the chronicler points out that the love affair disturbed members of the Duke's family, who feared its consequences. John of Gaunt himself in 1381 said that clerics and servants repeatedly warned him about the detrimental effect of his connection with Katherine on his reputation, but he ignored them.

In April 1378, Katherine probably returned to Kettlethorpe, where she received occasional visits from the Duke. In addition, during this period, her sister, Philippa Chaucer, settled on the estate. In later years, Katherine seems to have used some of her income to buy small plots of land in nearby villages, expanding her holdings in Kettlethorpe and Colby.

On 20 January 1381, the Duke gave Katherine the custody of the lands and wardship of the heiress of the late Alice de Thorsby, a member of his household. These properties were located about twelve miles west of Kettlethorpe. In return, she was to provide all the services "due and customary". However, the next day this condition about services was removed. According to Alison Weir, this award is connected with the birth this month of their last known child, Thomas Beaufort.

Lady Kettlethorpe

However, the break was only formal. Katherine's relationship with John of Gaunt and the rest of his family continued to be quite cordial. In 1382 she and her daughter Joan Beaufort visited Mary de Bohun, the wife of Henry Bolingbroke, who was expecting a child. The Duke continued to provide for her and their children, and when John of Gaunt himself needed money, Katherine lent him money, for example in 1386, when she helped the Duke to finance his Castilian expedition. In 1387 she received a New Year's gift from Mary de Bohun. In the early 1390s, she often visited the court of John of Gaunt, where a stable and a dozen horses were allocated for her convenience. In addition, in 1382, the Duke placed Thomas Swynford, Katherine's son from her first marriage, in the retinue of Henry Bolingbroke. At the same time, apparently, until at least 1389, John of Gaunt kept his promise and did not enter into a love relationship with his former mistress, especially since during this period he was mostly outside of England.

On 20 October 1383 King Richard II, who apparently sympathized with Katherine, granted her the right to fence 300 acres of land and forest on the estate of Kettlethorpe, and in April 1387, he made her a Lady of the Order of the Garter, which during this period was considered the highest honor an Englishwoman could receive. According to Alison Weir, this was a tacit recognition of Katherine's special relationship with John of Gaunt. In addition, it is possible that in this way the King tried to enlist the support of his uncle against the opposition that existed at court, dissatisfied with the sovereign's dependence on favorites. In August 1388 a new set of clothing made of scarlet wool was paid for by the King for Katherine, and in the same year she arrived at Windsor Castle to participate, along with 10 other ladies of the Order, in a large feast hosted by King Richard II on St. George's Day.

On Christmas Day of 1387, Katherine agreed, along with her daughter Joan Beaufort, to become part of the household of Mary de Bohun. As a result, she took a place of honor in the royal court. It is likely that her duties included looking after their rapidly growing family, starting with the infant Henry of Monmouth (future King Henry V).

In November 1389, John of Gaunt returned to England after a three-year absence. Although there are no records of Katherine during this period, and she herself seems to have spent most of her time in Lincolnshire, there is much evidence that the Duke at this time began to plan for the future of his illegitimate children. The second son, Henry Beaufort, destined for the service of the church, began to receive church benefices from January 1390. The eldest son, John Beaufort, who "was a great favorite of his father", in the spring of 1390 took part in a large jousting tournament at Saint-Inglevert near Calais, after which he began to participate in military campaigns. Also in December 1390, the King authorized the Duke to grant a number of estates in Northamptonshire to John Beaufort. Around 1392, John of Gaunt arranged the marriage of his daughter Joan Beaufort to Robert Ferrers of Wem, and before 28 September 1397 the Duke also orchestrated the wedding of John Beaufort with Margaret Holland, uterine niece of King Richard II.

Duchess of Lancaster

On 24 March 1394, Constance of Castile, 2nd wife of John of Gaunt, died. Apparently, after that, the Duke decided to marry Katherine. In addition to the feelings that he had for his long-term mistress, most likely, in this way he also wanted to legitimize his children.

Although Thomas Walsingham argued that the planned marriage came as a surprise to the King, Alison Weir notes that this is unlikely. The marriage itself took place at Lincoln Cathedral on 13 January 1396. After that, Katherine became the Duchess of Lancaster and for some time the first lady of the Kingdom, since the first wife of King Richard II had died by that time, and he entered into a second marriage in November. To emphasize her status and smooth out memories of the past, she made her coat of arms instead of the silver rings depicted on the coat of arms of de Roet family, the three wheels of St. Catherine –her patroness, who was associated with royalty and virtue. After the wedding, the ducal couple made a short trip to the north, after which, by 23 January, they settled for some time in Pontefract Castle.

This marriage caused alarm at the royal court and general disapproval, for it was considered a mésalliance. For the first time in her new status, Katherine apparently appeared at court in April 1396 at the celebration of St. George's Day. John of Gaunt's brother, Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, and his wife, Eleanor de Bohun, were most outraged. At the same time, the ducal couple did not have any document allowing the marriage –only the oral permission of the Pope, so there were fears that the marriage could be challenged and annulled. Therefore, the Duke wrote to the Pope, asking for apostolic permission. In anticipation, the couple settled in Ely Place in London. On 16 May John of Gaunt appointed £600 per year for the maintenance of his wife. In addition, the new Duchess had her own wardrobe and household.

On 1 September 1396 Pope Boniface IX declared the marriage of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford as valid by a bull. In addition, he legitimized their children born before marriage –the Beauforts. This news seems to have reached England before 7 October, when the ducal couple sailed from England to Calais, where a lavish ceremony took place on 4 November, as a result of which King Richard II married Princess Isabella of France, daughter of King Charles VI. According to Jean Froissart, it was Katherine who until the end of the summer "was the companion of the young Queen of England", probably becoming her companion immediately after the marriage. The King, Queen and their retinue returned to England on 12 November and the next day they solemnly entered London.

Last years

Immediately after the death of the Duke, the royal escheators unlawfully took into custody all the possessions belonging to Katherine, as well as the Lancaster estates. As a result, she had to make a request to King Richard II, who on 9 March 1399 ordered the estates to be returned. Also, the sovereign confirmed to the Dowager Duchess the annual annuity of £1,000, levied on the lands of the Duchy of Lancaster, which her husband assigned to her. At the same time, on 18 March, without any legal pretext, the King announced that he was replacing the 10-year exile of Henry Bolingbroke with a life sentence, and would confiscate those possessions that he was supposed to inherit. Although King Richard II did not grieve very much about the death of his uncle, he allowed Katherine to keep the lands she received as a dowry, and in May, when his royal escheators seized the lands that belonged to her before her marriage, he ordered them to be returned. After that, the Dowager Duchess tried to keep aloof and did not protest against the confiscation of the Lancastrian inheritance. Not wanting to live on one of her estates, Katherine left for Lincoln. She passed custody of Kettlethorpe and Colby to her son, Thomas Swynford, and for housing she rented a house in Minster Yard, which she rented until her death.

There are few references to Katherine in the last years of her life. In the autumn of 1399, Henry Bolingbroke invaded England and deposed King Richard II, crowned himself as Henry IV. Katherine's children, the Beauforts and Thomas Swynford, and her son-in-law Ralph Neville supported the usurpation of the throne. The new king officially began to call his stepmother "the Mother of the King." However, apparently, Katherine led a quiet life in Lincoln, not taking any part in the political life of the Kingdom.

On 12 February 1400, King Henry IV granted Katherine the estate of Laughton en le Morthen near Tickhill in Yorkshire. Around this time he also gave her £200 per year from the lands of Huntingdonshire and an annual income of 700 marks from the estate of Lincolnshire, and confirmed the annuity of £1,000 assigned to her by his father. As a result, she became quite a rich woman. It is also known that Katherine owned houses in Lincoln, Boston, Grantham and King's Lynn and had business dealings with merchants from some of these cities. It is possible that the Dowager Duchess had long-standing commercial interests in the wool trade, as it is known that she had property inherited from her father in Hainaut, a major center for the wool trade. Alison Weir believes that, perhaps, by investing money in such enterprises, Katherine tried to expand the Swynford inheritance.

Death and burial

Katherine Swynford died on 10 May 1403 at Lincoln. She was buried at Lincoln Cathedral in the choir of angels. The chest of her tombstone was made of Purbeck marble, had a stucco plinth and a lid. Heraldic shields surrounded by garters were depicted on it. The tombstone was crowned with a brass canopy, on which Katherine herself was depicted in a widow's wimple, and above it rose a vaulted canopy with trefoil arches. Francis Thynne, a Lancastrian antiquary and officer of arms at the College of Arms, about 1600 copied an epitaph which said: “Here lies Lady Katherine, Duchess of Lancaster, wife of the very noble and very gracious Prince John, Duke of Lancaster, son of the very noble King Edward III, who died 10 May in the year of grace 1403, whose soul God will have mercy and pity. Amen".

Her daughter, Joan Beaufort, was buried next to her mother. In her will, she requested that her mother's burial site be expanded and enclosed, if the Dean and Chapter would not object. Three years before her death (28 November 1437) Joan received permission from King Henry VI to establish a chapel with two chaplains to serve daily at the altar in front of her mother's grave. She was also allowed to use the advowson (patronage) of Welton Church in Howdenshire, formerly owned by Durham Priory, but transferred to the Neville family in the 1380s. It is likely that the new chapel was to replace the one founded at Lincoln Cathedral by John of Gaunt in 1398, however it is unknown if this was done. It has not been determined whether the surviving tomb was built after the death in 1403 of Katherine Swynford or after Joan Beaufort's death in 1440; given that Joan's will expressed a desire to enclose her mother's grave, it is most likely that the wrought iron screen was created around 1440. Originally, Joan's remains were located side by side with her mother.

The chapel existed until the middle of the 16th century, services in it were abolished during the reign of King Edward VI. Her possessions, valued at £13.6 and 6 pence, included two bowls, two silver vessels (for holding Holy water and Eucharist wine), a silver Pax and a silver bell. The burials of Joan Beaufort and Katherine Swynford, standing side by side, were described at the beginning of the 16th century by the royal antiquarian John Leland. Around 1640, William Dugdale carefully sketched the graves.

In 1644, during the English Civil War, both burials were partially destroyed by the Roundheads during the sacking of Lincoln Cathedral. As a result, copper images and tablets were torn off, and the masonry of the chapel was badly damaged. By 1672, the tomb boxes were in their present position, and the canopy was clumsily restored. In the 19th century, a "Gothic" restoration of monuments was planned, but it was eventually abandoned. Although there are claims that the tombs are now empty and that the remains of Katherine and Joan were pulled out by the Roundheads, they are most likely unsubstantiated, as there is no evidence that the bodies were disturbed. They are probably still under the floor of the tomb.

Aftermath

After the ascension to the English throne of John of Gaunt's heir Henry IV, Katherine Swynford's children from John of Gaunt played a prominent role in English politics. On 9 February 1407, the King confirmed the legitimation of his half-sibilings the Beauforts, but specifically stipulated by a clause ('excepta dignitate regali') that they did not have any rights to the English throne, although modern scholarship disputes the authority of a monarch to alter an existing parliamentary statute on his own authority, without the further approval of Parliament.

Katherine's granddaughter, Cecily Neville (daughter of Joan Beaufort and her second husband Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland), became the wife of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York; from this marriage were born, among others, Kings Edward IV and Richard III. Another granddaughter, Joan Beaufort (daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset) married King James I of Scotland and became the ancestor of the succeeding Scottish monarchs from the House of Stuart. Another descendant of Katherine, Margaret Beaufort (granddaughter of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset), became the mother of King Henry VII, the progenitor of the House of Tudor. He justified his right to the throne precisely by his descent from the House of Beaufort. In consequence, Katherine Swynford became in the direct ancestor of all subsequent Kings and Queens of England (and then Great Britain).

The Beauforts themselves played a prominent role during the Wars of the Roses. Although after the death in 1471 of Edmund Beaufort, styled 4th Duke of Somerset, the family died out in the male line, but a side branch remained, the ancestor of which was Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, the illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset. It still exists today, with the head being the Duke of Beaufort, created in 1682 by King Charles II in recognition of his "most conspicuous descent from King Edward III by John Beaufort, eldest son of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford".

Thomas [II] Swynford, Katherine's son from her first marriage, made a career at the court of King Henry IV, who made him a number of awards. In late 1399 – early 1400, he was one of the jailers of the deposed King Richard II at Pontefract Castle and, according to the chronicler Adam of Usk, was the main culprit in his death, starving him to death. In 1406, Thomas [II] entered the service of his half-brother Thomas Beaufort. In 1411 he tried to obtain his maternal grandfather's estate in Hainaut, but it is not known whether his efforts were successful. Towards the end of his life, Thomas [II] was forced to hand over his estates to trustees and died virtually landless on 2 April 1432. His heir, Thomas [III] Swynford, survived his father for a few years and died in 1440, leaving an underage son, Thomas [IV] (1435 – 3 May 1498). In 1468, he gave Kettlethorpe and Colby to his uncle William Swynford, who died no later than 1483, after which the estates returned to Thomas [IV]. He died without heirs in 1498, and with him the male line of descendants of Hugh Swynford and Katherine died out. The Swynford ancestral domains of Kettlethorpe and Colby were eventually inherited by the descendants of Margaret Swynford, sister of Thomas [IV], by her marriage to Thomas Pouncefot.

Appearance

An epitaph on John of Gaunt's tomb, destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, described Katherine as "extraordinarily beautiful and feminine". At the same time, the epitaph itself was created during the restoration of the tomb by King Henry VII, a descendant of Katherine and John of Gaunt, who sought to restore the good reputation of his ancestor. It is possible that he emphasized beauty because Katherine was mostly remembered for it; it is possible that such a record was in Katherine's original tomb.

There are no lifetime portraits of Katherine. The only image close to her lifetime was a rough sketch made by William Dugdale in the 17th century from a now lost copper image from her tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. However, it is not a portrait, it is a formalized drawing of a woman wearing the wimple of a widow. Also in Canterbury Cathedral are two tiny carved heads no larger than a walnut, made around 1400. They are sometimes considered to be images of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford, but this identification, according to Alison Weir, is rather doubtful. Although two of the sons of John of Gaunt were buried in the cathedral, this happened after the creation of the carvings.

While John of Gaunt's face was long and lean, with an aquiline nose (a distinctive feature inherited by some of his descendants), Katherine's children had round or oval faces, a trait which Alison Weir believes they may have inherited from their mother.

The frontispiece to an early 15th-century manuscript of the epic poem Troilus and Criseyde by Geoffrey Chaucer depicts the poet reading it to the royal court of King Richard II. The identities of the courtiers depicted in the illustration are the subject of controversy among researchers. One of the courtiers depicted is probably John of Gaunt. It has been suggested that one of the seated women, dressed in a flowing blue dress with dangling sleeves (known as houppelande), with a wide collar trimmed with white cloth, and a golden belt, is Katherine Swynford. She has a round face with a high forehead and blond hair braided high above each temple, wrapped in a ribbon around the crown of her head. However, this hypothesis has problems. The poem was probably written between 1385 and 1388. However, the manuscript itself was created only at the beginning of the 15th century, so it must depict the ladies of the court, who played an important role at the end of the reign of King Richard II. According to Alison Weir, a woman in a blue dress is too young to be Katherine. The researcher suggested that it could be her daughter Joan Beaufort, since she looks like her image in her tomb. Next to this figure is a lady wearing a tight blue dress trimmed with gold trimmed ermine, who is traditionally identified with Joan of Kent, mother of King Richard II, but she died in 1385. Weir thinks that lady might be Katherine Swynford. In the 15th century this manuscript belonged to Anne Neville, Countess of Stafford, daughter of Joan Beaufort; it is possible that it was made specifically for her, who later bequeathed it to her own daughter.

Personality

The monastic chroniclers, who were shocked by John of Gaunt's association with Katherine Swynford, mostly criticised her harshly. That being said, neither Thomas Walsingham nor the author of the Anonymous Chronicle likely encountered her personally. At the same time, the chronicler Henry of Knighton was a monk at Leicester Abbey who was patronized by John of Gaunt and who may have met Katherine, does not report anything wrong about her. Based on fragmentary sources, Alison Weir concludes that Katherine was "an attractive, charming and sympathetic woman, quite pious". Her long affair with John of Gaunt likely suggests that she remained faithful to him, but she may also have been assertive and ambitious while enjoying material possessions. However, according to Weir, most likely Katherine was not guided by selfish considerations: despite long separations, social ostracism and denigration by society, her love for the Duke has stood the test of time. In addition, she obviously had a strong character, prudence, tact and was quite wise. Katherine valued family ties and she was not indifferent to the opinions of others.

The respect that Katherine enjoyed in the royal family probably indicates that she was quite skilled in court duties, had exquisite taste, was sociable, polite, literate, intelligent and, most likely, was a good conversationalist.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Katherine Swynford was three gold wheels on a red field, however, judging by the heraldic emblems on the vestments given to her by Lincoln Cathedral, her coat of arms until 1396, when she married John of Gaunt, had three simple silver wheels; she probably inherited this coat of arms from her father.

After her marriage with the Duke of Lancaster in 1396, Katherine change her coat of arms, adding three gold Catherine wheels ("roet" means "little wheel" in Old French) on a red field. The wheel emblem shows Katherine's devotion to her patron saint, Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel, who was also associated with royalty and virtue. In addition, judging by the seal of Katherine, created around 1397 after her marriage, her coat of arms not only depicted three silver wheels on a red background but combined with the coat of arms of her husband, representing the heads of three golden boars on a black chevron on a silver field. This coat of arms is not found anywhere else.

In history and art

Anil de Silva, author of a study on John of Gaunt, believes that Katherine could be the prototype for the beautiful Virginia, the heroine of "The Physician's Tale", which is part of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.

During the Wars of the Roses in the 1470s, the exiled Henry, Earl of Richmond, whose mother belonged to the House of Beaufort, became the Lancastrian pretender to the throne. Although Henry IV deprived the Beauforts of the right to the throne, their rights at that time began to be taken quite seriously. After Richard III became king in 1483, he publicly declared that Henry had no right to the throne, since the Beauforts were descended from "double adultery" (from the connection of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford), which was accepted by many as a fact. But after the Earl of Richmond became King of England under the name of Henry VII, the notoriety of Katherine Swynford faded. At the same time, she is practically not mentioned in the chronicles of the Tudor era and did not appear in the royal family tree. When in 1520 a theatrical performance was given in Leadenhall in honor of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, an actor portraying John of Gaunt (of whom the Emperor himself was a descendant), sat near a tree from which many branches grew, representing the many Kings and Queens who were his descendants. However, Katherine, who was the ancestor of some of them, was not mentioned.

For centuries, Katherine Swynford was treated with disdain, considered immoral, and seldom mentioned as the progenitor of the House of Tudor. Interest in her arose in 1954, when the biographical novel of the American writer Anya Seton, Katherine was published. As noted by the British writer Philippa Gregory, it is considered Seton's most famous work. The novel tells in sufficient detail the biography of Katherine, and Seton collected materials for the novel for four years, traveling all over England. However, as Alison Weir (on which the novel had a huge impact) notes, this work is primarily a novel about the ideal romantic heroine – beautiful, sensual and loving, and Seton gave Katherine many moral, emotional, and psychological qualities and cultural aspects from her own life. The release of Seton's novel made the public empathize with this heroine and treat her more sympathetically. Later, the novel was repeatedly reprinted. In 2003 it was ranked 95th in the BBC's The Big Read survey.

Jeannette Lucraft's biographical novel Katherine Swynford: The History of a Medieval Mistress was published in 2006. The biography of Katherine was studied in detail by the historian Alison Weir, who published the work Katherine Swynford: The story of John of Gaunt and his Scandalous Duchess in 2007.

Issue

Katherine's children by Sir Hugh Swynford were:

Blanche Swynford (ca. 1363 – ca. 1375).

(?) Margaret Swynford (ca. 1364 – ?), a nun at Barking Abbey in 1377.

(?) Dorothy Swynford (ca. 1366 – ?), married Thomas Thymelby of Pulham near Horncastle (died 1390), Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1380.

Sir Thomas [II] Swynford (4 February 1367 – 2 April 1432), owner of Colby and Kettlethorpe from 1371, Sheriff of Lincolnshire from 1401 to 1402.

Katherine's children by John of Gaunt were:

John Beaufort (ca. 1372/1373 – 16 March 1410), 1st Earl of Somerset from 1397, 1st Marquess of Somerset and 1st Marquess of Dorset from 1397 to 1399, Constable of England from 1404; legitimized in February 1397.

Henry Beaufort (ca. 1375–1447), Bishop of Lincoln from 1398 to 1404, Bishop of Winchester from 1404, Cardinal Protopriest from 1426; legitimized in February 1397.

Joan Beaufort (ca. 1377 – 13 November 1440), married firstly Robert Ferrers of Wem and secondly Ralph Neville, 4th Baron Neville of Raby from 1388 and 1st Earl of Westmorland from 1397; legitimized in February 1397.

Thomas Beaufort (ca. January 1381 – 27 December 1426), 1st Earl of Dorset from 1411, 1st Duke of Exeter from 1416, 1st Baron Lillebon and Comte d'Harcourt from 1418; legitimized in February 1397.