Philippa of Guelders

Philippa of Guelders
Effigy of Philippa
Duchess of Lorraine
Tenure	1 September 1485 – 10 December 1508
Born	9 November 1467 Grave
Died	28 February 1547 (aged 79) Convent of Poor Clares of Pont-à-Mousson
Burial	Cordeliers Convent, Nancy
Spouse	René II, Duke of Lorraine
Issue Among others...	Antoine, Duke of Lorraine Claude, Duke of Guise John, Cardinal of Lorraine Louis, Count of Vaudémont
House	House of Egmond House of Vaudémont
Father	Adolf of Egmond
Mother	Catharine of Bourbon
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Philippa of Guelders (French: Philippe de Gueldres^[1]) (9 November 1467 – 28 February 1547^[2]), was a Duchess consort of Lorraine. She served as regent of Lorraine during the absence of her son.

She was the daughter of Adolf of Egmond and Catharine of Bourbon.^[3] Philippa was the twin of Charles, Duke of Guelders; they were born at Grave, Netherlands, and were their parents' only children. To strengthen the ties between the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Lorraine, she was chosen as the bride of René II, Duke of Lorraine (1451–1508). The marriage took place in Orléans on 1 September 1485.

After the death of her husband Philippa tried to assume the regency of the duchy in the name of her son Anthony, who was 19 years old, but it was decided that he was old enough to reign alone. However, when Duke Anthony left to serve in the French campaign in Italy, he appointed his mother Philippa to serve as regent in Lorraine during his absence.^[4] Her regency has been regarded as a wise one.

On 13 June 1509 she redeemed the lordship of Mayenne from Margaret of Vaudémont, Duchess of Alençon. She retired to the convent Clarisse to Pont-à-Mousson on 15 December 1519 where she remained until her death. She was still a dominant figure in her family and often visited by her relatives, who treated her with great respect, and she maintained a reputation of piety and popularity with the public.^[5]

While at the convent she commanded a magnificent altarpiece for the congregation, it remained there until his death. Her twin brother Charles, Duke of Gelderland, died on 30 June 1538, without legitimate offspring. Philippa claimed the duchies of Gelderland and Jülich but Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, seized the duchies. She ceded the claim to the two duchies to her son Anthony, who added it to his coat of arms.

Philippa died at the Convent of Poor Clares of Pont-à-Mousson on 28 February 1547, aged seventy nine. She outlived nine of her eleven children and was alive at the time of birth of some great-grandchildren, including Mary, Queen of Scots.

Children

Philippa and René had the following children:

• Charles (b. 17 August 1486, Nancy), d. young
• Francis (5 July 1487, Pont-à-Mousson) (died shortly after birth)
• Antoine, Duke of Lorraine (1489–1544)
• Anne (19 December 1490, Bar-le-Duc – 1491)
• Nicholas (9 April 1493, Nancy), d. young
• Isabelle (2 November 1494, Lunéville – bef. 1508)
• Claude, Duke of Guise (1496–1550), first Duke of Guise
• John, Cardinal of Lorraine and Bishop of Metz (1498–1550)
• Louis, Count of Vaudémont (1500–1528)
• Claude and Catherine (twins) (24 November 1502, Bar-le-Duc), d. young
• Francis, Count of Lambesc (1506–1525)

Ancestry

Ancestors of Philippa of Guelders

<td rowspan="2" " style="border-left: 1px solid black;">                                             32. John I, Count of Egmond               16. Arnold I, Count of Egmond                     33. Guida D'armstall               8. John II, Count of Egmond                             34. Frederick VII, Count of Leiningen               17. Jolanthe of Leiningen                       35. Yolande of Jülich               4. Arnold, Duke of Guelders                                   36. Otto, Count of Arkel               18. John V, Count of Arkel                       37. Isabella of Bar-Pierrepont               9. Maria van Arkel                             38. William II, Duke of Jülich               19. Joanna of Jülich                       39. Marie of Guelders               2. Adolf II, Duke of Guelders                                         40. Adolph II, Count of Mark               20. Adolph III, Count of Mark                       41. Margaret of Cleves               10. Adolph I, Duke of Cleves                             42. Gerhard VI of Jülich, Count of Berg and Ravensberg               21. Margaret of Jülich                       43. Margaret of Ravensberg               5. Catherine of Cleves                                   44. Philip the Bold (= 28)               22. John the Fearless (= 14)                       45. Margaret III, Countess of Flanders (= 29)               11. Marie of Burgundy                             46. Albert I, Duke of Bavaria (= 30)               23. Margaret of Bavaria (= 15)                       47. Margaret of Brieg (= 31)               1. Philippa of Guelders                                               48. Peter I, Duke of Bourbon               24. Louis II, Duke of Bourbon                       49. Isabella of Valois               12. John I, Duke of Bourbon                             50. Beraud II, Dauphin of Auvergne               25. Anna d'Auvergne                       51. Jeanne de Forez               6. Charles I, Duke of Bourbon                                   52. John II of France               26. John, Duke of Berry                       53. Bonne of Bohemia               13. Marie, Duchess of Auvergne                             54. John I of Armagnac               27. Joanna of Armagnac                       55. Beatrice of Clermont               3. Catharine of Bourbon                                         56. John II of France               28. Philip the Bold (= 44)                       57. Bonne of Bohemia               14. John the Fearless (= 22)                             58. Louis II of Flanders               29. Margaret III, Countess of Flanders (= 45)                       59. Margaret of Brabant               7. Agnes of Burgundy                                   60. Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor               30. Albert I, Duke of Bavaria (= 46)                       61. Margaret II, Countess of Hainault               15. Margaret of Bavaria (= 23)                             62. Louis I the Fair               31. Margaret of Brieg (= 47)                       63. Agnes of Głogów

References

1. Denis, Paul (1911). Ligier Richier: l'artiste et son œuvre. Berger-Levrault. p. 424.
2. royalfam.ged
3. Philippa De Guelders
4. Julia Cartwright: Christina of Denmark. Duchess of Milan and Lorraine. 1522-1590, New York, 1913
5. Julia Cartwright: Christina of Denmark. Duchess of Milan and Lorraine. 1522-1590, New York, 1913