“Wishing to Defend Her Country”: Philippa of Hainaut, Royal Marital Partnership, and the Battle of Neville’s Cross (1346)

This article re-examines the chronicle accounts of Philippa of Hainaut, Queen of England, being present at the Battle of Neville’s Cross through the lens of constructing ideal queenship models. It argues that there is more evidence for Philippa’s presence than have previously been considered, including an often-overlooked account from Valenciennes. Even if this was an exaggeration of the evidence by Flemish chroniclers, the construction of Philippa’s role expands our understanding of ideal queenship in late medieval England. Philippa’s military participation is praised as a mirror to her husband’s victory at Crécy to construct an ideal of English queenship which could involve military leadership alongside motherhood and intercession. In examining the similar descriptions of the two battles provided by Froissart’s Chronicles, the article outlines how kingship and queenship were dually constructed and mutually dependent. One could not be fully realized without the other.