#Windsor Royal Jewels

[the-jewel-catalogue]

On Christmas morning, Lady Louise was wearing a lovely new pair of earrings by Parisian born jewellery designer, Laurence Coste.

Laurence's designs are produced in her studio in Chelsea.

(Source : X )

[duchessofthemoonartworks]

Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II {2024} Gift for my moms birthday

[europesroyalsjewels]

Cartier Cross Bracelet of Wallis, Duchess of Windsor ♕ Sold by Sothebys in 1987 to an unknown buyer

[amelie-of-the-sea-and-sky]

My 10 favorite royal bridal necklaces in no specific order.

[copperbadge]

I think you might appreciate this summary of all the jewelry worn by all the non-British royals at Chuck’s shindig? https://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2023/05/foreign-royal-jewels-with-another-secret-tiara-moment-at-the-coronation-of-king-charles-iii-and-queen-camilla.html

As much as I dislike the Windsors, man, what a fascinating article to read. For those who are also iffy on the British Royalty, the article is about the foreign royals invited to the event and some of them are a) hot as fuck and b) wearing gorgeous jewelry.

Also I sent this to my mother, who loves all things royalty regardless of who or where, and she was DELIGHTED. We agreed the Queen of Eswatini is wearing what mushrooms would look like if they were a dress, but also that it's a gorgeous dress and she's wearing the hell out of it.

I was bummed to discover the Crown Princess of Greece brought a clutch shaped like a book rather than bringing an actual book.

(Michaelis brought a book to Gregory's coronation. Well, the thing is HOURS long and he was seated where nobody could see him. It was Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.)

Royal jewelry is an insane rabbit hole to climb down -- the last time I was looking up royals, because my parents decided to switch allegiance from the British to the Norwegians, who are more attractive and less....Like That, I found this messageboard that I still check regularly because it's fascinating.

[charlotte-of-wales]

"Royal Family persuaded Queen to end her days at Balmoral"

Princess Royal discloses Elizabeth II feared making life difficult if she died in Scotland

by Hannah Furness, Royal Editor

The late Queen was persuaded to spend her final days at Balmoral as she and the Royal family made preparations for her death, it has emerged.

Queen Elizabeth II had initially feared "it would make things more difficult" if she died at her beloved Scottish home, the Princess Royal has disclosed. Her family eventually convinced her to put her own comfort before her concern for others after a lifetime of duty.

Speaking of her mother's last days in a BBC documentary about the coronation of King Charles III, the Princess described how the family had tried to persuade her that practical issues "shouldn't be part of the decision-making process".

It is the first time the Royal family has spoken of arrangements for the late Queen's death.

Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral in Scotland on Sept 8 last year, aged 96, after reigning 70 years.

She had extended her annual summer stay at the Aberdeenshire estate, where the Prime Minister asked to travel to Scotland to spare her the journey back to Buckingham Palace for what turned out to be her final engagement.

Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren had visited Balmoral over the summer, as concern for her health grew. The Duke of Sussex and his family did not make the trip, having fears over their security.

At the time, the palace described the Queen as having "episodic mobility problems", with a series pf cancelled engagements in early 2022 giving way to a peaceful summer without expectation she would appear in public.

In September, she invited Liz Truss, her 15th prime minister, to form a government from Balmoral, breaking with a lifetime of holding the audience in London or Windsor. Then, it was said the Queen had been advised not to travel, with plans for Boris Johnson and Ms Truss to make the 1,000-mile round trip to Scotland instead.

Now, speaking in the documentary, the Princess Royal has paid loving and characteristically practical tribute to her mother.

"We always enjoyed being at Balmoral", she says in a programme to be broadcast on Boxing Day. "We spent a lot of time there in our youth and a lot of it was probably a more independent life than anywhere else. I think there was a moment where she felt it would be more difficult if she died at Balmoral. I think we did try to persuade her that that shouldn't be part of the decision-making process. So I hope she felt that was right in the end, because we did".

The Princess was the only member of the Royal family to be at Balmoral when it became clear the Queen was entering her final hours.

The then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall made an emergency journey from Dumfries House in Ayrshire, with other senior members of the family arriving after she had died.

Speaking of the moment at St. George's Chapel when the Crown Jeweller removed the crown, orb and scepter from her coffin, the Princess told BBC One programme Charles III: The Coronation Year: "When he takes the crown off the coffin, I rather weirdly felt a sense of relief. Somehow that's it, finished. That responsibility being moved on".

Speaking of her brother, who became King instantly, she added: "To be honest, I'm not sure that anybody can really prepare themselves for that kind of change. At least no easily. And then the change happens and you go OK, I know need to get on with it".

The documentary will share behind-the-scenes footage of the King's preparation for his Coronation in May.

The Princess Royal is the only member of the Royal family to be interviewed on camera. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh appear in footage, with no sign of the Duke of Sussex or Duke of York.

[wonder-worker]

"Fundamental to Alice's ability to increase her perceived influence in this fashion was her position at court. Continuing the pattern that had emerged towards the end of the 1360s during Philippa’s illness, after the death of his wife Edward III became even more politically inactive as his own health declined and he sought greater privacy with a restricted group of trusted companions at his favoured residences of Sheen, Eltham and Havering, leaving the majority of the royal household at Windsor. This created a royal court that was very much separate from the royal household. At the same time there was a marked decline in the number of members of the aristocracy amongst the king’s companions and, with the exception of the earl of Arundel, all the lords of Edward’s generation had either died or stopped attending council meetings by 1373. Of the king’s surviving sons, the Black Prince virtually retired from public life after returning from Aquitaine in 1371 debilitated by illness, Thomas of Woodstock was still too young to take an active role in government, and John of Gaunt and Edmund of Langley attended court when they could, but they, together with the young earls of March, Suffolk, Warwick, Oxford and Stafford, were too busy on the continent following the resumption of the war with France in 1369 to have any consistent presence at court.

It was under these circumstances that a small group of royal favourites, collectively identified as the court covyne or clique, came to dominate the person, policy and patronage of Edward III during the final years of his life. At the heart of this intimate circle was Alice. The other leading members were the chamberlain, William Lord Latimer; the steward, John Lord Neville of Raby; the chamber knight Richard Stury; and the financier, Richard Lyons. They were followed by a broader circle of household members and London merchants, who included: Helming Leget, receiver of the chamber; Sir John Ipres, controller of the king’s household; Nicholas Carew, keeper of the privy seal; Sir Robert Ashton, treasurer from 1375; Sir Alan Buxhull, chamber knight and constable of the Tower of London; Philip la Vache; John Pyel; Adam Francis; John Peeche; and Adam Bury. The supremacy this group maintained over the king was self-perpetuating; just as Edward, in his desire for his mistress and to be surrounded by a small number of intimates, came to be dependent on Alice, Latimer and their associates, so the members of this close-knit group reinforced their disproportionate amount of influence by supporting each other’s position.

This is not to suggest that Alice was dependent on the court covyne for her position. On the contrary, it could be argued that the king’s infatuation with his mistress made her the personal linchpin without whom the rest of the group would have fallen apart. This put Alice in a position of enormous power, as she was able not only to cajole and flatter Edward into giving her gifts of land and jewels, but also to make great demands of those who sought favour with the king and who came to her in the knowledge that, where Edward III was concerned, Alice could achieve whatever she desired. The queen’s death, her position at court, and her consequent visibility: these are the three reasons for Alice’s extraordinary rise to power after 1369 and her dramatic fall from grace in 1376, when she and her fellow courtiers came under attack from the Commons in the Good Parliament."

— Laura Tompkins, The Uncrowned Queen: Alice Perrers, Edward III and Political Crisis in Fourteenth-Century England, 1360-1377 (PHD Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2013)

[simshousewindsor]

THE ART DECO BANDEAU

The Royal House of Windsor: A Royal Tiara Collection

THE ART DECO BANDEAU

The Art Deco Bandeau was amongst the jewels gifted to Princess Lara, Countess of Boykins by her father, the late King George I, on her wedding day. It was made by Hammond & Co in 2021 of diamond black onyx, coral, and pearls, to an open bandeau design with the open band of cluster motifs boasting a natural pearl border mounted in platinum.

Her Royal Highness first wore the tiara to the 2023 South Marvanian State Banquet, and loaned it to her cousin, the Countess of St Peters, for her 2024 official portrait.

A Royal Tiara Collection

[the-jewel-catalogue]

Four Row Japanese Pearl Choker

In her book on Britain’s royal jewels, Leslie Field writes that the necklace was made “from pearls in [the Queen’s] collection.” The pearls were reportedly a gift from the Japanese government, possibly acquired during the 1970s, when she made a state visit to that nation. The necklace was constructed for her by Garrard.

A four-stranded pearl bracelet with a coordinating clasp was also made to accompany the four-stranded pearl choker necklace. Leslie Field speculates that the clasp of the necklace is large enough to accommodate an additional strand of pearls, should the Queen ever choose to make this a five-stranded choker, but it seems that both pieces were intended to be four-strand jewels.

The entire Japanese Pearl Suite was worn by someone else before the Queen ever debuted it in public. In November 1982, the Queen loaned the necklace and the bracelet to Diana, Princess of Wales, who wore both pieces for a dinner at Hampton Court Palace during a state visit from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

Queen Elizabeth II would also later loan the suite to another member of the family: the current Princess of Wales. Kate wore the pearls for the first time in November 2017, when she was still Duchess of Cambridge, for the 70th wedding anniversary dinner for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle.

The Princess of Wales notably wore the pieces to both Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth's funeral. Her most recent outing in the choker was in December 2024 for the arrival during the Qatar State Visit.

[aimeedaisies]

How may tiaras does Anne own

These are the tiaras that she has worn in the past

(Descriptions from The Court Jeweller)

What I think are in her personal collection;

✨ Festoon tiara

This delicate diamond festoon tiara was given to Princess Anne in 1973 when she christened a ship. (Not a bad thank-you present!) It’s intricate and pretty, which made it a perfect wedding tiara for Anne’s daughter-in-law in 2008. Anne still wears it regularly, including an appearance at a Guildhall banquet during the Spanish state visit in July 2017.

✨ Princess Andrew’s Meander Tiara

Princess Anne has been wearing this diamond bandeau, featuring laurel wreaths, anthemions, and a Greek Key (or meander) pattern, since she was a young woman. The tiara originally belonged to her grandmother, Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark, who had given it to Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding present. The Queen loaned it to Princess Anne for some of her early tiara appearances (including a state visit to Austria in May 1969) before giving her the tiara in 1972. Anne still wears it regularly today, and she also loaned it to her daughter, Zara, as a bridal tiara in 2011.

✨ Aquamarine Pineflower tiara

This Cartier diamond and aquamarine tiara, which has a unique pinecone design theme, was a wedding anniversary gift from King George VI to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in the 1940s. In November 1973, the Queen Mother offered it to Princess Anne as a wedding present. She’s been wearing it ever since (including at a state banquet in June 2019), and has even made a few design tweaks along the way.

In the family vault;

✨ Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara

In November 1973, Princess Anne borrowed Queen Mary’s diamond fringe tiara from her grandmother, the Queen Mother, for her wedding to Mark Phillips. Anne was the second royal bride to wear the tiara after her mother, Queen Elizabeth II (who now owns it). Most recently, it was worn by another family bride: Princess Beatrice of York.

✨ Double Row Meander Tiara

This diamond kokoshnik tiara, made of two rows of Greek Key (or meander) patterns, is a little bit of a mystery. Made in the nineteenth-century, it originally also accommodated an aigrette plume. It belonged to the Queen Mother, but we’ve only seen it worn once by a royal woman: Princess Anne’s outing in the tiara for a state banquet at Buckingham Palace during the Chinese state visit in November 2005.

✨ Cartier Halo Tiara

Like two other members of the royal family — Princess Margaret and the Duchess of Cambridge — Princess Anne’s very first tiara was the delicate scrolling halo tiara made by Cartier for the Queen Mother. The piece was loaned to Anne by her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and she wore it often in her teen years for events like the State Opening of Parliament (October 1967)

✨ Birthday Portrait Tiara

For her twenty-first birthday, Princess Anne sat for a series of official commemorative portraits. She wore an ice green gown with a diamond scroll tiara and posed in front of a background specially painted by Gordon Davies for the portrait session. The tiara has never been seen on a royal woman before or since, so there’s a general consensus that it was probably a loan. (Why would the Brits borrow a tiara? Hard to know. Perhaps they wanted a specific look?) The images were published in British newspapers in August 1971.

✨ Pearl Bandeau

Princess Anne has also worn one more mystery tiara in recent memory: a gold-hued bandeau, which appears to be set with large pearls. She donned the tiara for a state banquet at Windsor Castle during the Indian state visit in October 2009. We still don’t know anything more about it, including its provenance, and we haven’t seen it in public since.

I would love to see her wear the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara (although she probably won’t now that Cam has 🥲), there is also an absolutely gorgeous tiara called the Teck Tiara that has crescent moons, roses and leaves (I don’t even know if it’s still in the main family anymore) 😍

Please drop your favourite tiaras that you’d love to see Anne wear in the comments 😍

[europesroyalsjewels]

Bib Necklace of Wallis, Duchess of Windsor ♕ Sold by Sothebys in 1987 to an unknown buyer

[acti-veg]

The serial concealment of the wills of the Windsor family has become a contentious issue for the monarchy.

For more than a century, the Windsors have been able to keep secret the contents of wills belonging to 33 members of their family. They obtained a special carve-out from a law that ordinarily requires the wills of British citizens to be made public.

This exemption has enabled the royal family to prevent the public from finding out what types of assets – such as property and jewels – have been acquired by the Windsors and how these were then distributed to, for example, relatives, friends or staff.

[world-of-wales]

─ •✧ WILLIAM'S YEAR IN REVIEW : NOVEMBER ✧• ─

1 NOVEMBER - The Prince of Wales held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. He gave a video message at Emergency Responders Mental Health Symposium. 2 NOVEMBER - The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay visited at Burghead Primary School and Brodieshill Farm. Subsequently they visited Day1 in Inverness. 4 NOVEMBER - William departed from Heathrow Airport for Singapore. He appeared in the BBC Earthshot Prize Trailer. He appeared in a video message to support the Stand Up To Cancer Campaign. 5 NOVEMBER - William arrived at Singapore Changi Airport and was received by the British High Commissioner to the Republic of Singapore. Afterwards, he attended a Welcome to Singapore event at the Jewel and was received by the Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. 6 NOVEMBER - William visited PAssion Wave @Marina Bay and joined in a Dragon Boat Race. He was received by The President of Singapore at the Istana. Subsequently, William called upon the Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore. He attended the United for Wildlife Global Summit. 7 NOVEMBER - William held Meeting with Finalists of the 2023 Earthshot Awards. Afterwards, he attended a Founding Partners' Lunch. He attended the Earthshot Prize rehearsals. He later visited EcoLabs. He attended the Earthshot Prize Awards. Subsequently he attended an Earthshot Prize Thank You Reception. 8 NOVEMBER - William visited TreeTop Walk at Central Catchment Nature Reserve. He attended the Earthshot+ Summit. He visited Centre for Wildlife Forensics. William attended a Meeting with UK Defence Advisers at the British High Commission. He attended a Reception for the Earthshot Prize. Finally, he departed from Singapore Changi Airport for the UK. William gave appeared in an Earthshot Q&A video. 9 NOVEMBER - He arrived at Heathrow Airport. 10 NOVEMBER - William appeared in BTS Earthshot Prize Portraits. 11 NOVEMBER - Will and Cat attended the RBL Festival of Remembrance. 12 NOVEMBER - The Prince of Wales along with The Princess attended the Remembrance Day Service of Remembrance and laid a wreath at the Cenotaph. The broadcast of the 2023 Earthshot Awards, featured a video of William and Catherine snorkelling with Coral Vita. 13 NOVEMBER - William received Lieutenant General Ian Cave & Brigadier Peter Dennis (Colonel & Secretary, Mercian Regiment) at Windsor Castle. Later, he attended the Funeral of Sir Robert Charlton. 14 NOVEMBER - William and Catherine attended The King's Birthday Party. 15 NOVEMBER - The Prince of Wales was represented by Miss Helen Asprey at the Service of Thanksgiving for the late Earl of Airlie KT. 16 NOVEMBER - William visited the Hideaway Youth Project in Manchester. Later, he visited Keeping It Real at Moss Side Millennium Powerhouse. Subsequently, he visited Jessie's Wall. 17 NOVEMBER - William appeared in a 'This or That' session video for Earthshot. 21 NOVEMBER - William and Catherine welcomed The President of the Republic of Korea and Mrs Kim Keon Hee at their Hotel. They then accompanied the Presidential Couple to Horse Guards and were met by The King and Queen. Afterwards, they viewed an Exhibition of the Royal Collection items relating to the Republic of Korea. Finally, they attended the State Dinner at Buckingham Palace. 22 NOVEMBER - Will and Cat held a Reception at Windsor Castle. 23 NOVEMBER - The Prince of Wales received Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown and Prince Radu of Romania. Later, he visited The Mercian Regiment on Salisbury Plain. 24 NOVEMBER - He received The Crown Prince of the Sultanate of Oman. 27 NOVEMBER - William held an Investiture at Buckingham Palace. Later, he attended the Tusk Conservation Awards. 28 NOVEMBER - William received Lieutenant Colonel Guy Bartle-Jones (Regimental Adjutant, Welsh Guards). Afterwards, he received submariners. He awrote a letter to Dr. Alex George. 30 NOVEMBER - William and Catherine received Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel of Sweden at Windsor Castle. Afterwards, they were we're joined by Victoria and Daniel for the Royal Variety Show.

[firstprince-ao3feed]

the family jewels

by lesbian_and_bored "You all know Queen Mary’s story. You all know how she came to be so cruel. You know that she did this without remorse: after all, it had happened to her. You know of the emptiness that she felt inside. I must admit to you, that is not the end of her story. Not yet. There is more, if you are willing to listen. Again, I must warn you that this story does not have a happy ending. These never do. A story is not sufficient for this. Queen Mary left a lot of scars, and, as such, these will tell our story. But let me warn you — this is not her story alone. It is not hers to tell. Come and listen, if you will. You know how her story starts. Are you willing to find out how it ends? " OR: Queen Mary has dementia. Everyone deals with it. Words: 10472, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 5 of scattered 'cross my family line Fandoms: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston, Red White & Royal Blue (2023) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M Characters: Queen Mary (Red White & Royal Blue), Alex Claremont-Diaz, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Philip Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Arthur Fox, Beatrice Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Catherine Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Martha Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Arthur Fox/Catherine Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Martha Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor/Philip Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, King James III/Queen Mary (Red White & Royal Blue), Queen Mary (Red White & Royal Blue)/Original Character(s) Additional Tags: Dead Queen Mary (Red White & Royal Blue), i mean at the end, its kind of how she died ig, Introspection, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Pez mention - Freeform, pushing my 'philip is aroace' agenda, One fic at a time, Heavy Angst, The Official Queen Mary Backstory, she's a lesbian, wlw, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Mary Has Dementia, author lives in britain but knows shit about the royal family, and it shows, okay maybe this isnt happy, Bittersweet Ending, lets go with that, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Internalized Homophobia, from like, EVERYONE - Freeform, Dead Arthur Fox, Henry and Alex Get Their Happy Ending, Queen Mary Being an Asshole (Red White & Royal Blue), but look she has a reason, Minor Character Death, Hurt No Comfort, no beta we die like queen mary, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, The Author Regrets Nothing, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Kind Of, like a moment, i swear there is more tags but hey ho, Oh wait, Songfic, Song: The Family Jewels (Marina & the Diamonds), it fits them so well okay sit the fuck down if you dont agree your wrong, I Wrote This While Listening to Marina & the Diamonds' Music, Title from a Marina & the Diamonds Song, Song Lyrics, okay I think thats everything, the end to mary's story yall, Philip Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Redemption, lowkey, Good Sibling Philip Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Good Sibling Beatrice Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, highkey via https://ift.tt/FqTVup5

[ilovethewaleses]

But is she putting in as much effort as she used to? I’ve never seen so many illfitted trousers on her as I’ve seen the past few weeks (today and the beige ones are the worst). And wearing Burberry today was a weird choice given the content of the engagements, considering their clothes isn’t even made in the UK. Her team would’ve been much more on top of that in the past. I think she wants to portray a certain look but whether she likes it or not what she wears is important too.

But I will say, William is worse. He shows up in wrinkly clothes almost every day, and he seems to have forgotten where his ties are most days. Receiving guests in Windsor Castle not even wearing an business suit was a real low point for him. The media and royal watchers just forget the men and don’t have the same kind of expectations on them.

I don’t know if you’ve seen their staff but some of them dress so bad even on official engagements, like I’ll never forget one of their engagements during the coronation week when one of their staff showed up in cargo pants. I think their office in general became too casual during the pandemic and they haven’t regained what they had before that (the pandemic overall was really detrimental to their office, I think they lost too many staff members at the same time so there’s too many newish ones there, see how awful their social media has been the past few years (the last few weeks have been much better though)).

Umm... what?? Sorry anon but I do not agree with much of this.

Catherine has worn a wrinkly outfit probably one time that I can remember in recent years. It was Wimbledon and when I saw it on tv, you couldn't even tell. Even if I haven't liked an outfit, every single outfit she has practically EVER worn has been completely appropriate. Yes she's had a few wardrobe snafus here and there but as one of the most photographed women in the world under an intense microscope, she is of course going to have a few of those.

What she wears is important, you're right. Which is why she is always beautifully turned out with well-fitting clothes appropriate for the occasion. She looks completely professional. There's nothing "not princess-like" about wearing trousers, unless we're still stuck in the 1950s. I think what it is is people got used to her dresses and when she's been changing it up, people don't know what to do with themselves... lol. She goes out and does these engagements in nice clothes and then when it comes to the big royal events, she wears very "princessy" clothes and tiaras and jewels. She's been at this for 12 years, she is going to go through lots of different clothing eras. She's experimenting, she's trying a new look, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I am incredibly confused how somehow putting on a dress = effort but putting on a three piece suit does not... there is nothing ill-fitting about this look at all to me 🤷🏼‍♀️ And one quick google search tells me that Burberry is made in multiple locations including the UK.

I also... don't care what their aids or staff are wearing lol. And I don't think their social media is awful, either. In fact, I think it's been pretty great these past few months.

[wonder-worker]

"In the early 1360s Edward III took as his mistress Alice Perrers, the daughter of a London goldsmith and widow of one of the King’s jewellers, Janyn Perrers. Alice’s opponents would later viciously exaggerate her low birth—Thomas Walsingham claimed that her father was a thatcher—so it has only been in this century that her true identity was revealed by Mark Ormrod and Laura Tompkins. Alice became one of Philippa’s demoiselles, but supplemented her income from Philippa with a role as a moneylender to merchants and gentry. During Philippa’s lifetime she began investing her wealth in property that, Tompkins has estimated, would eventually approach £2000 per annum in value—an income that exceeded that of some earls.

Alice bore the King a son, John Southeray, in about 1365 and from 1367 she received a number of royal grants. Her name is notably absent from the list of Philippa’s ladies who received bequests in the Queen’s will. Philippa died in 1369 and, unlike other widowed kings of the later Middle Ages, Edward III seems to have made no attempt to look for a replacement queen. Alice then emerged as a public figure, richly rewarded by the King, and sought out by courtiers for her influence over him. In 1373 Edward gave her a collection of the queen’s jewels and the following year the Pope himself included her among those he petitioned to influence Edward III to engineer his brother’s freedom from captivity. Alice subsequently stole the show at a royal tournament at Smithfeld when she dressed as “the Lady of the Sun.” Her choice of outft was probably a deliberate spin on Edward III’s own sunburst emblem.

Alice was indubitably a skilled businesswoman with an impressive grasp of property law, but she was also abusing her closeness to the King in order to build up her wealth. Moreover, contemporaries identifed her as the heart of a disruptive and malign court clique. Tompkins has argued that Alice’s powerful and self-serving influence over the King was perceived as “inverting queenship.” During the Good Parliament of 1376, Alice was condemned for the use of maintenance, accused of taking thousands of pounds from the Exchequer, and ordered to stay away from the court, under threat of banishment.

Thomas Walsingham reported that at this time her accomplice in seducing the King was also arrested, a Dominican friar who was an “evil magician” and had used wax effgies of the King and Alice to enable her to “get whatever she wanted from the King.” There is no corroborating evidence for this story of arrest, but the idea that low status women could only attract the admiration of kings or nobles through witchcraft was a pervasive one, especially apparent in Elizabeth Woodville’s story [...], and probably also in that of a later quasi-queen, Eleanor Cobham [...].

Just months after the Good Parliament, the King had pardoned Alice, but he died the following year. At some point in the 1370s she had taken a second husband, Sir William Windsor, who spent most of his career in Ireland. In the autumn of 1377, Alice was accused of having persuaded Edward III to countermand an order to investigate charges against Windsor the previous year and to pardon one of her business associates. Alice was sentenced to banishment and forfeiture of all goods and lands. Although this banishment was revoked in 1379, her subsequent attempts to regain her possessions were consistently frustrated. She died in the winter of 1401��1402, bequeathing her “usurped” lands to her two daughters by the King. Their son had predeceased her.

Unlike the later quasi-queens, Alice’s position came from sharing a king’s bed and was thus closer to that of an actual consort. By contrast, her low social status and ineligibility to produce an heir to the throne made her less like a queen consort than her successors. She was thus better physically positioned to exert influence but ideologically wholly separated from any authority to do so."

J.L Laynesmith and Elena Woodacre, "The Later Medieval English Consorts: Power, Infuence, Dynasty", "Later Plantagenets and Wars of the Roses Consorts"