Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster (25 March 1345 – 12 September 1368) was an English noblewoman and heiress, daughter of England's wealthiest and most powerful peer, Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. She was the first wife of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and the mother of King Henry IV of England.^[2]

Lineage[link]

Blanche was born on 25 March 1345^[1], although the year 1347 has also been suggested.^[3] She was the younger daughter of Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his wife Isabel de Beaumont. She and her elder sister Maud, Countess of Leicester, were born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lindsey.

Blanche's paternal grandparents were Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, and Maud de Chaworth. Her maternal grandparents were the 1st Earl of Buchan and Alice Comyn.^[2] Her sister Maud first married Ralph de Stafford and then William I, Duke of Bavaria,^[2] however Maud did not bear children from either husband.

Marriage[link]

On 19 May 1359, at Reading Abbey, Reading, Berkshire, Blanche married her third cousin, John of Gaunt, third son of King Edward III of England and his Queen consort, Philippa of Hainault. The whole royal family was present at the wedding, and the king gave Blanche expensive gifts of jewellery.^[4]

The title Duke of Lancaster became extinct upon her father's death without male heirs in 1361. However, through his marriage to Blanche, John of Gaunt became Earl of Lancaster, Earl of Derby, Earl of Lincoln and Earl of Leicester (although Gaunt did not receive all of these titles until the death of Blanche's older sister, Maud, in 1362). The Duchy of Lancaster (second creation) was later bestowed on Gaunt. The influence associated with the titles would lead him to become Lord High Steward of England.

Jean Froissart described Blanche (following her death) as "jone et jolie" ("young and pretty").^[5] Geoffrey Chaucer described "White" (the central figure in his Book of the Duchess, believed to have been inspired by Blanche: see below) in such terms as "rody, fresh, and lyvely hewed", her neck as "whyt, smothe, streght, and flat", and her throat as "a round tour of yvoire": she was "bothe fair and bright", and Nature's "cheef patron [pattern] of beautee".^[6]

Gaunt and Blanche's marriage is widely believed to have been happy, although there is in fact little solid evidence for this. The assumption seems to be based on the fact that Gaunt chose to be buried with Blanche, despite his two subsequent marriages, and on the themes of love, devotion and grief expressed in Chaucer's poem (see below) – a rather circular argument, as it is partly on the basis of these themes that the couple's relationship is identified as the inspiration for the poem.

Blanche and Gaunt had seven children, three of whom survived infancy.

The tomb of Blanche and John of Gaunt in St. Paul's Cathedral, as represented in an etching of 1658 by Wenceslaus Hollar. The etching includes a number of inaccuracies, for example in not showing the couple with joined hands.

The death and commemoration of Blanche[link]

Blanche of Lancaster died at Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire, on 12 September 1368 while her husband was overseas.^[7] She was 23 years of age at the time of her death,^[1] although Froissart reported that she died aged about 22.^[8] Her funeral at St. Paul's Cathedral in London was preceded by a magnificent cortege attended by most of the upper nobility and clergy. John of Gaunt held annual commemorations of her death for the rest of his life and established a joint chantry foundation on his own death.

In 1373, Jean Froissart wrote a long poem, Le Joli Buisson de Jonece, commemorated both Blanche and Philippa of Hainault (Gaunt’s mother, who had died in 1369).

It may have been for one of the anniversary commemorations of Blanche's death that Geoffrey Chaucer, then a young squire and mostly unknown writer of court poetry, was commissioned to write what became The Book of the Duchess in her honour. Though Chaucer’s intentions can never be defined with absolute certainty, many believe that at least one of the aims of the poem was to make John of Gaunt see that his grief for his late wife had become excessive, and to prompt him to try to overcome it.

In 1374, six years after her death, John of Gaunt commissioned a double tomb for himself and Blanche from the mason Henry Yevele: the magnificent monument in the choir of St Paul's was completed by Yevele in 1380, with the assistance of Thomas Wrek, having cost a total of £592. Gaunt himself died in 1399, and was laid to rest beside Blanche. The two effigies were notable for having their right hands joined. An adjacent chantry chapel was added between 1399 and 1403.^[9]

Issue[link]

Blanche and John of Gaunt together had seven children:^[10]

• Philippa (31 March 1360 – 19 July 1415). Queen consort of John I of Portugal.
• John (c.1362/1364). Died in early infancy.
• Elizabeth (21 February 1364 – 24 November 1426). Married firstly John Hastings, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, secondly to John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter, thirdly to John Cornwall, 1st Baron Fanhope.
• Edward (1365 – 1365).
• John (4 May 1366). Died in early infancy.
• Henry IV of England (3 April 1367 – 20 March 1413). Married firstly Mary de Bohun and secondly Joanna of Navarre.
• Isabella (b.1368). Died young.

Blanche's daughter, Philippa, married John of Portugal which made Blanche the ancestress of the successive kings of Portugal. This line led to Isabella I of Castile, and through Isabella, Blanche is an ancestress of various European monarchs. Blanche's son, Henry, became King of England after he overthrew his cousin, Richard II of England, the eldest son of John's brother, Edward the Black Prince. Henry's reign marked the beginning of a cadet (younger) branch of the Plantaganet line, making Blanche's family, the House of Lancaster, the new ruling house in England.

Blanche's grandchildren by her daughter, Philippa:

• Blanche (1388–1389), named after her grandmother;
• Afonso (1390–1400), named after several Kings of Portugal, including his great-grandfather Afonso IV;
• Edward (1391–1438), named after his great-grandfather Edward III of England. He was a writer and an intellectual, who succeeded his father as King of Portugal in 1433;
• Peter (1392–1449), named after his grandfather Peter I of Portugal. He was the First Duke of Coimbra, a remarkable ruler and well-travelled man, who served as Regent during the minority of his nephew Afonso V;
• Henry the Navigator (1394–1460), first Duke of Viseu, who guided Portugal to the Great era of The Discoveries, named after his great-grandfather Henry of Grosmont;
• Isabella (1397–1472), who married Philip III of Burgundy and was one of the most powerful and admired women in Europe;
• Blanche (1398), died in childhood;
• John (1400–1442), Duke of Aveiro, the grandfather of the two greatest Iberian monarchs in the 16th century, Manuel I of Portugal and Isabella I of Castile;
• Ferdinand (1402–1443) "the Saint Prince," a warrior, who was captured during the Disaster of Tangier and died a prisoner of the Moors.

Blanche's grandchildren by her son, Henry:

• Edward b&d. April 1382; buried Monmouth Castle, Monmouth
• Henry V of England
• Thomas, Duke of Clarence
• John, Duke of Bedford
• Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester
• Blanche of England (1392–1409) married in 1402 Louis III, Elector Palatine
• Philippa of England (1394–1430) married in 1406 Eric of Pomerania, king of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Blanche's youngest surviving daughter, Elizabeth, married twice and had children by both husbands. Blanche's grandchildren by Elizabeth:

• Constance Holland (1387–1437) who married Thomas Mowbray, 4th Earl of Norfolk and Sir John Grey
• Richard Holland (c. 1389 - 3 September 1400)
• Alice Holland (c. 1392 - c. 1406) who married Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford
• John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter(1395–1447)
• Sir Edward Holland (1399–1413)

With John Cornwall, she had two children:

• Constance Cornwall (c. 1401 - c. 1427) who married John Fitzalan, 14th Earl of Arundel
• John Cornwall (b&d. 1404)

The Book of the Duchess[link]

Geoffrey Chaucer was commissioned by Gaunt to write a poem after Blanche's death which was titled The Book of the Duchess. The poem tells the story of the poet’s dream. Wandering a wood, the poet discovers a knight clothed in black, and inquires of the knight’s sorrow. The knight, meant to represent John of Gaunt, is mourning a terrible tragedy, which mirrors Gaunt's own extended mourning for Blanche.

Ancestry[link]

Notes[link]

References[link]

• The Complete Peerage
• Blanche of Lancaster @thePeerage.com

v t e House of Plantagenet Titles Count of Gâtinais (origin) · Count of Anjou · Count of Maine · King of Jerusalem (claim) · Duke of Aquitaine · Duke of Normandy · King of England · Lord of Ireland · Duke of Brittany · Lord of Cyprus · Prince of Wales · King of the Romans (claim) · King of France (claim) · King of Sicily (claim) · King of Castile (claim) Armorial of Plantagenet Branches House of Lancaster · House of York · House of Beaufort Monarchs, their queens and issue Henry II of England Spouse: Eleanor of Aquitaine William IX, Count of Poitiers · Henry the Young King · Richard I of England · Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany · Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony · Eleanor, Queen of Castile · Joan, Queen of Sicily · John, King of England Illegitimates: William de Longespée, Earl of Salisbury · Geoffrey, Archbishop of York Henry the Young King Queen consort: Margaret of France William (died in infancy) Richard I of England Spouse: Berengaria of Navarre Illegitimates: Philip of Cognac John, King of England Spouse: Isabella of Angoulême Henry III of England · Richard, Earl of Cornwall · Joan, Queen of Scots · Isabella, Holy Roman Empress · Eleanor Illegitimates: Joan, Lady of Wales · Richard FitzRoy · Oliver FitzRoy · Geoffrey FitzRoy · John FitzRoy · Henry FitzRoy · Osbert Gifford · Eudes FitzRoy · Bartholomew FitzRoy · Maud FitzRoy · Isabel FitzRoy · Philip FitzRoy · William de Forz Henry III of England Spouse: Eleanor of Provence Edward I of England · Margaret, Queen of Scots · Beatrice, Duchess of Brittany · Edmund, Earl of Lancaster · Katherine Edward I of England Spouse: Eleanor of Castile · Margaret of France Eleanor, Countess of Bar · Joan, Countess of Hertford and Gloucester · Alphonso, Earl of Chester · Margaret, Duchess of Brabant · Mary Plantagenet · Elizabeth, Countess of Hereford · Edward II of England · Thomas, Earl of Norfolk · Edmund, Earl of Kent Edward II of England Spouse: Isabella of France Edward III of England · John, Earl of Cornwall · Eleanor, Countess of Guelders · Joan, Queen of Scots Edward III of England Spouse: Philippa of Hainault Edward, Prince of Wales · Isabella · Joan · Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence · John, Duke of Lancaster · Edmund, Duke of York · Mary, Duchess of Brittany · Margaret, Countess of Pembroke · Thomas, Duke of Gloucester Richard II of England Spouse: Anne of Bohemia · Isabella of Valois Henry IV of England Spouses: Mary de Bohun · Joanna of Navarre Henry V of England · Thomas, Duke of Clarence · John, Duke of Bedford · Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester · Blanche, Electorial Princess Palatine · Philippa, Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden Henry V of England Spouse: Catherine of Valois Henry VI of England Henry VI of England Spouse: Margaret of Anjou Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales Edward IV of England Spouse: Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth, Queen of England · Mary of York · Cecily, Viscountess Welles · Edward V of England · Richard, Duke of York · Anne, Countess of Surrey · Catherine, Countess of Devon · Bridget of York Edward V of England no consort or issue Richard III of England Queen consort: Anne Neville Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales Illegitimates: John of Gloucester · Katherine Plantagenet · Richard of Eastwell History Matilda, Lady of the English · Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou · Treaty of Wallingford · Angevin Empire · Revolt of 1173–1174 · Third Crusade · Magna Carta · First Barons' War · Provisions of Oxford · Second Barons' War · Gothic architecture · University of Oxford · University of Cambridge · Parliament of England · Competitors for the Crown of Scotland · Treaty of Northampton · House of Capet · Hundred Years' War · Order of the Garter · College of Arms · Wars of the Roses Category · Royalty Portal

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Ken Follett
Born	(1949-06-05) 5 June 1949 (age 63) Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Occupation	Novelist
Genres	Thriller, Historical Fiction
Notable work(s)	Eye of the Needle, The Key to Rebecca, Pillars of the Earth, Whiteout
Spouse(s)	Barbara Follett
www.ken-follett.com

Ken Follett (born 5 June 1949) is a Welsh author of thrillers and historical novels. He has sold more than 100 million copies of his works. Four of his books have reached the number 1 ranking on the New York Times best-seller list: The Key to Rebecca, Lie Down with Lions, Triple, and World Without End.^[1]

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Follett was born on 5 June 1949 in Cardiff, Wales. He was the first child of Martin Follett, a tax inspector, and Lavinia (Veenie) Follett, who went on to have three more children.^[2][3] Barred from watching movies and television by his Plymouth Brethren parents, he developed an early interest in reading but remained an indifferent student until he entered his teens.^[2][3] His family moved to London when he was ten years old and he began applying himself to his studies at Harrow Weald Grammar School and Poole Technical College, and won admission in 1967 to University College London, where he studied philosophy and became involved in centre-left politics.

Marriage and early success[link]

He married his first wife, Mary, in 1968, and their son Emanuele was born in the same year.^[2] After graduation in the autumn of 1970 Follett took a three-month post-graduate course in journalism and went to work as a trainee reporter in Cardiff on the South Wales Echo.^[2] After three years in Cardiff he returned to London as a general-assignment reporter for the Evening News.^[2] Finding the work unchallenging he eventually left journalism for publishing and became, by the late 1970s, deputy managing director of the small London publisher Everest Books.^[2] He also began writing fiction during evenings and weekends as a hobby. Later he said he began writing books when he needed extra money to fix his car, and the publisher's advance a fellow journalist had been paid for a thriller was the sum required for the repairs.^[4] Success came gradually at first but the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978 made him both wealthy and internationally famous. Each of Follett's subsequent novels has also become a best-seller, ranking high on the New York Times Best Seller list; a number have been adapted for the screen. He is also featured in Making Music Magazine.

Follett became involved, during the late 1970s, in the activities of Britain's Labour Party. In the course of his political activities he met the former Barbara Broer, a Labour official, who became his second wife in 1984. She was elected as a Member of Parliament in 1997, representing Stevenage. She was re-elected in both 2001 and in 2005, but did not run in the 2010 general election after becoming embroiled in the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal, where she was among the MPs found to have overclaimed the highest amount of expenses.^[5] Follett himself remains a prominent Labour supporter and fundraiser as well as a prominent Blairite. In 2010 he was the largest donor to Ed Balls' campaign to become leader of the Labour Party, saying "Ed Balls is the only Labour leadership candidate who offers a path to economic growth; his time at the treasury, with low borrowing and high growth, shows he is the true candidate of the centre in this leadership election. Only Ed offers a broad appeal to all voters and is not afraid to stand up to the left wing of the party, much like Tony Blair."^{[citation needed]}

Public life[link]

On 15 September 2010, Follett, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in The Guardian stating their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to the UK.^[6]

Bibliography[link]

• The Big Needle (1974) (as Simon Myles) (apa The Big Apple - U.S.)^[7]
• The Big Black (1974) (as Simon Myles)^[7]
• The Big Hit (1975) (as Simon Myles)^[7]
• The Shakeout (1975)^[8]
• The Bear Raid (1976)^[8]
• Amok: King of Legend (1976) (as Bernard L. Ross)
• The Modigliani Scandal (1976) (as Zachary Stone)
• The Mystery Hideout (1976) (as Martin Martinsen) (apa The Secret of Kellerman's Studio)
• The Power Twins (1976) (as Martin Martinsen)
• Paper Money (1977) (as Zachary Stone)
• Capricorn One (1978) (as Bernard L. Ross) (based on screenplay by Peter Hyams)
• Eye of the Needle (1978) (apa Storm Island) (Edgar Award, 1979, Best Novel)
• Heist of the Century (1978) (with Rene Louis Maurice, others) (apa The Gentleman of 16 July - U.S.) (apa Under the Streets of Nice) (apa Robbery Under the Streets of Nice)^[9][10]
• Triple (1979)
• The Key to Rebecca (1980)
• The Man from St. Petersburg (1982)
• On Wings of Eagles (1983)
• Lie Down with Lions (1986)
• The Pillars of the Earth (1989)
• Night Over Water (1991)
• A Dangerous Fortune (1993)
• A Place Called Freedom (1995)
• The Third Twin (1996)
• The Hammer of Eden (1998)
• Code to Zero (2000)
• Jackdaws (2001)
• Hornet Flight (2002)
• Whiteout (2004)
• World Without End (2007)
• Fall of Giants (2010)
• Winter of the World (2012)^[11]

References and notes[link]

Further reading[link]

• Ken Follett: The Transformation of a Writer (ISBN 978-0879727987), written by Carlos Ramet. Popular Press, November 1990.

External links[link]

• Ken Follett's Website
• Works by or about Ken Follett in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Example Article Directory
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KenFollettAuthor
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kenfollettauthor
• Twitter: @KMFollett
• IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0284336/

George C. Runner, Jr. (born March 25, 1952) is the Republican Board Member for District 2 of the five-member California Board of Equalization (the only publicly elected tax commission in the United States).

From 2004 to 2010, he was a California State Senator representing the 17th Senate District, which includes portions of Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and Ventura County, and was the Republican Caucus Chair from 2004 to 2009, which is the second-highest Republican leadership post in the California State Senate. From 1996 to 2002, he was a California State Assemblyman representing the 36th Assembly District, which at the time consisted of portions of Los Angeles County.^[1]

Early life[link]

Born in Scotia, New York, Runner moved with his family to Lancaster, California as a young child. After attending local public schools in Lancaster, Runner earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from the University of Redlands and a graduate certificate in Management from Azusa Pacific University.

Private school founding[link]

With his wife Sharon, George Runner founded the Desert Christian Schools.^[2]

"We wanted a school for not only everyone else's children, but for our own children, where we knew they were going to hear about God in an exciting way; a place where their faith was not just some parallel subject matter, but was integrated effectively throughout history, math, science and English."