Aoife MacMurrough (pronounced EE-fa), sometimes referred to as Eva of Leinster, was the daughter of Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster. Historians believe Aoife was born around 1153. Though little is known of her childhood, she was educated in Irish law as well as other areas to prepare her for a life as a wife of high status.

In the 1160s Aoife’s family found themselves entrenched in political turmoil. Her father, King Dermot, and his family fled to Normandy after a failed uprising. There, he sought the assistance of Henry II of England to regain his lands. During Dermot’s negotiations in 1170, Aoife was wed to Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (also known as “Strongbow”). The couple had two children together, Gilbert and Isabel.

Sadly, Richard de Clare died of an acute infection and Aoife was left a widow in 1176. Their son, Gilbert, became the 3rd Earl of Pembroke. Aoife, a wealthy widow, never remarried and spent her final years residing on her properties and protecting her children.

Unfortunately, we do not know the date (or even the year) of Aoife’s death. She was interred in Tintern Abbey in Wales. Despite the scarce details of her life, Aoife’s legacy carried on. Although her son, Gilbert, died around age 12 her daughter, Isabel, lived on to have children of her own. When Gilbert died, he was succeeded by Isabel. As the Countess of Pembroke and heiress of Leinster, a marriage was arranged for her by Richard I to William Marshal, a long-serving soldier who had risen significantly politically. Isabel and William’s many children went on to make prestigious marriages into the royal family and aristocracy.

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Sources

• Chadwick, Elizabeth. 2019. The Irish Princess. Sphere.

• Maclise, Daniel. 1854. The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife. Oil on canvas.

• “Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.” 2022. Englishmonarchs.co.uk. 2022. https://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/strongbow.html.

• Wikimedia Foundation. (2026, March 6). Aoife MacMurrough. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aoife_MacMurrough

Katherine was born around 1350, most likely in the county of Hainaut (part of present-day Belgium and France). It is possible she was born on the feast of St. Catherine on November 25 and named for this saint. We unfortunately do not know who Katherine’s mother was, but her father was Paon de Roet. Paon was a knight in the household of Queen Philippa. Queen Philippa was herself from Hainault and Paon traveled with her to the court of Edward III upon her marriage to him. Katherine had two sisters and a brother, but it is unknown if all four children were from the same marriage or if Paon was married twice. Many historians, including Alison Weir, believe that Katherine was the eldest of Paon’s children. What is known is that Katherine and her sister Philippa were taken into the household of the queen whilst their father served her. There they were surrounded by the many children of King Edward and Queen Philippa, as well as many children of noble birth that were a part of the Queen’s household.

By the mid-1360s, Katherine had married Sir Hugh Swynford, a soldier about ten years her senior. By Hugh, Katherine had three daughters and one son. Her son Thomas Swynford was born in 1367, and of her children, he is the only one that we know much about. We do know that at least one of these daughters became a nun and one married, but little else is known of them. Sometime during this same decade, Katherine began working in the household of Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster. Blanche was the wife of John of Gaunt, the third surviving son of the king and queen. While Hugh served the duke, Katherine served the duchess. Both Hugh and Blanche passed away, in 1367 and 1371 respectively. Katherine remained in John of Gaunt’s household. He had three small children and Katherine served as their governess.

At some point in the 1370s, John and Katherine began their love affair. Shortly after the death of Blanche of Lancaster, John had married Constance of Castile. This was purely a political match as constance was the heir to the kingdom of Castile. John had hopes of claiming the Castilian throne in right of Constance. Interestingly, during this same time John’s younger brother Edmund of Langley married Constance’s younger sister, Isabella. Despite John’s marital status, he and Katherine maintained a long term affair and he supported her financially. Initially, Katherine served the new Duchess of Lancaster, Constance, but according to Alison Weir she likely left court around the time of her first pregnancy by John.

Katherine and John welcomed their first child, John, around 1372. Over the next decade the couple would have three other children: Henry, Joan, and Thomas. These children were given the surname Beaufort, derived from Beaufort Castle once owned by the duke. Katherine spent time at various ducal properties and on her own estates, but she was no longer in the service of Constance (although her sister Philippa was). Katherine and John’s affair was well known by this time, and drew much critcism. People were scandalized when they appeared together in public and Katherine was called a witch and a whore.

In 1381, the Peasants’ Revolt caused much upheaval. The duke’s opulent Savoy Palace was completely destroyed. The people were unhappy not only with John’s elicit affair, but his governance during the reign of Richard II. After this, John issued a public quitclaim breaking his ties with Katherine. It is unknown exactly what the nature of their relationship was after this, but John did continue to provide for Katherine and his children by her.

A few years later, in 1384, Constance of Castile died. What happened next is what makes Katherine’s story incredibly unique from other medieval mistresses. It is unknown if John’s motivation was love or legitimization of his offspring, but he decided to marry Katherine. The couple were married in 1396 in Lincoln Cathedral. John then obtained a papal bull legitimizing his four Beaufort children: John, Henry, Joan, and Thomas. Although the marriage was unpopular with many members of the royal family and nobility, their children were legitimized. Katherine was now the second highest ranking woman at court, with only Queen Anne of Bohemia (wife of Richard II) outranking her.

The legitimization of the Beaufort siblings opened up possibilities that were once unimaginable. Their eldest child, John, was made the Earl of Somerset and later became the Constable of England. Their second son, Henry, rose through the highest ranks of the church. He first became a bishop and later a cardinal. Joan, the couple’s only daughter, married the powerful Earl of Westmorland (this was her second marriage as she was widowed very young). Thomas, the youngest of the brood, became an earl and pursued a successful military career.

John of Gaunt died in 1399 with Katherine by his side. Their four Beaufort children remained loyal to the crown and to their half brother, Henry IV (son of John and Blanche of Lancaster). After John’s death, Richard II took possession of all of his Lancastrian estates and possessions. These were eventually restored to Katherine in the subsequent reign of her step son, Henry IV. Katherine remained a fixture in Lincoln during her final years. She died on May 10, 1403 and was interred in Lincoln Cathedral (see image below). 37 years later, her daughter Joan would be buried with her mother.

Katherine’s legacy is immense. Her descendants would become some of the most prominent players during the 15th and 16th centuries. Through her eldest Beaufort child, Katherine was the grandmother of John Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset (a prominent military leader during the Hundred Years’ War) and Joan, Queen of Scots (consort of James I, King of Scots). John Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset was the father of Margaret Beaufort, the prodigious matriarch of the Tudor dynasty (making Katherine the 3rd great grandmother of Henry VIII. Her daughter Joan was also the grandmother of Kings Edward IV and Richard III through Cecily Neville, Duchess of York

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Sources

• Amin, Nathen. 2018. House of Beaufort : The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown. Stroud: Amberley.

• Carr, Helen. 2022. The Red Prince. Oneworld Publications.

• Lucraft, Jeannette. 2010. Katherine Swynford. History Press.

• Seton, Anya. 2004. Katherine.

• Weir, Alison. 2008. Katherine Swynford. Random House.

• Wikipedia Contributors. 2026. “Katherine Swynford.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. February 23, 2026.

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