Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Duchess

Alison Weir reconstructs the life of Katherine Swynford, the long-term mistress and eventual third wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. The narrative follows Katherine from her arrival at the English court as a knight’s daughter to her role as governess for Gaunt’s children and their subsequent two-decade affair. Weir examines the medieval social structures and legal maneuvers required to legitimize their four children, the Beauforts, whose descendants eventually founded the Tudor dynasty. The text details daily life in the fourteenth-century royal household and the political backlash Katherine faced during the Peasants' Revolt.

This biography serves readers interested in the Plantagenet era and the genealogical origins of English royalty. Historical researchers read this for the detailed accounts of medieval female agency and the specific mechanisms of royal patronage. By the end, the reader understands how a woman of lower social standing navigated extreme public scandal to secure her family's place in the succession. It provides a clear view of the logistical and social realities governing high-status marriages and illicit relationships in the Middle Ages.