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Philippa of England (June 4, 1394 -- January 7, 1430) was the Queen of Denmark, Sweden and Norway from 1406 to 1430. She was also the consort to King Eric of Pomerania. In fact, Philippa of Enland was the de-facto regent of Sweden in 1420 and the regent of Denmark from 1423 to 1425.[1] She also received The Most Noble Order of the Garter in 1408.[2]

Philippa was born to Henry of Bolingbroke, later Henry IV of England and Mary de Bohun at Peterborough Castle. Mary de Bohun died while giving birth to Princess Philippa, thus making the princess the yougest children of the royal family.

She was married on October 26, 1406 to Eric of Pomerania at Lund in Sweden. Philippa was actually the first documented princess in history to wear a white wedding gown during a royal wedding ceremony: she wore a tunic with a cloak in white silk bordered with grey squirrel and ermine).[3] She had big parts of Sweden as her dowry.

During King Eric's periods of absence abroad, she practically was the regent, and in Sweden, she was in charge most of the time even when the King was not abroad. He evidently had great trust in her. Both ancient and modern authors give a favourable account of her rule. It is even said that in certain matters she was more efficient than her husband. Scholars have largely accepted this judgement of the Queen without, however, going into details. [4]

During his stay abroad from 1423 she was regent in Denmark and among others made a treaty with some members of the North-German Confederation of so-called Hanse-States about the validity of the coin-system. In 1428 she successfully organized the defence of Copenhagen against the Hanseatic League, a heroic feat later recounted by Hans Christian Anderson in Godfather's Picture Book (1868):

"The Hanseatic merchants came," continued Godfather, "from warehouse and counter, the rich traders of Rostock, Lübeck, and Bremen. They wanted to seize more than the golden goose from Valdemar's Tower; they had more power in the town of the Danish King than the Danish King himself. They came in armed ships, and no one was prepared. And King Eric had no desire to fight with his German kinsfolk; they were too many and too strong. So King Eric and all his courtiers escaped through the west port to the town of Sorö, to the quiet lake and green forests, to the song of love and the clang of goblets.

"But there was one left behind in Copenhagen, a kingly heart and a kingly mind. Do you see this picture here, this young woman, so fine and tender, with sea-blue eyes and yellow hair? It is the Queen of Denmark, Philippa, the English princess. She stayed in the distracted city, where the townspeople swarmed in panic in the narrow lanes and streets with steep stairs, sheds, and shops of lath and plaster. With the courage of a man, she summoned townspeople and peasants, to inspire and encourage them. They fitted out the ships and garrisoned the blockhouses; they fired with their carbines; there were fire and smoke and lightness of spirit - our Lord will never forsake Denmark! The sun shone into all hearts, and in all eyes was the bright gladness of victory. Blessed be Philippa! Blessed she was in hut and in house; and blessed she was in the King's castle, where she nursed the wounded and the sick. I have clipped a wreath and laid it around this picture," said Godfather. "Blessed be Queen Philippa!"[5]

Despite her effort, Philippa of England was afterwards beaten by her husband, because her ships were defeated at Stralsund, an indignity which drove her to a monastic life.[6] She had a stillborn boy in 1429. She died on January 7, 1430 and was buried in the Cloister Church at Vadstena, Lidköping, Sweden.