Who Was Joan Of Kent, The First Princess Of Wales?

After the sudden death of England’s Queen Elizabeth II, the dynamics of the royal family changed. The former queen of England who was born in April 1926, passed away in September 2022 at the age of 96. Her funeral was attended by many well-known people. After her death, her eldest son Charles III was announced as the new British monarch. Similarly, his wife, Camilla, was declared the queen consort of the United Kingdom.

Charles and Camilla got married in the year 2005. Prior to that, King Charles was married to the famous Princess Diana, who was the Princess of Wales. Diana and Charles had two sons – Prince Harry and Prince William. Diana passed away in the year 1997 due to a car crash. As Prince Harry was made the Duke of Sussex, his elder brother Prince William assumed the title of Prince of Wales. Resultantly, William’s wife Kate Middleton has been made the Princess of Wales. But what actually are the duties of the Princess of Wales? Let us trace some history and know about Joan of Kent, who was the very first Princess of Wales.

First Princess Of Wales: All About Joan Of Kent

In the royal family, Princess Diana stands to be the most famous Princess of Wales to date. However, she held the position for a very short period of time. The very first Princess of Wales was Joan of Kent. Joan, like Diana, was a controversial woman in history. She was born on 29 September 1326 or maybe in 1327 to Edmund Woodstock, who was the 1st Earl of Kent.

Edmund was executed in 1330. Edward II was deposed, and his widow and four children, including Joan, who was only two years old at the time, were placed under house arrest. The arrest was in Arundel Castle in Sussex, which had been granted to Edmund in 1326 by his half-brother. Edmund’s execution occurred in 1330, and Joan was only two years old when she was held there.

The recently bereaved Countess of Kent and her four children were placed under a significant amount of stress during this time. They were given a break when the new king, Edward III (Joan’s half-first cousin), reached adulthood. Subsequently, they assumed control of the affairs of the kingdom. He took on the role of being responsible for the family and ensured that they were well taken care of.

Joan Of Kent’s Controversial Marital History

Joan of Kent, a noblewoman from England, had a checkered past when it came to her marriages. She was an unorthodox choice to wed the man who would become King of England. At the very young age of 13, Joan secretly married 26-year-old Thomas Holland. Post-marriage, Holland left for the expedition to France. The marriage between Joan and Holland was done without any royal consent.

Meanwhile, Joan’s family fixed her marriage with the Earl of Salisbury, William Montagu. She was scared revealing about her first marriage and agreed to marry Montagu. After her second marriage with Montagu, Holland returned. This led to the revelation of his marriage to Joan. Montagu caged Joan so that she could not testify. However, the Church ordered to release her and the decision was given in Holland’s favor.

If you think this is the happy ending then you are probably mistaken. In 1360, Thomas Holland died. As a result of this, Edward, the Black Prince, who was Thomas’ half-first cousin and the son of King Edward III, found her to be an appealing marriage prospect. The Pope granted all four dispensations that were required in order for the couple to be able to marry legally. Things moved quickly, and less than nine months after Holland’s passing, Joan was legally married to the Prince.

The royal couple, King Edward III and Queen Mary were also present there. The Archbishop of Canterbury was in charge of the meeting. Because of his failing health, the Black Prince was no longer able to fulfill his responsibilities as Prince of Aquitaine, a region in France. As a result, he and Joan returned to England not long after the funeral of their older child. Prince Richard, son of Joan, was now next in line to succeed his grandfather Edward III.

Edward passed away on June 21, 1377. Joan, who was the mother of the King, was able to exert a significant amount of influence behind the scenes. She was also acknowledged for her contributions during the early years of her son’s reign. As a venerable royal dowager, the common people looked up to her and accorded her some degree of respect. Hence, she is remembered as the first Princess of Wales.