Alice Perrers Philippa of Hainault, the respected and matronly queen of Edward III. Alice's beauty and charm caught the eye of King Edward III while at court. Shortly after, around 1366, when she was only 18 years of age (the king was 55), she became the mistress of Edward III. Only when Philippa died in 1369 of dropsy did Alice's affair with the king become more visible. Their affair aroused envy and hatred of Alice, as she was only 21 years old. Following the queen's death, a devastated Edward leaned heavily on her considerable abilities; her courtly dominance accelerated by his loss.
English and British royal mistress the royal mistress would often exercise a profound influence over the King, extending even to affairs of State. Her relationship with the Queen could be tense, although some wives appear to have felt little jealousy in the matter. Henry II had several long-term mistresses, including Annabel de Balliol and Rosamund Clifford. He had some illegitimate children by them; but the most prominent of these, Geoffrey (later Archbishop of York) and William (later Earl of Salisbury), were by other women. Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January