Philippa of Lancaster was the Queen of Portugal in late 14th and early 15th century. Born into the royal family of England and married to King John I, she was the first and only English Queen of Portugal. Her marriage with King John I secured the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance and she proved herself to be an extraordinary queen. After her marriage, she adopted the king's two illegitimate children and reared them with her own. She bore the king nine children and transformed him into a devoted husband and father with her care and affection. She was described as a subtle and sincere woman, with a profound sense of duty who supervised the education of all her children. In addition to her domestic duties, she played a crucial role in improving internal relations in her kingdom, between the Portugal's middle class and the aristocracy. Because of her close relationship with the English throne, she was also able to improve the diplomatic and commercial bonds between the two kingdoms. A devoted wife, a loving mother and a worthy queen, she is remembered as the mother of ‘The Illustrious Generation’ and her children went on to make historically significant contributions in their own right.