Editing Alice Perrers (section)

=== Life at the royal court ===
Perrers became a part of the [[Royal household|household]] of [[Philippa of Hainault|Queen Philippa]] (1310/1315–1369) as a ''domicella'' ("damsel") before 1359.<ref name=":1" /> She became the [[Mistress (lover)|mistress]] of the king, [[Edward III of England|Edward III]] (1312–1377) around 1366, when she was around 18 years old and the King 55.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alice Perrers |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alice-Perrers |access-date=7 November 2018 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> During the Queen's life, they had three children together. Three years after their relationship started, the Queen died, which devastated the 
King, causing him to lean more on Perrers. This resulted in her receiving more, mostly negative, attention from the [[Royal court|court]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

Perriers exploited Edward's growing senility and convinced him to buy her the same jewels over and over again, which she would then turn in for more cash.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Herman |first=Eleanor |title=Sex With Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge. |date=2004 |publisher=HarperCollins |edition=1st |location=New York, NY |language=English}}</ref> She amassed a fortune of more than [[Pound sterling|£]]20,000, by doing so, which would be worth around £6,000,000 as of 2016.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}} 

[[File:Eduard3 novaStatuta.jpg|thumb|King [[Edward III]], Alice Perrers' lover and patron]]
Perrer's power further grew between 1370 and 1376. She reportedly provoked fear, and no one dared to sue her. She was seen as an ambitious, calculating, cold-hearted opportunist who manipulated the elderly King. Towards the end of Edward III's life, Perrers was even accused of making his life miserable, and it is reported that she even stole the rings off his fingers after the King died.<ref name="historytheinterestingbits.com">{{cite web |date=31 July 2015 |title=Alice Perrers, Mistress of the King |url=https://historytheinterestingbits.com/2015/07/31/alice-perrers-mistress-of-the-king/ |access-date=16 May 2018 |website=Historytheinterestingbits.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gambier-Parry |first1=T.R. |year=1932 |title=Alice Perrers and Her Husband's Relatives |journal=The English Historical Review |volume=47 |issue=182 |pages=272–276 |doi=10.1093/ehr/xlvii.clxxxvi.272}}</ref> 

As the King's health was ailing, Perrers contracted a secret marriage in November 1375, at the age of 27, with 53-year-old [[Sir]] [[William de Windsor]], [[Baron]] Windsor (circa 1325–1384) to ensure her safety and [[livelihood]] after Edward's death. He was the King's [[lieutenant]] in [[Ireland]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ormrod |first1=W. M. |date=2008 |title=The trials of Alice Perrers |journal=Speculum |volume=83 |issue=2 |page=372 |doi=10.1017/S0038713400013361 |jstor=20466215 |s2cid=154399794}}</ref> De Windsor spent long periods of time away from England, thus making it less probable that the King would discover the marriage. The couple remained together until the death of the husband on 15 September 1384, but had no children.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}