Mary of Waltham
[3] When Mary was born at Bishop's Waltham Palace, Hampshire, on 10 October 1344,[4] her future husband was already living with her brothers and sisters in the royal nursery.[6] Seven years previously, King Philip VI of France attempted to confiscate the Duchy of Guyenne (also referred to as Aquitaine) from Edward III – an event that traditionally marks the beginning of the Hundred Years' War[7] – after which Edward used military force, diplomacy and marital links to strengthen his claim to the French throne.[5] There is only one record of Mary ever leaving the court household and that was to visit her brother John of Gaunt and his wife Blanche, who had just had their first child.Mary and her younger sister Margaret were only allowed very limited visits to family and were given less pocket money (20 marks per year) than their older siblings.However, within a few months, Mary developed "a lethargic disease from which it was impossible to rouse her"[5] and she died sometime before 13 September 1361 without ever setting foot in Brittany.