Alice de Lusignan, Countess of Surrey

Alice de Lusignan, Countess of Surrey (1224 – 9 February 1256) was a uterine half-sister of King Henry III of England and the wife of John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey. Shortly after her arrival in England from France in 1247, her half-brother arranged her marriage to the Earl, which incurred some resentment from the English nobility.

Lineage

Alice was a member of the House of Lusignan born in Lusignan, Poitou, France in 1224, as the second eldest daughter of Hugh X de Lusignan, "le Brun", Seigneur de Lusignan, Count of La Marche and Isabella of Angoulême, queen dowager of England. She had five full brothers and three full sisters, besides her royal half-siblings from her mother's first marriage.

Marriage

In 1247, a year after her mother's death, Alice accompanied the new papal legate William of Modena, the Cardinal Bishop of Sabina, to England, which she had decided to make her home, and live at the expense of the Crown. In August of that year, her half-brother, King Henry married her to John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey (August 1231 - 29 September 1304). The marriage caused some resentment amongst the English nobility, as they considered the King's Lusignan siblings to be parasites and a liability to the Kingdom. Many prestigious honours and titles were granted to the Lusignans. Alice was also said to have been disdainful of all things English.

John was the son of William de Warenne, 5th Earl of Surrey and Maud Marshal. Together they had three children.

Issue

• Eleanor de Warenne (1251–1282), married Sir Henry de Percy, by whom she had issue, including Henry Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Alnwick.
• Isabella de Warenne (c.1253 - before 1292), married John Balliol, and was the mother of Edward Balliol.
• William de Warenne (9 February 1256 - 15 December 1286). He was killed in a tournament. He married Joan de Vere, by whom he had two children, John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey, and Alice de Warenne (15 June 1287 - 23 May 1338), who in turn married Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel.

Death

Alice died in Warren, Sussex, England, on 9 February 1256 after giving birth to her only son, William. She was about thirty-two years of age.

Ancestry