Lady Phillipa Beauclerk

## Phillipa of Oxford

Lady of Ravenstein

Joan

Henry I, Lord of Ravenstein

Elisabetta

Antonia

Sybilla

Richard

Fredrick

Amelia

Anne

Amalie

Henriette

Joanna

Phillipa

Reneta

Jacob

**Lady Phillipa Beauclerk** (C.1141 - 1160) also known as **Phillipa of Oxford**, was a lady-in-waiting to Matilda of England and was a desendent of Alexander the Great. Phillipa was a childhood friend to Matilda and acompanied her, along with other ladies-in-waiting to Bavaria. Phillipa married a German nobleman named Fredrick, they had many children which had unknown lives, but Phillipa was taken prisoner along with Matilda after Matilda's sister Constance accused Matilda of adultery, Phillipa was charged with helping Matilda helping the Duchess commit adultery and she was locked up in the Tower of Augsburg. After Matilda was brutally murdered by Constance, Constance ordered Phillipa turn over her pearls, and diamonds, when she refused Constance took her children away from her and then burned her alive before her family, Phillipa's body was then thrown in the water along with other ladies-in-waiting of Matilda.

## Life and Downfall

Phillipa was born in 1141 in Berkshire Castle, England, she was named for her grand-mother Phillipa of Northampton, Phillipa was brought to court at age 7 and she met an English Princess named Matilda, Phillipa became close friends with Matilda, and because of this, her father was promoted to member of the council, her father encouraged the relationship, so he could get promoted. But Phillipa also had enemies, one of them was Princess Constance, who was the older sister of Matilda, Constance hated Matilda and tried to kill Phillipa to prove her point to Matilda, but Phillipa's father kept her away. When Matilda moved to Bavaria to serve as a lady-in-waiting. Constance saw this as opportunity and accused Matilda of adultery with a knight, Phillipa and many ladies-in-waiting came to Matilda's defense and rallied to accuse Constance of lying, but the Holy Roman Empress happened to be Constance's sister, though she was also Matilda's sister, the Empress favored Constance as the 2 had been close in childhood. Phillipa and Matilda were imprisoned, Matilda was murdered in-front of Phillipa, when she refused Constance's demands, she was burned in front of her parents, her body was thrown in the water. Many of her children were executed after her.

## Issue

1. Ysabel, married Herman Von Berg had Issue.
2. Mary, Died in Infancy
3. Joan, executed age 14
4. Henry I, Lord of Ravenstein, married Elisabeth of Hesse had issue
5. Elisabetta, murdered age 12
6. Antonia (Twin of Elisabetta), murdered age 12
7. Sybilla, Executed age 10
8. Richard, Executed age 7
9. Fredrick, executed age 5
10. Amelia (Twin of Fredrick) Died of common cold age 2
11. Anne, Executed age 24
12. Amalie, married Herman von Oswald, had issue
13. Henriette, executed age 17
14. Joanna, executed age 12
15. Phillipa, married Robert Von Kleve, executed age 49
16. Reneta (Called Rente Margurata), executed age 18
17. Jacob, executed age 9

## Childrens life

After her death, Constance put her children in a prison, she let some of them go, but many she left imprisoned, she had Phillipa's daughter Joan Von Ravenstein publicly beheaded, she tried to run and cried "Bitte lass mich gehen, ich bin nur ein unschuldiges Kind, bitte!" Which is English for "Please let me go, I'm just an innocent kid please!" Joan's head was desplayed by Constance's knights, her body was dumped in a bin into the water, Constance then ordered the murders of Phillipa's other children, twins named Elisabetta and Antonia and strangled them, she then beheaded 10 year old Sibylla and then her little brother Richard, she then became more of a child murderer and murdered more of Phillipa's children. Some lucky few survived.

## Appearence in movies

In the movie "The middle ages (2009)" Phillipa is portrayed by French-Irish actress Ida Cois, she is portrayed as "a cheerful woman in Matilda's court and a soft and caring woman to Matilda." But many critics complain Ida should not have played Phillipa in the movie, one critic explained "If your making a movie that has a british charcecter, maybe add a british charecter instead on an Irish one."