Alice Perrers, mistress of Edward III, and how she enriched herself at the king's expense

Alice Perrers was 36 years younger than her lover, Edward III. She twisted the king around her finger, sowed discord at court and, after the queen's death, in effect took her place; this troubled society and Parliament so greatly that it was resolved to remove Alice from court.

The high-born intriguer meddled in all the affairs of the crown and skilfully manipulated a king who was sinking by degrees into forgetfulness and madness. One notes the entrepreneurial streak of this woman, who owned no fewer than 60 manors. She would deftly borrow large sums from the king, make sure that the loans were duly entered in the documents, and then ask Edward to forgive her the debt officially.

Alice obtained money by another, more sophisticated method as well: she would show her lover sumptuous jewels and ask him to buy them for her, and she did this more than once with one and the same set, long since given to her by Edward, thereby coaxing hundreds of pounds sterling out of him. She is believed to have scrupled at nothing when, left alone with the body of the already dead king, she stole the rings from his fingers.