Alice de Warenne, Countess of Arundel


Alice de Warenne, Countess of Arundel was an English noblewoman and heir apparent to the Earldom of Surrey. In 1305, she married Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel.

Family

Alice, the only daughter of William de Warenne and Joan de Vere, daughter of Robert de Vere, 5th Earl of Oxford, was born on 15 June 1287 in Warren, Sussex, six months after her father was accidentally killed in a tournament on 15 December 1286. On the death of her paternal grandfather, John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey in 1304, her only sibling John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey succeeded to the earldom. He became estranged from his childless wife and they never reconciled, leaving Alice as the heir presumptive to the Surrey estates and title.

Marriage to the Earl of Arundel

In 1305, Alice married Edmund Fitzalan, 9th Earl of Arundel, the son of Richard Fitzalan, 8th Earl of Arundel and Alice of Saluzzo. He had initially refused her, for reasons which were not recorded; however, by 1305, he had changed his mind and they were wed. They had nine recorded children, and their chief residence was Arundel Castle in Sussex. Arundel inherited his title on 9 March 1302 upon his father's death. He was summoned to Parliament as Lord Arundel in 1306, and was later one of the Lords Ordainers. He also took part in the Scottish wars.
The Earl of Arundel and his brother-in-law John de Warenne were the only nobles who remained loyal to King Edward II, after Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March returned to England in 1326. He had allied himself to the King's favourite Hugh le Despenser, and agreed to the marriage of his son to Despenser's granddaughter. Arundel had previously been granted many of the traitor Mortimer's forfeited estates, and was appointed Justice of Wales in 1322 and Warden of the Welsh Marches in 1325. He was also made Constable of Montgomery Castle which became his principal base.
The Earl of Arundel was captured in Shropshire by the Queen's party. On 17 November 1326 in Hereford, Arundel was beheaded by order of the Queen, leaving Alice de Warenne a widow. Her husband's estates and titles were forfeited to the Crown following Arundel's execution, but later restored to her eldest son, Richard.
Alice died before 23 May 1338, aged 50. Her brother died in 1347 without legitimate issue, thus the title of Surrey eventually passed to Alice's son, Richard.
, the principal residence of the Earls of Arundel

Issue