Alice de Lusignan, Countess of Surrey (1224 – 9 February 1256) was a 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.[1]
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 legateWilliam 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.[3] 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).[4] 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.[5] Alice was also said to have been disdainful of all things English.[6]