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Given the historical union between Philippa of Lancaster and King João I of Portugal in the late 14th century, there would have been significant communication and travel between England and Portugal. Considering this period's challenges, including the lack of modern transportation and potential political or societal barriers, I'm curious about the logistics of such travels.

  1. How would an individual, especially of noble or royal status, travel between London and Lisbon during the 1350s?

  2. Are there any existing manuscripts, documents, or accounts that provide an overview or description of such journeys during this time?

Any insight into this topic or direction toward relevant primary sources would be greatly appreciated.

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    Both London and Lisbon are on navigable rivers, so sailing between the two would seem very likely.
    – Steve Bird
    Commented Aug 17, 2023 at 19:34
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    Please document your preliminary research. Not my area of expertise, but from what I gather from rough summaries, there probably was not much travel and communication was local or face-to-face: The Lancaster family arrived in Galicia by ship at the end of July 1386. Several months later the Duke of Lancaster and the king of Portugal met on Portuguese soil. Marriage of the duke's daughter was arranged. Her wedding with the king took place in February 1387. So everything appears to have transpired during the course of one extended trip of the Lancasters to the Iberian peninsula.
    – njuffa
    Commented Aug 17, 2023 at 20:47
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    Wikipedia's summary: "In July 1386, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster [...] landed in Galicia with an expeditionary force to press his claim to the Crown of Castile with Portuguese aid. He failed to win the support of the Castilian nobility and returned to England with a cash compensation from the rival claimant. John of Gaunt left behind his daughter, Philippa of Lancaster, to marry King John I of Portugal (February 1387) in order to seal the Anglo-Portuguese alliance"
    – njuffa
    Commented Aug 17, 2023 at 20:53
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    Various accounts claim that the Lancasters disembarked at A Coruña, an ancient port city in Galicia frequently used by English pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostella.
    – njuffa
    Commented Aug 17, 2023 at 21:02
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    For more details of the events of 1386/1387, see Henry Hartwright, The Story of the House of Lancaster. London: Elliot Stock 1897, pp. 33-36
    – njuffa
    Commented Aug 17, 2023 at 21:43

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