... was so called because he was born in Ghent, in what is now Belgium. He was the third surviving son of King Edward III, and the younger brother of Edward the Black Prince. He acted as regent for his nephew Richard II (son of the Black Prince, who predeceased Edward III) in the early years of his reign.
He was the father of Henry IV, and also of Queen Philippa of Portugal and Queen Catherine of Castile.
He survived his first two wives, Blanche of Lancaster and Constance of Castille. His third wife was Katherine Swynford, who had been his mistress for over 20 years. At the time of their marriage they already had four children together, all of whom were subsequently legitimised (and given the surname Beaufort, after one of their father's possessions in France). Their eldest son was John Beaufort, whose daughter Joan married James I of Scotland. All Scottish monarchs since 1437, and all English monarchs since 1603, are thus descended from John of Gaunt.
From 1506, the Habsburg monarchs, who ruled Spain and much of central Europe until 1780, were descended from John of Gaunt through Catherine of Castile and her great–granddaughter (known as Joanna the Mad).
John of Gaunt was also a patron and close friend of Geoffrey Chaucer; Katherine Swynford was the sister of Chaucer's wife Philippa de Roet.
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