John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster,
KG (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399) was a member of the
House of Plantagenet, the third surviving son of King
Edward III of England and
Philippa of Hainault. He was called "John of Gaunt" because he was born in
Ghent, then rendered in English as
Gaunt. When he became unpopular later in life, scurrilous rumours and
lampoons circulated that he was actually the son of a Ghent butcher, perhaps because Edward III was not present at the birth. This story always drove him to fury.