Geoffrey Chaucer worked in the house of Elizabeth De Burgh, the Countess of Ulster and the wife of Lionel, the Duke of Clarence. He became the noblewoman's Page, thanks to the connections that John Chaucer had.
In 1337, the Hundred years War began and in 1359, Chaucer, went with Lionel of Antwerp, Elizabeth De Burgh's husband, to France, when King Edward III of England, invaded France. He was part of the English Army and was caught in 1360, as a prisoner of war, when he was in Rethel, in Reims. Chaucer was released, when King Edward III paid sixteen pounds as ransom and he sometime later, joined the royal service of England, working for Edward.
On June 10th 1367, Edward paid Chaucer a pension of twenty marks for his services. Before this period, Chaucer had roamed through France, Spain and Flanders as a messenger. He had gone on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
In 1366, Chaucer married Philippa de Roet. He is believed to have around four kids, though extensive details of his married life is not present. Chaucer in believed to have studied law in the Inner Temple, though this too is not confirmed.
On June 20th 1367, he became a Yeoman, Esquire, in King Edward's royal court. As a varlet de Chambre, he travelled to many countries on behalf of King Edward III. In 1368, he attended the wedding of Violante, daughter of Galeazzo II Visconti and Lionel of Antwerp in Milan, though details about this event is not known and there is no confirmation, of Chaucer attending it.
During this period, Chaucer wrote The Book of Duchess, to honor John of Glaunt's wife, Blanche of Lancaster, who had died due to Bubonic Plague in 1369. Like all great writers, Chaucer too began writing, because of a tragedy.
Thus Chaucer got into Literature and created some of the world's most followed works. The Book of Duchess was just a start and more was to come over the years.
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