He could very well be. He is a great example of someone whose family climbed the ranks of English society very quickly. His father was a merchant (originally the family would have been hose (stockings) makers but they had already changed trades). Chaucer got into the civil service and was noticed for his skills. He was sent to France as a 'spy' for the English king, and ended up back home working for Edward III . Queen Philippa arranged a marriage with one of her wards, Philippa de Roet. The Chaucer's only son, Thomas, did even better in life and the family ended up as nobility. No doubt there was some influence from Philippa's sister, Katherine, who was mistress and then wife to Prince John of Gaunt and stepmother to Henry IV, but Chaucer was largely a self-made man. And a brilliant poet.
