With the stability of England ensured, Richard began to negotiating a permanent peace with France. In 1393, a proposal was put forward that would have greatly expanded the territory of Aquitaine, which was held by the English crown. However, the plan was rejected by Richard and the English nobility because it required the King of England to pay homage to the King of France. Instead, Richard agreed to a 28 year truce, which called for Richard to marry Isabella, the daughter of Charles VI, the King of France. Some members of the English nobility objected to the marriage. Isabella was only six at the time and was not likely to provide an heir for some time.
The Rebellion of the Lords Appellant
In July, 1397, the Earls of Gloucester, Arundel and Warwick were arrested on the orders of the King. Modern historians regard this act as the beginning of the tyranny of Richard II. Some medieval chroniclers claim that Richard was informed of a plot against his throne, but there is little evidence to support this. In September, 1397, the Earl of Arundel was brought before Parliament, where he was put on trial, condemned and put to death. Just before the Earl of Gloucester was to be put on trial, word came from the Earl of Nottingham that he was dead. It is believed that the Earl of Nottingham killed the Earl of Gloucester on Richard’s orders, so as to avoid having to put a descendant of the royal bloodline on trial. The Earl of Warwick was also initially sentenced to death, but his life was spared and he was exiled along with his brother, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
These actions were possible thanks to the collusion of John of Gaunt and the support of a number of men who became prominent thanks to the King’s favour. John and Thomas Holland, Richard’s half-brother and his nephew, went from being Earls to being the Dukes of Exeter and Surrey. Among Richard’s other supporters were the Earl of Somerset and the Earl of Rutland. Thanks to the lands that Richard had confiscated from the Lords Appellant, he was able to reward his supporters with estates and incomes to match their new titles.
Richard’s authority was still threatened, however, in the form of the Lancastrian Dynasty. Led by John of Gaunt and his son, Henry Bolingbroke, the House of Lancaster was one of the wealthiest families in England. The Lancastrians were also of royal descent and likely to ascend to the throne following the death of Richard, who was without an heir. In December, 1397, an argument broke out between Henry Bolingbroke, who was now the Duke of Hereford and the Duke of Norfolk. The Duke of Norfolk claimed that as members of the Lords Appellant, they were next in line for the Richard’s retribution. Henry denied this claim and argued that such a statement was tantamount to treason. A parliamentary committee decided that the dispute would be settled with trial by combat, but at the last minute, Richard intervened, banishing his cousin for ten years and the Duke of Norfolk for life. Following the death of John of Gaunt in February, 1399, Richard had Henry disinherited and exiled from England for life. Now that he was safe from Henry Bolingbroke, who was living in exile in Paris, and counting on the fact that the French did not want war with England, Richard left on another military adventure in Ireland, in May, 1399.
The Rise of the House of Lancaster
In June, 1399, the Duke of Orleans took control of the French court of Charles VI, who had become mentally unstable. Charles’ policy of rapproachment with England did not suit the Duke’s interests and he allowed Henry Bolingbroke to leave for England. Henry and a small group of followers landed at Ravenspur on the Yorkshire coast at the end of June, 1399. After landing in England, Henry met with the Earl of Northumberland, who had his own grievances with Richard and agreed not interfere with Henry. In the meantime, Richard had taken most of his household knights to Ireland and Henry met little resistance as he marched south. The Duke of York, who had been appointed Keeper of the Realm, had no choice but to side with Henry. At the same time, Richard had delayed his return to England and did not land in Wales until July 24. On August 12, Richard met with the Earl of Northumberland for negotiations and a week later, Richard formally surrendered to Henry at Flint Castle. Richard indicated that he was willing to abdicate if his life was spared. Henry and Richard returned to London, where Richard was imprisoned in the Tower of London on September 1.
Henry was fully determined to take the Crown, but he needed a reason for doing so. While it was possible to argue that Richard’s mismanagement of the affairs of the Kingdom proved that he was unworthy of Kingship, Henry was not in the direct line of succession. The heir presumptive to the English throne was the Earl of March. Henry’s solution to this problem was to argue that his claim was strong because he was descended from a male bloodline, while the Earl of March was related to Richard through his maternal grandmother. However, the Earl of March was only eight and Parliament was not willing to submit to the rule of a boy king. Primary sources claim that Richard’s abdication was voluntary, although modern historians doubt this. Henry Bolingbroke was crowned King of England on October 13, 1399.
The Death of Richard II
The exact events of Richard’s life following his abdication are uncertain. It is known that Richard was held in the Tower of London until he was moved to Pontefract Castle at the end of 1399. Henry IV seems to have been willing to allow Richard to continue to live. However, that attitude changed when Henry was informed that the Earls of Huntingdon, Kent, Somerset and Rutland were planning to assassinate Henry and restore Richard. Even though the plot, known as the Epiphany Rising, was discovered and averted, it highlighted the danger of allowing Richard to live. There is some debate regarding the exact manner and circumstances of his death, but Richard II is generally thought to have been starved to death at Pontefract Castle, some time around February 14. 1400.
After Richard’s death, his body was taken south for burial. Richard’s body was displayed at Old St. Paul’s Cathedral on February 17, before he was buried in Kings Langley Chapel on March 6. In 1413, Henry V attempted to silence the long persistent rumours of Richard’s survival and had his remains moved to their current burial place next to his wife, Anne of Bohemia, in Westminster Abbey.
Sources
Allmand, Christopher (1988). The Hundred Years War: England and France at War c.1300-c.1450. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gillespie, James (ed.); Goodman (ed.), Anthony (1997). The Age of Richard II. Stroud: Sutton Publishing
Saul, Nigel (1997). Richard II. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Terry Long - I hold degrees in history and journalism. In addition to my contributions to Suite 101, I have also written for the Brampton Bulletin, the ...
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