Only after the end of the Peasants’ Revolt, does Richard II begin to emerge clearly in the writings of the medieval chroniclers. One of Richard’s first acts was to marry Anne of Bohemia, the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, on January 20, 1382. The marriage of Richard to Anne had great political significance. Following the division of Europe along religious lines, in the Great Schism, Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire were seen as important allies against France in the Hundred Years’ War. Despite these political calculations, the marriage of Richard to Anne was not popular in England and the large sums of money given to Emperor Charles IV did not produce any military victories. Additionally, Anne died childless in 1394.
The Marriage of Richard II
Michael de la Pole had played a critical role in the negotiation of Richard’s marriage to Anne and had gained the King’s confidence as a result. De la Pole came from an upstart merchant family and eventually became Richard’s Chancellor in 1383 and Earl of Suffolk in 1385. However, de la Pole also antagonized the English nobility for his preferential treatment. Around the same time, Robert de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, also emerged as another of the King’s favourites. As with de la Pole, the nobles were antagonized by the preferential treatment shown to the Earl of Oxford.
Tensions came to a head over the prosecution of the war in France. Many members of Richard’s court favoured a negotiated settlement, while his uncles, John of Gaunt and the Earl of Buckingham urged Richard to fight to protect the English possessions in France. Richard responded with a so-called "crusade" led by the Bishop of Norwich, which proved to be a failure. In response to this, Richard chose to attack Scotland, France’s traditional ally, in 1385. Richard led a punitive expedition north. However, Richard’s expedition was a failure and the English did not engage the Scots in battle. At the same time a rebellion in Ghent prevented a French invasion of England. With military failures in Scotland and France, a deteriorating relationship with Richard and rumours of an assassination plot against his life, John of Gaunt left England to pursue his claim to the Crown of Castile in 1386.
Despite the uprising in Ghent, the threat of a French invasion of England continued. In October of that year, Michael de la Pole went before Parliament to request unprecedented taxes for the defence of the Kingdom. Parliament refused to approve the request and refused to hear any requests from Richard’s government unless de la Pole was removed. Only when he was faced with the possibility of being deposed did Richard dismiss Michael de la Pole.
Richard was personally affronted by the lack of respect that Parliament had paid to his royal authority. Beginning in February, 1387, Richard set off on a tour of in Kingdom in an attempt to rally support for his cause. During the royal tour, Richard installed Robert de Vere as the Justice of Chester. He also secured a legal ruling from Chief Justice Robert Tresilian which denounced the actions of Parliament as unlawful and treasonous.
The Rebellion of the Lords Appellant
Upon returning to London, Richard was confronted by the Earls of Gloucester, Arundel and Warwick who brought charges of treason against de la Pole, de Vere and number of others including the Lord Mayor of London and the Archbishop of York. Richard stalled the negotiations to buy time for de Vere to arrive with reinforcements. At the same time, the three Earls were joined by Henry Bolingbroke, who would eventually rule as King Henry IV, and was currently the Earl of Derby, along with the Earl of Nottingham. On December 20, 1387, they intercepted de Vere at Radcot Bridge, who was forced to go into exile. Richard was now forced to comply with the demands of the so-called Lords Appellant. Nicholas Brembre and Robert Tresilian were put to death. De Vere and de la Pole were in exile and tried and sentenced to death in absentia by the Merciless Parliament in 1388. The Lords Appellant were successful in breaking up the circle of favourites around the King.
In the months after the Merciless Parliament, Richard was able to restore his royal authority after the Lords Appellant failed to build an anti-French coalition. At the same time, the Scots invaded northern England. In 1389, John of Gaunt returned to England and after making peace with Richard, proved to be a moderating force in English politics. Richard sought a policy that contrasted with the aims of the Lords Appellant. Richard sought peace with France through reconciliation and promised that this would bring substantially lower taxes. Richard’s reign was peaceful for the next eight years. During this time, Richard also reconciled with many of his former adversaries.
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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