Today's installment of "Monarchs of England" gives us a rather tragic king, the grandson of Edward III, Richard II.
His story is sort of a bummer, but for sake of completion, we must read about him. grin emoticon
- Was the second son of Edward the Black Prince. His older brother (also named Richard) had died at age 4, so he became second in line, after his father.
- His father died when he was nine, and his grandfather died the next year. Richard became king of England at age 10.
- Inherited the 100 years' war, the Black Death, and all sorts of other strife from his grandfather. He was in no way prepared to deal with any of it.
- John of Gaunt (Ghent,) his uncle, led a "Regency Council" to help the young king rule. This, of course, annoyed many of the nobles, who preferred a passive, controlled king, who would do as he was told. John was also in line to be king, and was seen as ambitious.
- Like most Plantagenet kings, Richard grew up tall and handsome. He was the very first king to actually have his portrait painted. It was considered "gauche" to do so before his time, but it would appear that Richard II had what we would call "Borderline Personality Disorder." He seemed almost obsessed with his image. This led some to believe him insane, but by our standards, he wouldn't have been considered so.
- Richard's early rule was plagued by struggles between John of Gaunt and his brother, Thomas of Woodstock, against the nobles who wanted to let the boy king rule in his own right. John was excluded from parliaments on purpose. Richard II was caught in between ambitious uncles and an increasingly weakening council of "Royalists," commoners who were growing very bitter about the control the nobles still had over everything.
- Was pressured into levying a huge poll tax on the commoners in order to fund the war in France. This caused a HUGE amount of unrest, as the poor were now not only fighting in the war, they were expected to pay for it, too. The House of Commons refused to meet, in protest. (they also feared the Black Death)
- When Richard II was 14, Wat Tyler and his friends began the Peasants' Revolt. All across England, the commoners left their homes and fields, and marched on London. The French war ground to a halt, and everything seemed to come apart at once. Nobles and Archbishops were dragged out of their homes and murdered in the streets.
- Richard rode out to meet the Peasant Army, but the mayor of London pulled Wat Tyler off of his horse and killed him. Before rage and panic could overtake the scene, Richard rode out, and like his namesake, Richard the Lionheart, he addressed the mob personally. Telling them "I am your captain, follow me!" He marched the mob away from the capitol, and promised their needs would be met, if they would just go home. The sight of this brave 14 year old seems to have moved the rebels. They returned home.
- Richard II, of course, broke his promise. Now scattered, the peasants were easily dispatched in a series of battles. Richard showed no mercy whatsoever, and the Peasants' Revolt was put down quickly.
- Married the princess of the Holy Roman Empire (Germany/Austria), in order to secure allies against France. While it seems that his marriage to Anne of Bohemia seems to be a loving one, Anne died of the plague soon after, and they had no children.
- John of Gaunt demanded that the war escalate. Richard acquiesced, which pissed off the nobility. John and Richard's expeditions into France and later Scotland were inconclusive and wasteful. Richard and John soon started squabbling publicly, and Richard seems to have become very arrogant and high-handed.
- Now almost 20, Richard appointed a low level noble, Michael de la Pole, to be chancellor. The nobles sneered at a man they described as "barely noble" telling them what to do. When Michael tried to levy a defense tax, Parliament told him to go screw himself. Richard was angry that people would stand against his will, and proceeded to tour England, demanding the nobility do what he commanded. This went over about as well as you might expect.
- Thomas of Woodstock, the King's other uncle, banded together with a few other nobles to stand up to the King and his cronies. Now called the "Lords Appellant," Thomas forced many of Richard's people out of the country then took the king hostage. Richard was humiliated and forced to comply with his uncle's demands. Thomas accused the king of homosexuality, bringing back the horrors of Edward II. Most of Richard's guards and friends were murdered or exiled in the "Merciless Parliament."
- at 21, Richard negotiated peace with his nobles, stating his Councillors were to blame for the problems. He managed to rule for 8 years without major incident, but the war in France continued to go nowhere.
- Suddenly, in 1397, Richard seems to have suddenly changed his mind, arresting and executing many of the higher nobles in his realm. Historians still aren't sure why... perhaps he was becoming paranoid, or perhaps there were plots against him that were found out. This era was called "The Tyranny of Richard." No one was safe. The nobles, of course, plotted against him in earnest.
- Two years later, John of Gaunt died. His son, Henry Bollingbroke, and his House of Lancaster, openly stood against the King. John of Gaunt was next in line, thus making his son, Henry Bollingbroke, an heir to the throne. (Richard II had no children.) All it would take would be for Richard to die, and House Lancaster would take over.
- To counter this, Richard II exiled Henry to France and disinherited him from the family.
- The king of France, Charles VI, had gone mad. (He thought his body was made out of glass.) This madness was prevalent in the Valois family.... sadly, through Isabella, that hereditary madness was lying dormant in the Plantagenet line, as well. The Duke of Orleans was ruling in his stead, and put support behind Henry.
- Now fairly secure (or so he thought,) Richard went to Ireland, leaving his last uncle, Edmund of the House of York, in charge while he was away.
- Henry invaded England. Edmund betrayed Richard and sided with Henry. Upon his return from Ireland, Richard II gave himself up and promised to abdicate if he would be allowed to live. He was forced to ride the long ride back to London behind his cousin Henry of Bollingbroke.
- Although Richard's cousin Edmund (Lionel's great grandson) was next in line by English standards, England suddenly acted like France and said the line couldn't go through a woman. (The fact that this invalidated their claim to the French throne wasn't lost on the French.) This made Henry the next claimant.
- Richard II "Voluntarily" abdicated in 1399. Henry of Bollinbroke, House of Lancaster, became Henry IV. Richard II was thrown in jail.
- Several nobles, mainly from the house of York, stood up in the "Epiphany Rising" plot, to overthrow Henry and restore Richard. This was rendered moot when Henry had Richard starved to death in the Pontefract Castle dungeon. Richard died alone and forgotten.
The Wars of the Roses had begun.
His story is sort of a bummer, but for sake of completion, we must read about him. grin emoticon
- Was the second son of Edward the Black Prince. His older brother (also named Richard) had died at age 4, so he became second in line, after his father.
- His father died when he was nine, and his grandfather died the next year. Richard became king of England at age 10.
- Inherited the 100 years' war, the Black Death, and all sorts of other strife from his grandfather. He was in no way prepared to deal with any of it.
- John of Gaunt (Ghent,) his uncle, led a "Regency Council" to help the young king rule. This, of course, annoyed many of the nobles, who preferred a passive, controlled king, who would do as he was told. John was also in line to be king, and was seen as ambitious.
- Like most Plantagenet kings, Richard grew up tall and handsome. He was the very first king to actually have his portrait painted. It was considered "gauche" to do so before his time, but it would appear that Richard II had what we would call "Borderline Personality Disorder." He seemed almost obsessed with his image. This led some to believe him insane, but by our standards, he wouldn't have been considered so.
- Richard's early rule was plagued by struggles between John of Gaunt and his brother, Thomas of Woodstock, against the nobles who wanted to let the boy king rule in his own right. John was excluded from parliaments on purpose. Richard II was caught in between ambitious uncles and an increasingly weakening council of "Royalists," commoners who were growing very bitter about the control the nobles still had over everything.
- Was pressured into levying a huge poll tax on the commoners in order to fund the war in France. This caused a HUGE amount of unrest, as the poor were now not only fighting in the war, they were expected to pay for it, too. The House of Commons refused to meet, in protest. (they also feared the Black Death)
- When Richard II was 14, Wat Tyler and his friends began the Peasants' Revolt. All across England, the commoners left their homes and fields, and marched on London. The French war ground to a halt, and everything seemed to come apart at once. Nobles and Archbishops were dragged out of their homes and murdered in the streets.
- Richard rode out to meet the Peasant Army, but the mayor of London pulled Wat Tyler off of his horse and killed him. Before rage and panic could overtake the scene, Richard rode out, and like his namesake, Richard the Lionheart, he addressed the mob personally. Telling them "I am your captain, follow me!" He marched the mob away from the capitol, and promised their needs would be met, if they would just go home. The sight of this brave 14 year old seems to have moved the rebels. They returned home.
- Richard II, of course, broke his promise. Now scattered, the peasants were easily dispatched in a series of battles. Richard showed no mercy whatsoever, and the Peasants' Revolt was put down quickly.
- Married the princess of the Holy Roman Empire (Germany/Austria), in order to secure allies against France. While it seems that his marriage to Anne of Bohemia seems to be a loving one, Anne died of the plague soon after, and they had no children.
- John of Gaunt demanded that the war escalate. Richard acquiesced, which pissed off the nobility. John and Richard's expeditions into France and later Scotland were inconclusive and wasteful. Richard and John soon started squabbling publicly, and Richard seems to have become very arrogant and high-handed.
- Now almost 20, Richard appointed a low level noble, Michael de la Pole, to be chancellor. The nobles sneered at a man they described as "barely noble" telling them what to do. When Michael tried to levy a defense tax, Parliament told him to go screw himself. Richard was angry that people would stand against his will, and proceeded to tour England, demanding the nobility do what he commanded. This went over about as well as you might expect.
- Thomas of Woodstock, the King's other uncle, banded together with a few other nobles to stand up to the King and his cronies. Now called the "Lords Appellant," Thomas forced many of Richard's people out of the country then took the king hostage. Richard was humiliated and forced to comply with his uncle's demands. Thomas accused the king of homosexuality, bringing back the horrors of Edward II. Most of Richard's guards and friends were murdered or exiled in the "Merciless Parliament."
- at 21, Richard negotiated peace with his nobles, stating his Councillors were to blame for the problems. He managed to rule for 8 years without major incident, but the war in France continued to go nowhere.
- Suddenly, in 1397, Richard seems to have suddenly changed his mind, arresting and executing many of the higher nobles in his realm. Historians still aren't sure why... perhaps he was becoming paranoid, or perhaps there were plots against him that were found out. This era was called "The Tyranny of Richard." No one was safe. The nobles, of course, plotted against him in earnest.
- Two years later, John of Gaunt died. His son, Henry Bollingbroke, and his House of Lancaster, openly stood against the King. John of Gaunt was next in line, thus making his son, Henry Bollingbroke, an heir to the throne. (Richard II had no children.) All it would take would be for Richard to die, and House Lancaster would take over.
- To counter this, Richard II exiled Henry to France and disinherited him from the family.
- The king of France, Charles VI, had gone mad. (He thought his body was made out of glass.) This madness was prevalent in the Valois family.... sadly, through Isabella, that hereditary madness was lying dormant in the Plantagenet line, as well. The Duke of Orleans was ruling in his stead, and put support behind Henry.
- Now fairly secure (or so he thought,) Richard went to Ireland, leaving his last uncle, Edmund of the House of York, in charge while he was away.
- Henry invaded England. Edmund betrayed Richard and sided with Henry. Upon his return from Ireland, Richard II gave himself up and promised to abdicate if he would be allowed to live. He was forced to ride the long ride back to London behind his cousin Henry of Bollingbroke.
- Although Richard's cousin Edmund (Lionel's great grandson) was next in line by English standards, England suddenly acted like France and said the line couldn't go through a woman. (The fact that this invalidated their claim to the French throne wasn't lost on the French.) This made Henry the next claimant.
- Richard II "Voluntarily" abdicated in 1399. Henry of Bollinbroke, House of Lancaster, became Henry IV. Richard II was thrown in jail.
- Several nobles, mainly from the house of York, stood up in the "Epiphany Rising" plot, to overthrow Henry and restore Richard. This was rendered moot when Henry had Richard starved to death in the Pontefract Castle dungeon. Richard died alone and forgotten.
The Wars of the Roses had begun.