Richard II

Portrait by unknown artist (c. 1390s)

Regnal name: King Richard II of England

Birth name: Richard Burdeux Plantagenest d'Angevin

Born: 06 January 1367, Bordeaux, Duchy of Aquitaine, Kingdom of France

Father: Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales 'The Black Prince'

Mother: Joan, Countess of Kent 'Fair Maid of Kent'

House: Plantagenet

Nationality: English

Religion: Catholicism

Claim: Grandchild of Edward III 

Reign: 22 June 1377 - 29 September 1399 (22 years)

Coronation: 16 July 1377

Predecessor: Edward III

Successor: Henry IV 

Died: c. 14 February 1400 (aged 33), Pontefract, Yorkshire, Kingdom of England

Cause: Murder by starvation

Burial: Westminster Abbey

Motto: God and my right 

Spouse(s):

• Princess Anne of Bohemia (m. 1382 - 1394)
• Princess Isabella of Valois (m. 1396 - 1400) 

Children:

• N/A 

Appearance:

He was described as having more feminine facial features, and was often viewed as beautiful and handsome. 

 

Richard was also tall, standing at about 182cm (6'0'') in height, and also had a strong build. 

 

His hair was likely blond, and he was described as having a long, thin nose.

 

Character:

Richard was quite well known for his vanity and fragile ego, and is believed to have suffered from narcissistic personality disorder or borderline personality disorder, or a combination of the two. He always liked to ensure he wore the most elaborate clothing, and enjoyed being the centre of attention. 

 

He was a firm believer in his rights as an absolute ruler, adopting the qualities of a dictator. 

 

Richard was also viewed as irresponsible and immature, though this could just be down to his young age for the majority of his reign. He was also prone to stammering when angered. 

 

However, he could also be very loving to those he was close to, especially to his first wife, Anne of Bohemia, whom he was very attached to, almost to the point of obsession. She was often able to calm his fiery temper. He also took very good care of his second wife, Isabella of Valois, who was just a young child when their marriage was arranged. Despite their marriage, he treated her more like a daughter, never consummating the marriage, and often gifting her with toys, allowing her to retain her childhood. 

 

Richard was also regarded as intelligent, and enjoyed reading. He was devoted to following the cult of Saint Edward the Confessor, a previous king of England. He also enjoyed hunting, philosophy, science, and alchemy.

 

Biography:

Richard was born in the Duchy of Aquitaine in 1367, to Edward, Prince of Wales (also known as the Black Prince), and his wife, Joan, Countess of Kent. His father was the heir to the throne of England as the eldest son of King Edward III. His birth would be witnessed by three kings. 

 

Originally, he was only third in line for the throne, however, his older brother, Edward, died in 1370, and his father then died in 1376. Finally, Richard's grandfather, Edward III died in 1377, and Richard became King Richard II at just 10 years old. Many within England feared Edward III's brother, John of Gaunt, would seize the throne for himself, so Richard was allowed to rule with the help of a council, despite being underage, in order to avoid a regency composed of his uncles.

 

The first major issue facing his reign was the Peasants' Revolt in 1381. The Black Death pandemic that had occurred 20 years previously had drastically decreased the population of England, leading to a shortage of labour workers. The workers that remained demanded higher wages, but these had been frozen to pre-plague levels during the reign of Richard's grandfather, Edward III. The peasant class rose up to demand fairer wages, and despite his young age and lack of experience, Richard was able to calm the crowds and quell the rebellions. However, this incident would install in him the attitude of an absolute ruler. 

 

In 1383, Richard agreed to marry Princess Anne of Bohemia, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, in order to ally themselves against France during the Hundred Years' War, and the Great Schism, in which two rival Popes competed for the position. The marriage was not popular with the people of England, as despite being from a powerful European family, Anne brought with her little dowry. Her ship also collapsed upon her entry into the country, which many interpreted as a bad omen. 

 

Despite the objections, the marriage went ahead when both Richard and Anne were 15 years old. Although the marriage was politically arranged, Richard and Anne would fall deeply in love with each other, and Richard rarely ever allowed Anne to leave his side. His love and infatuation towards her bordered on obsession, yet despite their close relationship, they were never able to have any children together. It is unknown whether this is because one or both of them were infertile. 

 

Unfortunately for Richard, Anne would die in 1394 from the bubonic plague, and in his grief, he ordered the palace in which she died to be destroyed. Her death completely devastated Richard, and may go towards explaining his much more brutal attitude in his reign from this moment forwards. Anne had also always been a very calming presence for him, and she would often intercede on behalf of his enemies, helping to spare their lives. Without Anne's influence, Richard was free to be much more brutal and tyrannical. As a result of this, Richard was constantly threatened by Parliament and members of the nobility who wanted to depose him. In particular, his ambitious uncle, John of Gaunt, always posed a threat to his reign.

 

Fortunately, by 1389, Richard managed to reconcile his differences with John of Gaunt, who he then allowed to aid in his ruling of the kingdom. He blamed his previous issues as king on the bad advice of council members, and was able to secure stability within England. During this time, Richard was even able to reach a truce with France, since the Hundred Years' War had continued long into his reign.

 

As part of this truce, Richard agreed to marry the daughter of the French king, Princess Isabella of Valois, who was just 6 years old at the time. Typically, a girl was considered ready for marriage by the age of 12, even if this age still made some people uncomfortable, even by the standards of the day. However, Richard decided not to wait for his new bride, and married her as soon as possible, much to the shock of those around him. He claimed it was to help mould Isabella into his ideal wife and consort. The two of them would marry in 1396 when Richard was 29, and Isabella was still only 6. 

 

Despite the creepiness of the arrangement, even by medieval standards, the marriage between them was never consummated, and Richard practically adopted her as a daughter instead of a wife. Many at the time came to view her as the daughter that both Richard and Anne had never been able to have, and he would make sure she continued to enjoy her childhood, and receive the best education.   
 
Unfortunately, discontent broke out in England once again, and one of Richard's most consequential moments was his banishment of his life-long friend and cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, heir to the Duchy of Lancaster. All the while, Richard became even more of an absolute ruler, decreasing his popularity even further. 

 

In 1399, Louis I, Duke of Orléans, gained control of France after King Charles VI suffered a mental breakdown, and he did not favour the previous peaceful relations with England. Knowing the issues Henry Bolingbroke's return would cause Richard, Louis allowed him to return to England while Richard was away in Ireland. Because his knights and loyalists had travelled with him to Ireland, Henry was able to easily seize his territory in Lancaster, before deciding to extend his brutality and pillage the north of England. Henry then went a step further, and decided that he should be the King of England instead, and seized the throne. Overall, Henry was met with very little resistance.

 

When Richard finally arrived back in Wales a few weeks later, he likely knew there was no chance he could stand against Henry. He quickly surrendered in exchange for his life, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. There are two conflicting accounts as to what happens next. One account claims that Richard willingly surrendered his crown, citing his own unworthiness. Another claims that he fell into a rage and swore revenge over what had happened to him. Regardless of what happened, Richard formally abdicated, and his cousin and usurper became king Henry IV of England.

 

Initially, Henry kept his promise of allowing Richard to live, who was sent to live in Yorkshire under close monitoring. That was until many of Richard's remaining supporters began plotting Henry's assassination. This caused Henry to believe that Richard was too much of a threat to be allowed to live. So, by 1400, all care that was provided to Richard was ceased.

 

Though it's not fully known what exactly happened, it is widely believed that Richard starved to death in prison, having lost everything. 

 

Rule:

The reign of Richard II was marked heavily by instability within the country and abroad. He was just a child when he came to the throne, and he was often manipulated by his council during his early reign, who were particularly desperate to prevent his uncle from seizing power. 

 

The first major challenge during his reign was the high taxation and Peasants' Revolt of 1381. The peasants called for the abolition of serfdom within England, which tied peasants to landowners. Richard would meet with rebel leaders, despite not being officially old enough to govern yet, and was able to calmly handle the situation. Though he originally pardoned the rebels, further rebellions prompted him to revoke this, and he defeated the rebels in battle himself. 

 

His decision to marry Anne of Bohemia was viewed as a political disaster and was not popular due to Anne bringing little to no benefits with her to England. However, the English population would eventually warm to her, and much of Richard's wrath throughout his reign was calmed by her influence. 

 

Richard was also unpopular due to having clear favourites within his court, which resulted in frequent tensions among the nobility. 

 

However, Richard was successful in establishing a period of peace with the Kingdom of France, which was still during the heights of the Hundred Years' War. To achieve this, he agreed to marry the daughter of the French king. However, his policies of peace were not popular with England. 

 

His most notable actions were when he was able to successful suppress rebellions within Ireland, once again establishing English rule there. 

 

Richard was very much a tyrannical ruler and believed in absolute monarchy, developing his own private army so that he did not have to rely on the nobility. His court was lavish, but also allowed for the growth of English as a literary language. 

 

Ultimately, Richard was not popular as a monarch, and was easily overthrown by Henry IV, surrendering really quickly to his forces.

 

Trivia: 

• He was the first monarch of England to be addressed with the title of 'majesty'. Before this, all monarchs had been referred to as 'highness'. 

 

Quotes:

 

"I am your leader: follow me."

 

"You wretches detestable on land and sea: you who seek equality with lords are unworthy to live. Give this message to your colleagues: rustics you were, and rustics you are still; you will remain in bondage, not as before, but incomparably harsher. For as long as we live we will strive to suppress you, and your misery will be an example in the eyes of posterity. However, we will spare your lives if you remain faithful and loyal. Choose now which course you want to follow."

 

 

Timeline of Reign:

| 1377: Poll tax - Heavy taxation proves unpopular with the people of England.

| 1378: The Great Western Schism begins - Two rival Popes compete for control of Catholic Church. 

| 1381: Peasants' Revolt - Peasants rise up in rebellion and demand better wages.

| 1385: Campaign in Scotland - Richard leads raids on the Scottish border.

| 1387: Geoffrey Chaucer begins publishing - Literature in English begins. 

| 1388: Scottish invasion - Scotland invades England in retaliation for the raids. 

| 1388: Battle of Otterburn - Scotland defeats England.

| 1388: Battle of Chevy Chase - Scotland defeats England.

| 1394: Irish rebellions - Gaelic Irish rise up against English overlords.

| 1395: Invasion of Ireland - Richard defeats rebellions in Ireland. 

| 1396: Truce with France - England and France agree to a truce.

| 1397: Henry Bolingbroke exiled - Richard exiles his cousin for 10 years after a quarrel. 

| 1399: Henry Bolingbroke exile sentence increased - To stop his potentially threat to the throne.

| 1399: Campaign in Ireland - Richard begins fresh campaigns in Ireland.

| 1399: Duchy of Lancaster - Richard refuses to grant Henry Bolingbroke's titles and lands.

| 1399: Henry returns from exile - Henry of Bolingbroke returns due to a plot by the French king.

| 1399: Richard is captured - Richard quickly surrenders to Henry's rebel forces.

| 1399: Richard abdicates - Richard formally abdicates.  

 

 

Sources & Further Reading:

Brain, J. (n.d.). King Richard II. Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/King-Richard-II/

Cartwright, M. (2020). Richard II of England. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Richard_II_of_England/ 

pixeltocode.uk, P. (n.d.). Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. Westminster Abbey. https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/royals/richard-ii-and-anne-of-bohemia 

Saul, N. (n.d.). Richard II | Biography, Reign, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-II-king-of-England 

The Westminster Portrait of Richard II of England (1390s).jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2022). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Westminster_Portrait_of_Richard_II_of_England_(1390s).jpg