A younger son of Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince), and Joan, called the Fair Maid of Kent, Richard was born January 6, 1367, in Bordeaux, France. He was created Prince of Wales in 1376, the year of his father's death, and was placed in the care of his uncle John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. In 1377 at the age of ten, on the death of his grandfather, King Edward III, Richard became ruler of England, then a country devastated by plague and oppressed by heavy taxes, the result of a war with France.
In 1381 the Peasants' Revolt broke out and Richard, aged 14, bravely rode out to
meet the rebels at Smithfield, London. Wat Tyler, the principal leader of the
peasants, was killed and the uprisings in the rest of the country were crushed
over the next few weeks (Richard was later forced by his Council's advice to
rescind the pardons he had given). In 1382 at the age of fifteen he married Anne of Bohemia, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and after her death in 1394 he was married again in 1396 to Isabella, daughter of Charles VI, King of France, who was only seven, to end a struggle with France. Highly cultured, Richard was one of the greatest royal patrons of the arts; patron of Chaucer, it was Richard who ordered the technically innovative transformation of the Norman Westminster Hall to what it is today. (Built between 1097 and 1099 by William II, the Hall was the ceremonial and administrative centre of the kingdom; it also housed the Courts of Justice until 1882). Richard's authoritarian approach upset vested interests, and his increasing dependence on favourites provoked resentment. In 1388 the 'Merciless Parliament' led by a group of lords hostile to Richard (headed by the King's uncle, Thomas, Duke of Gloucester) sentenced many of the King's favourites to death and forced Richard to renew his coronation oath. In the following year, with the help of John of Gaunt, Richard was able to assert his authority. The death of his first Queen, Anne of Bohemia, in 1394 further isolated Richard, and his subsequent arbitrary behaviour alienated people further. Richard took his revenge in 1397, arresting or banishing many of his opponents including his uncle, Gloucester who was arrested and imprisoned at Calais, where he died, perhaps murdered; also his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, who was also subsequently banished. On the death of Henry's father, John of Gaunt (a younger son of Edward III), Richard confiscated the vast properties of his Duchy of Lancaster (which amounted to a state within a state) and divided them among his supporters.
Henry Bolingbroke, had incurred his mistrust and displeasure on suspicion of
his involvement in a treasonable plot to overthrow the monarchy. Richard had
confiscated his lands and property, taken his sons as hostages, and in 1398
sentenced him to ten years exile, which was later extended to banishment for
life. While Richard was leading a punitive expedition in Ireland, Bolingbroke
took advantage of his absence and sailed from Boulogne to reclaim his
inheritance and arrived in England in July 1399. He was supported by some of the leading baronial families (including Richard's former Archbishop of Canterbury). Richard then returned
hurriedly to North Wales, where, despite his many faults and follies, he had
much personal support and affection from the Welsh. He arrived at Conway and was
there met by Percy, the Earl of Northumberland, to whom Richard had earlier
that year granted the custody of Flint Castle. Northumberland informed him that
Bolingbroke sought a meeting with him to discuss the restoration of his
forfeited estates. Richard's doubts and suspicions were allayed when together
they took High Mass and Northumberland swore a solemn oath of allegiance and
fidelity before the Altar. They then set out to meet Bolingbroke who was
encamped at Chester. In a defile near Gwrych Castle outside Abergele, they were
met by a strong force of heavily armed men bearing the Northumberland standards
and Richard realised that this was an ambush and that he had been betrayed and
was trapped.
He was escorted as a prisoner to Rhuddlan Castle, where they dined
and then proceeded to Flint Castle and into the hands of his arch-enemy Henry
Bolingbroke. On August 19 they arrived in Flint and awaited the arrival of
Bolingbroke. There he was delivered to the son of the Duke of Gloucester and
the son of the Earl of Arundel. From there, Richard was conducted to London and
subjected to further indignities and humiliations on the road. There is a
well-attested story that a force of loyal Welshmen attempted to rescue him on
the way. So successful had been Bolingbroke's enterprise, that he now decided
himself to seize the throne. In less than six weeks he had made himself virtual
master of England. Richard was imprisoned in the Tower of London and there
charged with various violations of the law and the breaking his coronation oath
and compelled to sign the deed of abdication in favour of his usurper
Bolingbroke. On 13 October 1399, Bolingbroke was crowned Henry IV, King of
England. Shakespeare based two plays on his reign which lasted for thirteen
years and he also, dramatised the capitulation of Richard at Flint Castle in
his 'Richard II'. The wretched Richard was taken from the Tower to
Leeds Castle in Kent. Medieval monarchy was a tough struggle for survival. A
plot by his friends to rescue and restore the captive king and to assassinate
the guilt-ridden Henry IV was discovered, and Richard was now considered too
dangerous to live. Finally, he was removed to Pontefract Castle and there on 14th February 1400,
half-demented with grief, he was either secretly murdered, or as it was
believed at the time, died of starvation, either by his own refusal to eat in
his despair, or due to the deliberate neglect of his gaolers, acting under orders,
or with the connivance of the King. To dispel rumours circulating that he had
escaped, the body was brought to London and the face exposed for several days
to the public gaze, and after a funeral service at St. Paul's, taken to Langley
and there buried in an inglorious grave. Henry V subsequently had his body buried in Westminster Abbey.
A younger son of Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince), and Joan, called the Fair Maid of Kent, Richard was born January 6, 1367, in Bordeaux, France. He was created Prince of Wales in 1376, the year of his father's death, and was placed in the care of his uncle John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. In 1377 at the age of ten, on the death of his grandfather, King Edward III, Richard became ruler of England, then a country devastated by plague and oppressed by heavy taxes, the result of a war with France.
In 1381 the Peasants' Revolt broke out and Richard, aged 14, bravely rode out to
meet the rebels at Smithfield, London. Wat Tyler, the principal leader of the
peasants, was killed and the uprisings in the rest of the country were crushed
over the next few weeks (Richard was later forced by his Council's advice to
rescind the pardons he had given). In 1382 at the age of fifteen he married Anne of Bohemia, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and after her death in 1394 he was married again in 1396 to Isabella, daughter of Charles VI, King of France, who was only seven, to end a struggle with France. Highly cultured, Richard was one of the greatest royal patrons of the arts; patron of Chaucer, it was Richard who ordered the technically innovative transformation of the Norman Westminster Hall to what it is today. (Built between 1097 and 1099 by William II, the Hall was the ceremonial and administrative centre of the kingdom; it also housed the Courts of Justice until 1882). Richard's authoritarian approach upset vested interests, and his increasing dependence on favourites provoked resentment. In 1388 the 'Merciless Parliament' led by a group of lords hostile to Richard (headed by the King's uncle, Thomas, Duke of Gloucester) sentenced many of the King's favourites to death and forced Richard to renew his coronation oath. In the following year, with the help of John of Gaunt, Richard was able to assert his authority. The death of his first Queen, Anne of Bohemia, in 1394 further isolated Richard, and his subsequent arbitrary behaviour alienated people further. Richard took his revenge in 1397, arresting or banishing many of his opponents including his uncle, Gloucester who was arrested and imprisoned at Calais, where he died, perhaps murdered; also his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, who was also subsequently banished. On the death of Henry's father, John of Gaunt (a younger son of Edward III), Richard confiscated the vast properties of his Duchy of Lancaster (which amounted to a state within a state) and divided them among his supporters.