Richard II 1377-1399 Richard II The king whose thirst for revenge led to him losing his crown and his life S King Richard II riding into London during the Peasants’ Revolt Born in Bordeaux in 1367, Richard inherited the oldiers barged into the house where the throne from his grandfather Edward III – since his former chief justice of England, and one of father, Edward ‘the Black Prince’ had already died the monarch Richard II’s favourites, Robert in 1376 – when he was just ten years old As such, Tresilian, had been hiding and arrested for the early parts of his reign the country was him at sword point Tresilian had already effectively run by a series of councils, but by the been judged guilty of treason in absentia and his early 1380s the king was becoming increasingly poor disguise didn’t fool the soldiers; they had involved Richard would prove himself to be their man This key player in the government of a capable king early on in his reign with his Richard II, a man upon whom had been bestowed response to a situation that all high-born much royal patronage, was hanged on 19 and of power feared – a peasants’ February 1388 With the former chief revolt Led by Wat Tyler, the 1381 justice executed along with Sir revolt was triggered by the Nicholas Brembre – another man His uncle, the crown’s demands for a poll of the king – and others fleeing Duke of Gloucester, tax to help pay for the costly overseas in exile sentenced to had a key role in Hundred Years’ War with a similar fate if they ever again sentencing many of France With many in England stepped afoot on the land of struggling to feed themselves, their birth, it seemed that the Richard’s favourites the demand for even more power base of King Richard II to death money was the tipping point and had been eradicated a large group of dissenters actually After this cull, the king – in entered London where they looted, public at least – seemed to adopt damaged buildings and killed anyone a conciliatory position He claimed the associated with the government problems that had led to such divisions between Richard II, then aged 14, initially retreated for himself and his leading nobility that caused safety to the Tower of London, but with many of many of his leading figures in government being the royal forces in northern England or abroad he executed or exiled was the result of bad advice knew he needed to end the rebellion As he didn’t from councillors He would now rule with the men have the military strength to this, diplomacy that his nobles suggested as being key parts of the would have to suffice The young king met with apparatus of the English government and peace could return to England In private, though, Richard the rebels and agreed to their demands (which included abolishing serfdom) and the following day neither forgave nor forgot vk.com/englishlibrary vk.com/bastau 49