The accession of Bolingbroke to the throne as Henry IV was marred by the muttering that he was a usurper. The coronation of Henry IV in October 1399. Despite the jollity at the coronation banquet, others were quietly bitching about Henry as they tucked into their venison. To them, he was not the rightful king, …
‘By his many actions so base, senseless and awful! King Richard sowed the seeds of his own ignominious downfall!’ Richard now embarked upon a policy which he believed would secure him his coveted position as absolute monarch. In fact, it would bring about his own dramatic fall from power and ultimately his untimely death, aged …
‘Well, ain’t life just really swell! All’s well that ends well!’ King Richard II On the surface, the king and their lords Appellant maintained a veneer of friendliness. But inside, Richard was seething with resentment. Nevertheless, there was a certain chumminess in the air when John of Gaunt returned from Castile in November 1189. The …
‘ King Richard was not prepared to meekly accept parliament’s intrusion into his affairs. The king declared: ‘I may be, but a fledging, not yet twenty-one! But, I am the anointed king and therefore, my will, can, must and will be done!’ Almost at once the young king began sounding opinion and canvassing support from …
‘A medieval literary interlude! A good yarn puts everyone in a better mood! Whether they be of gentle tone, or even a little lewd!’ Geoffrey Chaucer The man writing the yarns in the latter part of the 14th century was Geoffrey Chaucer, a man of many talents. He was a soldier, diplomat, administrator, Member of …
‘Richard now had to contend with his uncle, Thomas, the Duke of Gloucester! Good relations between uncle and nephew, were becoming increasingly difficult to foster!’ Gloucester and his supporters were angry with the calibre of the men who advised the king. One reason for this was unadulterated snobbery on their part. The nobles objected to …
‘France and Scotland, in the year of 1386 did conspire to put an end to King Richard’s reign! But by the year’s end, it was a case of something ventured, but absolutely nothing gained!’ Scotland. In 1385 the Scots, encouraged by the French who were planning an invasion of England, began to raid the northern …
As 1381 drew to a close, King Richard II, supping his yuletide wine, reflected on the horrors of the Peasants Revolt and sighed: ‘My God, those two devils, Tyler and Ball, causing a diabolical commotion in the pursuit of making everyone equal! With a bit of luck, its dismal failure and the subsequent executions will …
‘After a peaceful slumber, Wat Tyler awoke, his cloak covered with the morning dew! Having arisen early, he was focussed on the day and what he had resolved to do!’ Tyler had received word that the king wished to speak with him again. This pleased the rebel leader because he was intent on pressing his …
‘In the month of June, like wildfire the revolt did spread. Thus filling the minds of the English nobility with terrible, unholy dread!’ In June the rebels of Kent, now having elected a leader, one Wat Tyler, entered Maidstone jail and freed the inmates being held there. One of these newly freed prisoners was a …