Richard II – The boy king becomes a man
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 preclude a hideous sequel!
I am so glad that the ghastly year of 1381 is over and done!
I am getting married in January, so 1382 promises to be a lot more fun!’
The year which followed the Peasants Revolt was a rather more happy one for King Richard. In January of 1382, he married Anne of Bohemia, whose late father, Charles IV had been, the Holy Roman Emperor.
The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV.
Richard was greatly looking forward to his marriage to Anne, despite the fact that he had never met her.
King Richard II and his Queen consort, Anne of Bohemia.
‘Anne saw her man, and of him, she became an instant fan!
Richard eyed his girl, and decided that she was worth more than a simple twirl!’
When the two fifteen year olds did meet, Anne must have been impressed at what she saw. Like his ancestors, Edwards I, II and III, Richard was tall and fine looking. The king would eventually reach a towering, six feet in height, which he bore with a regal air. Richard loved to adorn himself in the finest of garments and without doubt, he had spared no expense in tailoring when preparing to meet Anne for the first time. Richard and Anne were kindred spirits and the marriage would prove to be a happy one. The king was inconsolable when Anne died in 1394.
‘For Richard and Anne, it was pretty much love at first sight!
And in their time together, never a harsh word, let alone a fight!’
Anne was a gentle girl and possessed a warm sense of humanity. Indeed, this was shown when she persuaded Richard to call a halt to the executions of those involved in the Peasants Revolt. So, Anne proved to be something of a restraining influence on her husband, seeking to curb his wilder impulses. Nevertheless, her husband was of a highly strung disposition, as he had inherited the famous Plantagenet temper. King Richard’s fury was truly terrible to behold. Courtiers and household staff alike lived in constant fear of his anger, which turned him into a ranting, stammering and incoherent maniac. On a later occasion, he actually drew his sword on the Archbishop of Canterbury and would have used it, but fortunately he was prevented from doing so.
The early years of his reign had seen him learning his kingly craft in the shadow of his two uncles, Thomas of Woodstock, and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. This would change in 1383, as he sought to break free from their orbit, and seek the advice of others. The two noble brothers greatly resented their young nephew’s decision to spread his royal wings and to draw new blood into his inner sanctum.
‘Dear uncles, John and Tom, my greatest thanks for your service, from you both, I have learned a great deal!
But now, it is time that I look to others for advice before on any piece of parchment, I place the royal seal!’
Uncles John and Thomas, feeling somewhat piqued, glumly departed Richard’s court to spend their time brooding at their huge estates. They felt that they had taught King Richard everything that he knew.
‘Ungrateful young cur!
It seems that it is the company of others that he doth prefer!’
Thomas of Woodstock, later Duke of Gloucester.
1382 had been a wonderful year for Richard and he looked forward to a long and successful reign. Would fortune smile upon his regal head and grant his ambitions? Surely God would protect his anointed person against those who seek to do evil ? But what if Richard were to do wrong and be seen to be doing so!