Richard II

Who was first to lie in state in Westminster Hall….?

Jan 27, 2023

anniversaries, buildings, religion

Canterbury, Edward of Woodstock, Edward VII, Elizabeth II, George V, George VI, lying in state, Monumental Effigies, Philip IV, Queen Mary, Queen Mother, Richard II, royal burials, Westminster Hall, William Gladstone, William II, Winston Churchill

One of the things that always springs to mind about Westminster Hall is the amazing hammerbeam roof, for which we have our 14th-century monarch, Richard II, to thank. He didn’t build the hall itself, of course, because that accolade goes as far back as King William II “Rufus” in 1079. And Rufus was disappointed…
A Viking chief’s ring found in a collection of cheap jewellery….

Jan 23, 2023

Uncategorized

clay pipes, costume jewellery, diamonds, gold, John Holand, lost property, Marilyn Monroe, Norway, Richard II, Richard III’s diary, Vikings, York letters

(Before I start, I assure you I won’t mention clay pipes! 😁) A young Norwegian lady purchased a collection of cheap costume jewellery online, and when it arrived she discovered one item was the ancient ring shown above. It had once belonged to a Viking chief. Can you imagine such a stroke of luck? How…
Treachery is one man’s meat and another’s poison….

Jan 22, 2023

anniversaries, battles, law, sources

Anne of Bohemia, Battle of Bosworth, chivalry, Chris Given-Wilson, Henry IV, Henry VII, Journal of Mediaeval History, Lords Appellant, Merciless Parliament, Radcot Bridge, Richard II, Richard III, Robert de Vere Duke of Ireland, rumours, sodomy, Thomas Walsingham, treachery

I have been reading a very interesting article from the Journal of Medieval History by E. Amanda McVitty, called False knights and true men: contesting chivalric masculinity in English treason trials, 1388-1415. (Vol. 40, No. 4, 458–477) There is an old saying that one man’s meat is another man’s poison, and by the…
Another one bites the dust….well, starts to….

Jan 17, 2023

buildings, law

Ash Manor, Edward II, Edward III, Henry VI, listed buildings, Manorial Court Rolls, Old Manor Cottage, Richard II, royal residences, Surrey

While pursuing information about the medieval royal residence known as Henley-on-the-Heath in Surrey, I’ve found yet another example of our disappearing past. This one hasn’t quite gone, but it’s certainly being encroached upon. Now known as Ash Manor, this royal residence was purchased in 1324 by Edward II, and remained a royal property until Henry…
See around and maybe help at Coventry’s refurbished Charterhouse….

Jan 11, 2023

buildings, Events, religion

Coventry Charterhouse, Coventry Observer, Heritage Open Days, listed buildings, refurbishment, Richard II

One never knows what treasures lurk in the English countryside, and indeed city and suburban areas. There are so many medieval morsels still lingering to delight the eye and make us proud of our magnificent heritage. The 14th-century Charterhouse at Coventry is no exception. It was founded by King Richard II in 1385. The Grade…
The appointment of women to the Garter. (Medieval era).

Jan 10, 2023

heraldry, law

Alice Arundel, Blanche Brandeston, Catherine de Roet, Constance of York, Edmund of Langley, Henry IV, Henry VIII, Joan Holland, John of Gaunt, Knights of the Garter, Ladies of the Garter, Mary Bohun, Mortimers, Philippa de Mohun, Richard II, Sir Andrew Hake, Thomas Despenser, Thomas Holland

I have been trying to make sense of the method by which women were appointed to the Garter in the middle ages, and have concluded there was no system. Of course, as with the knights, who were nominally ‘elected’ by the other knights, it all came down to royal favour. But with the knights, there…
Two tragic kings called Richard….

Jan 8, 2023

anniversaries, battles, buildings

“Princes”, Battle of Bosworth, Edward of Middleham, France, Henry IV, Isabella de Valois, peace, Pontefract Castle, Richard II, Richard III, royal marriages, usurpation

I know I’ve rabbited about this before, because I’m fascinated by both King Richard III and his predecessor Richard II. Such fascination sparks latter-day loyalties. It certainly has with me. Tragedy struck them both, and as supporters of Richard III we know he was maligned as the killer of his two small nephews, betrayed,…
King Richard and the Duke of Gloucester….

Jan 6, 2023

anniversaries, genealogy, law, religion, sources

British Library, Dukes of Gloucester, Edmund Duke of York, Epiphany, Froissart, Harley 4380, John of Gaunt, Lord Protector of the Realm, Regency, Richard II, Richard III, Sir John Lackingay, Thomas of woodstock, tyranny

There are two instances (of which I know) involving a Duke of Gloucester and a king called Richard. The one that is best known to Ricardians is Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who became Richard III. But there was another instance in the previous century, when Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, made the life of…
A review of Westminster Abbey: Behind Closed Doors….

Jan 5, 2023

anniversaries, archaeology, buildings, Events, law, religion, Science, sources, television reviews

“Tudors”, Anne of Bohemia, Anzac Day, Bayeux Tapestry, burials, Channel Five, Charles “III”, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Charles I, Charles II, Cheyneygates, Cicely Plantagenet, coronation chair, coronations, Crown of St. Edward, Dame Judi Dench, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Duke of Norfolk, Easter, Elizabeth II, executions, gardens, Harold II, Hawksmoor Tower, Henry V, Henry VII Lady Chapel, Holy Week, Imperial State Crown, Lady Diana Spencer, Lady Margaret Beaufort, Lent, Liber Regalis, Operation Golden Orb, Order of the Bath, Palm Sunday, Platinum Jubilee Roof, Poets’ Corner, Pyx Chamber, Queen Mother, records, Richard II, Royal Peculiars, Royal regalia, Shrine of St. Edward the Confessor, Sir Derek Jacobi, Sir Ian McKellen, Sir john Gielgud, Sir Ralph Scrope, St. Paul’s, State Opening of Parliament, Stone of Scone, Timothy West, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Tower of London, Viscount Welles, weddings, Westminster Abbey

I have now watched all of the Channel 5 series Westminster Abbey: Behind Closed Doors, which is so packed with information that I hardly know where to begin with this review. Aha, did I hear you say the beginning might be a good idea? You’re right, so here goes with a selection of descriptions from…
Newport and the lucky/unlucky Staffords….

Dec 20, 2022

battles, buildings, genealogy, law

Battle of Shrewsbury, Buckingham rebellion, Earls of Stafford, executions, Gwent, Henry of Buckingham, Hugh Earl of Stafford, John Holland, murder, Newport Castle, pilgrimage, Ralph Stafford, Richard II, Richard III, Scottish campaign 1385, Staffords, William Howard Viscount Stafford

It seems to me, looking at the list in this article about Newport Castle, that a few members of the Stafford family came to sticky ends, some deserved, some apparently not. They may have been unlucky, but the family was wealthy and titled, so perhaps not that hard done by. In 1377 Hugh, Earl of…