Richard II
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The Strange Death of Lancastrian England
“Beauforts”, Azincourt, Bauge, Blanche, Burgundy, Cambridge Plot, Cardinal Beaufort, Catherine de Valois, Charles VI, Charles VII, Congress of Arras, Edward of Lancaster, Eleanor Cobham, France, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Humphrey of Gloucester, John of Bedford, Lancastrians, Margaret of Anjou, Richard Duke of York, Richard II, Rupert of Germany, Sir Hugh Swynford, Thomas of Clarence, Treaty of Troyes, Verneuil, WakefieldWhen Henry IV had his final succession statute passed through Parliament he made no provision for the throne beyond his children and their offspring. Neither the Beauforts, the Yorks, or even the Hollands got so much as a line. This was quite understandable, given that he had four sons and two daughters. No one could…
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The “official” version of Richard II’s death is straightforward. After his deposition he was imprisoned in Pontefract Castle, and, following a rebellion of his followers in early January 1400, starved to death. The date of death is usually given as 14th February 1400. His body was subsequently taken by stages to London, being publicly exhibited…
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Every Ricardian knows of Coldharbour, the great riverside mansion in the city of London that Richard III turned over to the College of Heralds in 1483, which was then kicked out again by Henry VII and given to his formidable mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort (I know she wasn’t known as that by then, but it’s…
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DUKE RICHARD THE 3RD DUKE OF YORK (3): heir to the throne
“Loveday”, Bastard of Fauconberg, Blore Heath, Edmund Duke of Somerset, Edward II, Edward of Lancaster, Henry Holland Duke of Exeter, Henry IV, Henry VI, Jack Cade, Lord Clifford, Margaret of Anjou, Northampton, Richard Duke of York, Richard II, Richard of Salisbury, St. Albans, Succession rights, Thomas Neville, War, Waurin, William Duke of SuffolkThe she-wolf of France, but worse than wolves of France Whose tongue more poisons than an adders tooth How ill beseeming it is in thy sex To triumph like an amazon trull” (Henry VI Part 3) St Albans and its significance The first battle of St Albans represents a landmark in the dispute between York…
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Why lineage still matters in battle
“Beauforts”, “Tudors”, Battle of Bosworth, Blanche of Lancaster, Cnut, Earl of Oxford, Edmund Mortimer, Edward I, Edward IV, Edward VI, Emma of Normandy, Ethelred II, Hastings, Henry I, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Henry VII, House of York, James VII/II, Jane, Joan of Acre, Mary I, Matilda, Richard II, Richard III, Stephen, William I, William IIIThe crown of England, among others, has often been claimed in battle or by other forceful means. However, to exercise such a claim, it is necessary to persuade a challenger’s military followers that he has a dynastic claim of sorts, even when this is greatly exaggerated or totally spurious. Thus William I, the Conqueror or…
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A ghost story for Christmas may seem a little ill-placed, but nevertheless it has become something of a tradition. There was a time when BBC TV would not have been the same without something ghostly on Christmas Eve. Now we may or may not see anything like that. Dickens was greatly to blame, with Scrooge and…
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Following on from the blog A Big Development below…. It is interesting that the latest scientifically gleaned results to come out from the tests made on the remains of King Richard III, have raised in a question mark over the line of legitimacy on his paternal side. Someone, somewhere, somewhen committed adultery, and the resultant…
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Today is the annniversary of the death in 1416 of Constance of York, Lady Despenser and (for a time) Countess of Gloucester. She was one of many people of various conditions in life who inexplicably preferred the ‘tyranny’ of Richard II to the rule of Henry IV, and put their lives at risk to do…
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What makes a good medieval king?
Charter of Liberties, Coronation, Coronation Oath, divine right, dynastic succession, Edgar the Peaceable, Edward II, Edward III, Henry I, Henry VI, Ian Mortimer, Kathryn Warner, kingship, Magna Carta, Mel Gibson, Order of the Garter, Richard II, Richard III, Round Table, Three Estates, William I, WitangemotIntroduction Why is Edward 1 considered a great king? That is a question that has haunted me ever since I fluffed it in an O level’ exam more than fifty summers ago. My answer proved that a good memory is better than thinking it would be all right on the day. By chance, I recently…
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Following on from the blog above, entitled More C17 coincidences, it occurred to me that there is another strange set of coincidences concerning Richard III (1452-1485), and his predecessor and namesake of the previous century, Richard II (1367-1400). And I do not only mean being killed and usurped. Both had a queen named Anne…
