Richard II and John of Gaunt
by Mercedes Rochelle
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John of Gaunt with his coat of arms attributed to Lucas Cornelisz de Kock source: Wikipedia |
Richard's relationship with his uncle,
John of Gaunt was fraught with uncertainties and misunderstandings, though
throughout it was bound by strict royal precepts. In retrospect, historians
have noted that Gaunt's behavior showed he would never have done anything
against the king's prerogative, no matter how he felt about him personally. But
contemporaries—including the king himself—believed otherwise.
This misunderstanding went back to the
reign of Edward III. In the old king's dotage, Gaunt increasingly took on his
father's responsibilities in Parliament, though unlike Edward III, his conduct
was overbearing and threatening. The magnates were so afraid that Gaunt might
seize the throne for himself that on Edward's death they hurriedly crowned the
10 year-old Richard rather than risk a regency.
It's true that John of Gaunt was
interested in a crown, but it was the crown of Castile he coveted, in right of
his wife Constance. Ever since his marriage to her in 1371 he took on the title
of King of Castile and León, and in 1386, circumstances permitted him to go to
Spain and make a bid for his crown. He failed, but succeeded in a different
way: John married his eldest daughter Philippa to the King of Portugal and his
younger daughter Catherine to the future King of Castile. In return for giving
up his claim to the Castilian throne, Gaunt accepted a huge payoff of 600,000
francs of gold which was paid in full over the next three years.
But before he took his family to Spain,
John had some unpleasant run-ins with young King Richard. In 1384, there was
the infamous scene where a Carmelite friar gained access to the king and told
him that John of Gaunt was plotting to kill him. In a fit of rage, Richard
ordered his uncle's execution and was only restrained by the urging of his wife
and favorites. When an astonished Gaunt stumbled into this frantic scene he
forcibly denied the accusation, giving Richard pause and turning all the
attention onto the friar. No one ever found out what prompted this accusation,
because the Carmelite died under torture that night. But for Richard, his own
conduct cast serious doubts on his judgment. Some months later, after a bungled
murder plot against Gaunt (planned by the king's friends), the duke confronted
Richard in person and castigated him for permitting such despicable behavior in
his court; he stopped short of accusing the king of involvement. Luckily,
Richard's mother Princess Joan was still alive and able to smooth things
between them.
The following year, there was a big
ruckus between Richard and Gaunt over the upcoming campaign into Scotland. John
wanted the king to invade France, but under heavy resistance from the
chancellor and Richard's counselors, his advice was ignored. At first John
stormed out of the council, exclaiming that he would have no part of the
Scottish campaign. But he soon relented and brought a huge retinue with him,
though the antagonism between him and the king would soon rise to the surface
again. They fought bitterly once they reached Edinburgh and discovered that the
Scots had withdrawn and ravaged Cumberland instead. John wanted to pursue them
and Richard stoutly proclaimed that he wouldn't expose his army to hunger and
deprivation for a pointless venture. It didn't help that his friend Robert de
Vere implied that Gaunt hoped the king would meet with an accident along the
way. Chase them if you want, Richard told his uncle, you have
enough men. I'm going home. Once again, Gaunt gave in and assured the king
he was his faithful servant and would follow where Richard would lead. It must
have been very difficult for him to swallow his pride.
When the opportunity arose for Gaunt to
try his luck in Spain, Richard was so thrilled he gave his uncle a royal
send-off, presenting the Duke and Duchess with gold crowns. Finally, his uncle
would be out of the way and Richard could rule on his own! Little did he
realize that the Duke of Lancaster was the only power propping up his throne.
Once Gaunt's formidable presence was removed, disgruntled magnates—led by
Richard's youngest uncle, Thomas of Woodstock—quickly took his place. There was
nothing to hold them back and they immediately went after Richard's
advisors—starting with his chancellor, Michael de la Pole. Over the next two
years, powerful nobles known as the Lords Appellant
conspired to rid the king of his "bad counselors" and forced him to
give up control of his government and accede to their leadership in all things.
The judicial murder, outlawry, and dismissal of his friends and advisors left
him completely alone and at their mercy. Luckily for the king, the Appellants
failed to follow up on their victory. After a year, once it was evident that
England was no better off than before, Richard was able to take back full
control in a quick coup, reminding the Council that he was well past his
majority.
One of the first things he did was
recall Gaunt from the continent; Richard had learned his lesson and he needed
his uncle's protection. Although the Duke of Lancaster still had much to
accomplish, he obliged his nephew and returned to a hero's welcome from the
king; never again would there be any serious antagonism between them. At the
same time, Richard was forced to swallow any antipathy he might have felt
against his cousin Henry of Bolingbroke, who was one of the Lords Appellant,
albeit an unenthusiastic one. Any retribution against Henry would have to come
later, after his father was dead.
It took several years for Richard to
feel comfortable enough to launch his retribution against the Lords Appellant,
and when it finally came about in 1397 it all happened like a cyclone.
Richard's primary targets were Thomas of Woodstock the Duke of Gloucester (and
Gaunt's younger brother), Richard Earl of Arundel, and Thomas Beauchamp Earl of
Warwick. John of Gaunt, as Lord High Steward of England, presided over the
Parliamentary trials of the king's great enemies. He was spared the litigation
against his brother; Gloucester died mysteriously while in prison at Calais and
Gaunt seems not to have made a fuss over it—at least not in public. Arundel, on
the other hand, was a bitter enemy of Gaunt. Although he put up a lively
defense, he was treated most harshly by the Duke of Lancaster. Bolingbroke
threw in his two cents as well, reminding Arundel of treasonous statements—even
though ten years previously he had been on Arundel's side.
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Richard visits Gaunt on his Deathbed, Watercolor by
Alexandre Bida, Folger Shakespeare
Library . |
But Henry of Bolingbroke would not
escape the king's retribution. The following year Bolingbroke faced his fellow
Appellant Thomas Mowbray in trial by combat at Coventry. This is another story,
but suffice it to say that when the king interrupted the tournament (as
portrayed by Shakespeare), he decided to exile both parties—Henry for ten
years, and Mowbray for life. Richard made this announcement after consulting
with his Council for two hours; Gaunt was among their number and gave his
assent. Why did he do this? Some said he disapproved of his son, but I find
little verification of this in his biographies. Perhaps he thought to send his
son safely away from all the scheming and back-stabbing in Richard's court.
Perhaps he had no choice. Regardless, Henry left the country with a heavy
heart, for he knew he would probably never see his father again. And so it was;
Gaunt died just a few months later.
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It was said that King Richard visited
Gaunt just before his end. Shakespeare had him gloating over the sick old man,
but I don't think it happened that way. At least on the surface, he and his
uncle had an amiable relationship the last several years. Once Gaunt was back
on the scene, there was no way the Lords Appellant could start up their
trouble-making again, and Richard knew it. I do believe he was waiting for his
uncle to pass on before moving to his next agenda: eliminating the threat of
the overpowerful Lancastrians. But that, too, is another story.
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Richard II found himself under siege not once, but twice in his minority. Crowned king at age ten, he was only fourteen when the Peasants' Revolt terrorized London. But he proved himself every bit the Plantagenet successor, facing Wat Tyler and the rebels when all seemed lost. Alas, his triumph was short-lived, and for the next ten years he struggled to assert himself against his uncles and increasingly hostile nobles. Just like in the days of his great-grandfather Edward II, vengeful magnates strove to separate him from his friends and advisors, and even threatened to depose him if he refused to do their bidding. The Lords Appellant, as they came to be known, purged the royal household with the help of the Merciless Parliament. They murdered his closest allies, leaving the King alone and defenseless. He would never forget his humiliation at the hands of his subjects. Richard's inability to protect his adherents would haunt him for the rest of his life, and he vowed that next time, retribution would be his.
Pick up your copy of
A King Under Siege:
Book one of the Plantagenet Legacy
Mercedes Rochelle
Born in St. Louis MO with a degree from University of Missouri, Mercedes Rochelle learned about living history as a re-enactor and has been enamored with historical fiction ever since. A move to New York to do research and two careers ensued, but writing fiction remains her primary vocation. She lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.
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