Life in the time of
Richard II and Edward II
by Mercedes Rochelle
 |
Capture
of Edward II, from Froissart Chronicles, BN MS Fr. 2675 Source, Wikipedia.
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It doesn't take a
huge leap of imagination to connect the two English usurpations of the
fourteenth century—both Plantagenets, both accused of letting their favorites
unduly influence them, both probably murdered while in prison. (And both of
whose murders are debated to this day.) We can be sure the association was very
much on Richard II's mind, especially during the latter half of his reign. But
Edward's fate was most forcibly shoved in his face during the standoff between
him and the "Wonderful" Parliament in 1386. This was when the Commons
decided to impeach the chancellor, Michael de la Pole—the first official in
English history to be removed by impeachment.
Richard was highly
indignant that the Commons dare pass judgment on his great officers. He was
quoted as saying, “I will
not dismiss so much as a scullion from my kitchen at your request!” And he
meant it. Taking his friends and household to Eltham, he removed himself from
Parliament, making it impossible for them to get any business done without his
presence. But this state of affairs could not last long, and the Lords and Commons
sent the Duke of Gloucester and Thomas Arundel, Bishop of Ely to persuade the
king to return. Richard hated Gloucester, his youngest uncle, who was
overbearing, arrogant, and brutal with his criticism. This day proved no
exception. Unbeknownst to Richard, before he left Parliament, Gloucester had sent
for the archives to see if he could find a precedent from Edward II’s
deposition which he might use against his nephew. He found none, but proceeded
to fabricate one anyway, to frighten Richard into cooperating. He told Richard,
“If ever the king, through evil counsel or wanton ill will, alienates himself
from the people—if he does not wish to be ruled by the laws of the land, then
it is lawful for them by common consent to remove that king from the royal
throne, and substitute another close relative of the royal line in his
place." It worked. Shocked and intimidated, Richard meekly returned to
London and permitted Parliament to impeach Michael.
 |
Medieval
Parliament, Royal Collection, RCIN 1047414: Source, Wikipedia.
However, Richard
was no milksop. He soon learned about Gloucester’s deception and used it
against him, precipitating the whole Lords Appellant episode that nearly cost
him his throne. Time and again, Gloucester threatened Richard with usurpation
like his great-grandfather. The menace never lost its effectiveness. However,
the boy king grew up. After he achieved his majority and began reigning in his
own name, one of his primary concerns was redeeming Edward II’s reputation and
restoring dignity to the crown; it had been badly tarnished by the usurpation
and Edward III’s dotage. What would be the best method to redeem Edward II?
Why, nothing less than declaring him a saint. Then nobody could cast aspersions
on him again.
Richard sent
agents to Pope Urban VI, petitioning him to start the canonization process.
Needless to say, the pontiff was lukewarm, but he needed the king’s support so
his answer was for Richard to gather evidence of miracles. Edward’s tomb was
erected in Gloucester Abbey Church, and soon after his death pilgrims visited
the site in great numbers, leaving so many offerings that the church was able
to complete St. Andrew’s aisle with their contributions. Richard commissioned a
book of miracles performed at Edward II’s tomb and it took five years to
complete; by then, there was a new pope and the supposed proof was presented to
Boniface IX, who was unimpressed. A second embassy in 1397, headed by Richard
Scrope, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, fared no better than the first.
 |
Execution of Thomas of Lancaster: Source, Wikipedia.
It was certainly
not unusual to attempt to confer saintly attributes on high-profile medieval
“martyrs”. Thomas of Lancaster, Edward II’s arch enemy—whose decapitated body
at Pontefract attracted thousands of pilgrims—was serious competition for
Edward II. The chronicler Thomas Walsingham even stated in 1390 that he had
been canonized (he had not). They couldn’t both
be saints! It seemed that popular candidates for sainthood were usually those
who rebelled against the crown, and Lancaster fell squarely into that category.
After much consideration, Richard concluded that his best chance to beat Thomas
Lancaster’s cult was to reverse the judgments of 1326-27 that had vindicated
Thomas (and morally condemned Edward II). This reversal would serve two
simultaneous purposes: rehabilitate his great-grandfather, and uphold the
forfeiture of the Lancastrian inheritance—thereby returning all the estates to
the crown. Naturally, this would disinherit all Lancastrian heirs down to Bolingbroke.
Easier said than
done! Ultimately, Richards’s grand schemes blew up in his face and his greatest
fear came to pass: Bolingbroke came back from exile to reclaim his inheritance
and Richard ended up a dethroned prisoner. Apparently, no one aside from the
king was interested in Edward II. As historian Chris Given-Wilson said, “With
the King's downfall in 1399, his great-grandfather's canonization process
stopped dead in its tracks, never to be revived.”*
*C.Given-Wilson’s
“Richard II, Edward II, and the
Lancastrian Inheritance”, The English Historical Review, Vol. 109, No. 432
(Jun., 1994), pp. 553-571
A
King Under Siege
Book 1 of The Plantagenet Legacy
by Mercedes
Rochelle
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.
Excerpt
(when Gloucester is told about Richard’s questions to the
Judges)
"They
declared that anyone guilty of these trespasses against the king's royalty
should be punished as traitors."
"What!"
Gloucester sprung to his feet, throwing his goblet into the fireplace.
"That little bastard has gone too far!" He started pacing while the
other quietly sat, watching him. "Damn, his father would have knocked some
sense into him if he had been alive. What have we come to when a spoiled,
ungovernable child can wield such power?"
"I
would dare remind you that Richard is twenty years old."
"And
acts like a fool!" He paced some more before sitting back down. "All
right, let us consider exactly what happened. Where did this take place?"
"The
first conference was at Shrewsbury. Then a week later, he repeated the
questions at Nottingham."
"Hmm.
Why did he do it twice?"
"I
believe the king wanted to demonstrate that the judges were not acting under
duress."
"They
were the same judges both times?"
"All
but one."
"And
they used the word 'traitor'?"
"Ah,
the distinction was purposeful. They said the guilty should be punished as
traitors, not that they were
traitors," said Wickford, priding himself on his legal knowledge.
"Small
comfort."
"It
is a fine difference, but a difference, nonetheless. By speaking so, they
skirted the precise definition of the Treason Act of 1351...
"Which
defined traitors as those who attacked the king directly, aided the king's
enemies or levied war against the king in his realm. Since our recent acts of
Parliament were directed against the king's friends—"
"They
were therefore not treasonous, as per the Statute."
"However,
my nephew seeks to redefine treason—"
"Which
brings us back to the terrible days of Edward II—"
"God
forbid!" Thomas stood again and started his pacing. King Edward's rein was
infamous; he encouraged his favorites—the Despenser father and son—to run
rampant throughout England. They illegally seized lands, tortured and
imprisoned their enemies, and murdered their victims—among other atrocities.
The potential parallels between Edward II's favorites and Richard's favorites
rose before him like a specter.
Wickford
sighed. "There is one more thing..."
Gloucester
stopped, his back to the archbishop.
"One
of the questions referred to 'the person who sent for the Statute concerning
the deposition of Edward II'."
The
wind pounded the windows as Gloucester gasped, appalled. He turned, staring at
Wickford as if seeing him for the first time. Both men knew this was a direct
attack on Thomas. "Is this person to be punished as a traitor, then?"
The
archbishop nodded, reluctantly.
"Then
there is no turning back is there? We must retaliate before it is too
late."
The Coffee Pot Book Club
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A
King Under Siege
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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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See you on your next coffee break!
Take Care,
Mary Anne xxx