Richard II Facts & Worksheets

King Richard II of England ruled from 1377 to 1399. He was born in Bordeaux, France, on January 6, 1367, and passed away in February 1400 in Pontefract, Yorkshire, now in West Yorkshire. His cousin Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV) overthrew the ambitious ruler due to his arbitrary and quarrelsome leadership.

See the fact file below for more information about Richard II, or you can download our 29-page Richard II worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY YEARS

• Richard’s parents were Edward, the Black Prince, and Joan, the Countess of Kent. Richard became king in June 1377 after his grandfather, Edward III, passed away in 1376.
• The Hundred Years’ War, a prolonged conflict with France, marked Richard’s early reign.
• The introduction of the poll tax in 1377, followed by its third imposition in November 1380, sparked the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381. 
• Richard managed to quell the uprising, though he likely had little influence over policy decisions, which hard-line advisors probably orchestrated.
• Richard’s involvement in state affairs increased gradually. He married Anne of Bohemia in 1381 and began surrounding himself with advisors like Sir Simon Burley and Sir Michael de la Pole. 
• Young, ambitious individuals like Ralph Stafford, James Berners, and Robert de Vere also gained his favor, causing tension with John of Gaunt, Richard II’s paternal uncle.
• A crisis erupted in Parliament in October 1386 when France threatened invasion, and De la Pole requested a high tax grant. 
• Parliament demanded his resignation, leading to a commission of government and De la Pole’s removal from office. Richard faced opposition but eventually mobilized his supporters, leading to clashes with the Lords Appellant in 1387.
• The Merciless Parliament followed, where Richard’s allies were executed or removed from power. 
• However, by the spring of 1389, Richard regained control, establishing new officers and releasing a manifesto promising reduced taxation and improved governance. He formally took over as head of state on May 3, 1389.

LATER KINGSHIP

• Over five years, starting in 1389, Richard made considerable progress toward keeping his word. 
• Following a peace policy with the French in 1389, taxes dropped precipitously, and no demands for a tax on “moveable” property were made between 1389 and 1391. 
• Richard was more cautious in his sponsorship as well. He had previously showered favor on a select few, but he then rewarded a larger circle, albeit in lower amounts for each.
• However, a significant emphasis on reasserting royal authority mirrored Richard’s seeming restraint of control. 
• Richard resolved that he would never again experience the kind of humiliation that the Appellants had imposed upon him. 
• As a result, he created a plan to solidify the material underpinnings of his authority in the 1390s. In a creative move, he organized a sizable affinity group in the baronial style, whose members donned the white heart, the king’s emblem. 
• Simultaneously, he drew a group of devoted ministers to the government’s core offices, including John Waltham, who served as treasurer from 1391–1395, and Edmund Stafford, who served as chancellor from 1396–1399. 
• Richard also aimed to make his monarchy seem more dignified and mysterious. In place of “my lord,” he promoted grandiose new words of address like “your highness” or “your majesty.” 
• Additionally, he developed the customs and rituals of his court, transforming Westminster Hall into the center of abundant monarchical worship. 
• He emphasized the almost religious aspect of his monarchy, and wearing solemn crowns in Westminster Abbey became an increasingly significant ritual of his reign.
• His first trip to Ireland demonstrated his kingship and highly forceful personality. He commanded a sizable force there in 1394–1395 to support the English government. 
• The arrival of an English king overwhelmed the native Irish, and the area’s chieftains, or High Kings, came to the Dublin court to acknowledge his rule. 
• Richard outlined his political philosophy in letters of surrender written for the repentant chieftains. 
• The necessary punishment for rebellion and disobedience was to be meted out; the rebel Irish were to submit to the king, and all Irish, regardless of status were to fulfill their customary duties to him.

TYRANNY AND FALL OF RICHARD II

• Two years later, Richard dramatically reasserted royal authority in England, inspired by his ideas expressed in Ireland. 
• He ordered the senior appellants—Gloucester, Arundel, and Warwick—into custody in July 1397. Gloucester was banished to the Isle of Man, while Arundel and Warwick were imprisoned and later executed. 
• Richard defended his actions in letters to foreign governments, claiming that his citizens would experience “peace” due to his actions.
• However, Richard’s reign was marred by internal strife. In January 1398, Henry Bolingbroke, son of Lancaster, and Thomas Mowbray, the earl of Nottingham, clashed. 
• Mowbray exposed a plot against Lancaster’s inheritance, leading to a trial by combat, which Richard intervened to prevent. 
• Mowbray received a life sentence, while Bolingbroke was exiled for ten years.
• Richard inherited Lancaster’s estate upon his death in February 1399. Bolingbroke returned from exile three months later as Richard faced challenges in Ireland. 
• Bolingbroke gained support and marched victoriously through England. Richard’s support had waned by August, and he surrendered to Bolingbroke. 
• Parliament convened under Bolingbroke’s authority, and Richard offered on September 29. He was imprisoned and later executed, with his burial shrouded in mystery.
• In January 1400, a failed uprising sought to restore Richard to power. However, Henry IV, formerly Bolingbroke, deemed Richard’s survival untenable. 
• Richard was executed in February, and after a memorial service, he was buried in King’s Langley. His tomb in Westminster Abbey was a remnant of his reign, reflecting his aspirations for a royal legacy.

CHARACTER AND IDEAS

• Richard rejected Edward III’s martial monarchy legacy in favor of a new interpretation of kingship in England. 
• The writings of the 13th-century author Giles of Rome significantly influenced Richard’s reign. 
• Giles maintained that the monarch was the source of all personal honor and privilege and that the subjects should submit to him. 
• Richard stressed the importance of obedience and made similar remarks about honor in his ennoblement patents, as did his ministers. 
• Both Roman law and Giles influenced the king. The king was accused of quoting the Roman legal maxim that “the laws were in his mouth…or his breast” in the deposition articles.
• But Richard’s faith also had a significant influence on his political philosophy.
• He was highly religious and felt that God had put the weight of government on him.
• He thought it was his responsibility to ensure God approved his governance. 
• To achieve this level of acceptance, he firmly opposed the heresy of Lollardy in England. 
• He took great delight in “suppressing the heretics and scattering their friends,” as stated on the plaque on his grave. 
• Because they bolstered his faith, he was committed to the saints and delighted in accounts of miracles. 
• His special dedication was to worship St. Edward the Confessor, whose standing as a proponent of peace confirmed Richard’s own quest for it. 
• In addition, he had a deep devotion to St. Edmund and St. John the Baptist, two more saints. On the Wilton Diptych, that emblem of Ricardian sovereignty, all three saints are depicted as his sponsors.
• Richard was a tall, gregarious, attractive, fair-haired man who was self-conscious and consumed by his self-image. 
• Some evidence suggests that he possessed traits of a narcissistic personality. The most accurate explanation for the obvious means by which he accomplished his goals in and after 1397 is the narcissist’s need for approval and material prosperity.

Richard II Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Richard II across 29 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Richard II. His cousin Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV) overthrew the ambitious ruler due to his arbitrary and quarrelsome leadership.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Richard II Facts
2. Fill the Tree
3. Character Analysis
4. Fact or Fiction?
5. Explore the Picture
6. Quotable Richard II
7. Medieval Diplomacy
8. Legitimacy of His Rule
9. Symbolism Exploration
10. English Monarchs
11. Political Deposition

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Richard II?

Richard II was the King of England from 1377 to 1399. He succeeded his grandfather, Edward III, at the age of ten, becoming the youngest king in English history at that time.

What was Richard II’s relationship with the nobility like?

Richard II’s reign was marked by conflicts with the nobility, particularly with powerful magnates such as Henry Bolingbroke (later King Henry IV). His authoritarian rule and favoritism towards certain courtiers led to discontent among the nobles.

What were some significant events during Richard II’s reign?

One significant event was the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, led by Wat Tyler, which Richard initially suppressed but later negotiated with the rebels. Another important event was his expedition to Ireland in 1394, aimed at asserting English control over the island.

How did Richard II’s reign come to an end?

Richard’s reign came to an end when Henry Bolingbroke, his cousin and a powerful nobleman, returned from exile and overthrew him. Bolingbroke claimed the throne as Henry IV, citing Richard’s mismanagement of the kingdom and arbitrary rule as justification.

What was Richard II’s fate after being deposed?

After being deposed, Richard II was initially imprisoned in Pontefract Castle and later moved to various other locations. There are conflicting accounts of his death, with some suggesting he was murdered, while others argue he died due to starvation or neglect. Regardless, his death in captivity effectively ended the direct line of Plantagenet kings and ushered in the Lancastrian dynasty.

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