Richard II, (born Jan. 6, 1367, Bordeaux—died February 1400, Pontefract, Yorkshire, Eng.), King of England (1377–99). The grandson of Edward III, he inherited the throne during his boyhood, and his uncle John of Gaunt and other nobles dominated the government. The Black Death brought on economic problems, leading to the Peasants’ Revolt (1381), which Richard quelled with false promises. His enemies among the nobility placed limits on his royal power (1386–89), but he later took revenge on them. He banished John of Gaunt’s son, Henry, and confiscated his vast Lancastrian estates. While Richard was absent in Ireland, Henry invaded England (1399) and seized power as Henry IV. Richard was then forced to abdicate the throne. He was then imprisoned, and sometime in February 1400 he was executed; by means unknown.
Richard II summary
Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Richard II.
Edward The Black Prince Summary
Edward The Black Prince was the son and heir apparent of Edward III of England and one of the outstanding commanders during the Hundred Years’ War, winning his major victory at the Battle of Poitiers (1356). His sobriquet, said to have come from his wearing black armour, has no contemporary
government Summary
Government, the political system by which a country or community is administered and regulated. Most of the key words commonly used to describe governments—words such as monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy—are of Greek or Roman origin. They have been current for more than 2,000 years and have not
England Summary
England, predominant constituent unit of the United Kingdom, occupying more than half of the island of Great Britain. Outside the British Isles, England is often erroneously considered synonymous with the island of Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and even with the entire United
Related Summaries
Edward the Black Prince summary
Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Edward The Black Prince.
Edward the Black Prince, (born June 15, 1330, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, Eng.—died June 8, 1376, Westminster, near London), Prince of Wales (1343–76). Son of Edward III, he apparently received his sobriquet because he wore black armour. He was one of the outstanding commanders of the Hundred Years’ War, winning a major victory at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. He was prince of Aquitaine 1362–72; his rule there was a failure, for which he was largely to blame. He returned sick and broken to England and formally surrendered his principality to his father. He had no successor as prince of Aquitaine. Though the heir apparent, he never became king; his son became Richard II.
Richard II Summary
Richard II was the king of England from 1377 to 1399. An ambitious ruler with a lofty conception of the royal office, he was deposed by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV) because of his arbitrary and factional rule. Richard was the younger and only surviving son of Edward, the Black Prince,
Edward III Summary
Edward III was the king of England from 1327 to 1377, who led England into the Hundred Years’ War with France. The descendants of his seven sons and five daughters contested the throne for generations, climaxing in the Wars of the Roses (1455–85). The eldest son of Edward II and Isabella of France,
army Summary
Army, a large organized armed force trained for war, especially on land. The term may be applied to a large unit organized for independent action, or it may be applied to a nation’s or ruler’s complete military organization for land warfare. Throughout history, the character and organization of
Hundred Years’ War Summary
Hundred Years’ War, intermittent struggle between England and France in the 14th–15th century over a series of disputes, including the question of the legitimate succession to the French crown. The struggle involved several generations of English and French claimants to the crown and actually
