Richard II

Tyrant and usurper: the last wills of Richard II and Henry IV give rare insight into the medieval monarchs who wore the crown.

Alan Rogers tells the story of a plot to capture and kill the Lancastrian sovereign and restore his dethroned cousin, Richard II.

During the troublous reign that began when he dethroned his cousin Richard, Henry IV encountered a long series of exhausting crises. He met his troubles, writes A.L. Rowse, with resilience and courage.

How accurate are Shakespeare’s historical plays? Harold F. Hutchison compares the dramatist’s account of Richard’s downfall with the actual course of events.

When Richard II succeeded his grandfather, Edward III, he turned to alchemy to create a more pious ideal of kingship. Though his reign ended in failure, it left us one of medieval England’s most enduring and complex images. Jonathan Hughes explores its symbolism.

The Church of King's Langley, Hertfordshire, contains a richly decorated tomb. Was it destined to be Richard II's?

On June 2nd, 1953 Elizabeth II was crowned in Westminster Abbey in the first coronation service to be televised. Here are more pioneering Royals.

In 1381 England witnessed a ‘summer of blood’ as the lower orders flexed their muscle. Dan Jones tells the story of one of medieval England’s most dramatic yet curiously neglected events.

Nigel Saul explores the deposition of Richard II, arguing that the king’s malice and misrule forced Henry Bolingbroke to destroy him.

A precocious tyrant? A charismatic Renaissance prince? An out-of-touch autocrat? Or a progressive monarch maligned by usurpers? Caroline M. Barron assesses the reign of Richard II.