Richard II ruled England from 1377 to 1399, a reign marked by minority government, political faction, social unrest, and an increasingly authoritarian style of kingship. His deposition by Parliament in 1399 ended the direct male line of the Plantagenet kings and ushered in the Lancastrian dynasty.

Accession and Minority (1377–1389)

Richard came to the throne aged ten on the death of his grandfather, Edward III of England. During his minority, royal authority was exercised through councils dominated by magnates, most notably his uncle John of Gaunt. The constraints of minority rule shaped Richard’s early suspicion of the nobility and his later determination to assert personal authority.

Crisis and Revolt (1381)

In 1381, widespread resistance to the poll tax culminated in the Peasants’ Revolt. Although the rising was ultimately suppressed, the events exposed deep social tensions and placed the young king at the centre of a national crisis. Richard’s personal role during the confrontation in London left a lasting impression on contemporaries and later chroniclers, contributing to the development of his public image as a divinely sanctioned monarch.

Conflict with the Nobility (1386–1389)

By the mid-1380s Richard faced organised opposition from leading nobles and Parliament, who accused him of tyrannical government and maladministration. A committee of magnates known as the Lords Appellant effectively seized control of government.

The crisis reached its peak with the Merciless Parliament of 1388, which condemned and executed several of Richard’s closest associates. The episode left a profound mark on the king and hardened his resolve to reclaim power.

Personal Rule and Retaliation (1389–1397)

Following John of Gaunt’s return from Spain in 1389, Richard gradually resumed effective control of government. Over the next decade he cultivated a more absolutist conception of kingship, emphasising majesty, hierarchy, and obedience.

In 1397 Richard moved decisively against his former opponents: key members of the Lords Appellant were executed, imprisoned, or exiled, including Thomas of Woodstock, whose death in captivity became one of the most controversial acts of the reign. These actions consolidated royal authority but alienated much of the political elite.

Fall and Deposition (1399)

The turning point came in 1399. After the death of John of Gaunt, Richard confiscated the Lancastrian estates, effectively disinheriting Gaunt’s son, Henry Bolingbroke. While Richard was campaigning in Ireland, Bolingbroke returned to England, initially claiming only his inheritance but rapidly gathering support.

Richard surrendered in August 1399 and, on 29 September, formally abdicated in the Tower of London. Parliament accepted his resignation, and Bolingbroke was proclaimed king as Henry IV, ending Richard’s reign.

Death and Reputation

Richard died in captivity at Pontefract Castle in 1400, under circumstances that were never fully clarified. His posthumous reputation has remained sharply divided: to some he was a cultured and pious king with a refined vision of monarchy; to others, a ruler whose political misjudgements and reliance on favourites led inexorably to his downfall.