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Edward II, King of England

M, #23001, b. 25 April 1284, d. 21 September 1327

Biography

  • Edward II, King of England, was born on 25 April 1284 in Caernarfon, Caernarfonshire, Wales.
  • He died on 21 September 1327 at age 43 in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England.
  • He was buried on 20 December 1327 at Gloucester Cathedral in Gloucestershire, England.
  • Edward II, King of England, was also known as Edward, of Caernarfon.
  • Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to the throne following the death of his elder brother Alphonso. Beginning in 1300, Edward accompanied his father on campaigns to pacify Scotland. In 1306, he was knighted in a grand ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Following his father's death, Edward succeeded to the throne in 1307. He married Isabella, the daughter of the powerful King Philip IV of France, in 1308, as part of a long-running effort to resolve tensions between the English and French crowns.
    Edward had a close and controversial relationship with Piers Gaveston, who had joined his household in 1300. The precise nature of their relationship is uncertain; they may have been friends, lovers, or sworn brothers. Edward's relationship with Gaveston inspired Christopher Marlowe's 1592 play Edward II, along with other plays, films, novels and media. Gaveston's power as Edward's favourite provoked discontent both among the barons and the French royal family, and Edward was forced to exile him. On Gaveston's return, the barons pressured the king into agreeing to wide-ranging reforms, called the Ordinances of 1311.
    The newly empowered barons banished Gaveston, to which Edward responded by revoking the reforms and recalling his favourite. Led by Edward's cousin Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, a group of the barons seized and executed Gaveston in 1312, beginning several years of armed confrontation. English forces were pushed back in Scotland, where Edward was decisively defeated by Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Widespread famine followed, and criticism of the king's reign mounted.
    The Despenser family, in particular Hugh Despenser the Younger, became close friends and advisers to Edward, but Lancaster and many of the barons seized the Despensers' lands in 1321, and forced the king to exile them. In response, Edward led a short military campaign, capturing and executing Lancaster. Edward and the Despensers strengthened their grip on power, formally revoking the 1311 reforms, executing their enemies and confiscating estates. Unable to make progress in Scotland, Edward finally signed a truce with Bruce.
    Opposition to the regime grew, and when Isabella was sent to France to negotiate a peace treaty in 1325, she turned against Edward and refused to return. Instead, she allied herself with the exiled Roger Mortimer, and invaded England with a small army in 1326. Edward's regime collapsed and he fled to Wales, where he was captured in November. The king was forced to relinquish his crown in January 1327 in favour of his 14-year-old son, Edward III, and he died in Berkeley Castle on 21 September, probably murdered on the orders of the new regime.
    Edward's contemporaries criticised his performance as king, noting his failures in Scotland and the oppressive regime of his later years, although 19th-century academics later argued that the growth of parliamentary institutions during his reign was a positive development for England over the longer term.
  • He held the title of King of England from 7 July 1307 to 25 January 1327.
  • He held the title of Lord of Ireland from 7 July 1307 to 25 January 1327.
  • He is/was my 6th cousin 21x removed
A fourteenth-century illumination of Edward II, King of England on folio 105r of Bodleian Library

Family: Isabelle de France, Queen of England, (b. 1295, d. 22 August 1358)

Parents

  • Last Edited: 21 February 2022

Marguerite, de France, Queen of England

F, #23002, b. about 1279, d. 14 February 1318

Biography

  • Marguerite, de France, Queen of England, was born about 1279 in Lot-Et-Garonne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.
  • Edward, I King of England, and she were married on 10 September 1299 in Canterbury, Kent, England.
  • She died on 14 February 1318 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England.
  • She was buried on 26 February 1318 in London, Middlesex, England.
  • Marguerite, de France, Queen of England, is/was my spouse of 5th cousin 22x removed

Family: Edward, I King of England, (b. 18 June 1239, d. 7 July 1307)

  • Last Edited: 26 February 2022

Eleanor, of England

F, #23003, b. 4 May 1306, d. 1311

Biography

  • Eleanor, of England, was born on 4 May 1306.
  • She died in 1311 at age ~5 in Amesbury, Wiltshire, England.
  • She was buried in Beaulieu, Hampshire, England.
  • Eleanor, of England, was christened on 20 May 1306 in Winchester, Hampshire, England.
  • She is/was my 6th cousin 21x removed

Parents

  • Last Edited: 26 February 2022

Edmund, of Woodstock 1st Earl of Kent

M, #23004, b. 5 August 1301, d. 19 March 1330

Biography

  • Edmund, of Woodstock 1st Earl of Kent, was born on 5 August 1301 in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England.
  • He died on 19 March 1330 at age 28 in Winchester, Hampshire, England.
  • He was buried in 1331 in Westminster, City of Westminster, Greater London, England.
  • Edmund, of Woodstock 1st Earl of Kent, is/was my 6th cousin 21x removed

Parents

  • Last Edited: 21 February 2022

Thomas, of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk

M, #23005, b. 1 June 1300, d. August 1338

Biography

  • Thomas, of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk, was born on 1 June 1300 in Brotherton, Yorkshire, England.
  • He died in August 1338 at age 38 in Framlingham, Suffolk, England.
  • He was buried in August 1338 in Bury St. Edmund's, Suffolk, England.
  • Thomas, of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk, is/was my 6th cousin 21x removed

Parents

  • Last Edited: 26 February 2022

Isabelle de France, Queen of England

F, #23006, b. 1295, d. 22 August 1358

Biography

  • Isabelle de France, Queen of England, was born in 1295 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France.
  • She died on 22 August 1358 at age ~63 in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England.
  • She was buried on 27 August 1358 in Reading, Berkshire, England.
  • Isabelle de France, Queen of England, was christened in Paris, Ile-de-France, France.
  • She is/was my 8th cousin 19x removed

Family: Edward II, King of England, (b. 25 April 1284, d. 21 September 1327)

Parents

  • Last Edited: 21 February 2022

Eleanor, of Woodstock

F, #23007, b. 18 January 1318, d. 22 April 1355

Biography

  • Eleanor, of Woodstock, was born on 18 January 1318 in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England.
  • She died on 22 April 1355 at age 37 in Deventer, Herzogtum Geldern, Germany+.
  • She was buried in April 1355 at Nijmegen in Geldern, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany+.
  • Eleanor, of Woodstock, was christened in 1322.
  • She is/was my 7th cousin 20x removed

Parents

  • Last Edited: 21 February 2022

John, of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall

M, #23008, b. 25 August 1315, d. 13 September 1336

Biography

  • John, of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, was born on 25 August 1315 in Eltham, Kent, England.
  • He died on 13 September 1336 at age 21 in Perth, Scotland.
  • He was buried in 1336 in London, Middlesex, England.
  • John, of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, was christened in 1316 in England.
  • He is/was my 7th cousin 20x removed

Parents

  • Last Edited: 21 February 2022

Edward, III King of England

M, #23009, b. 13 November 1312, d. 21 June 1377

Biography

  • Edward, III King of England, was born on 13 November 1312 in Windsor, Berkshire, England.
  • He and Philippa de Hainaut, Queen of England, were married on 24 January 1328 in York, North Yorkshire, England+.
  • He died on 21 June 1377 at age 64 in Sheen, Staffordshire, England.
  • He was buried on 5 July 1377 in London, Middlesex, England.
  • Edward, III King of England, was also known as Edward, of Windsor.
  • Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after the disastrous and unorthodox reign of his father, Edward II. Edward III transformed the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe. His fifty-year reign was one of the longest in English history, and saw vital developments in legislation and government, in particular the evolution of the English Parliament, as well as the ravages of the Black Death. He outlived his eldest son, Edward the Black Prince, and the throne passed to his grandson, Richard II.
    Edward was crowned at age fourteen after his father was deposed by his mother, Isabella of France, and her lover Roger Mortimer. At age seventeen he led a successful coup d'état against Mortimer, the de facto ruler of the country, and began his personal reign. After a successful campaign in Scotland he declared himself rightful heir to the French throne in 1337. This started what became known as the Hundred Years' War.[a] Following some initial setbacks, this first phase of the war went exceptionally well for England; victories at Crécy and Poitiers led to the highly favourable Treaty of Brétigny, in which England made territorial gains, and Edward renounced his claim to the French throne. This phase would become known as the Edwardian War. Edward's later years were marked by international failure and domestic strife, largely as a result of his inactivity and poor health.
    Edward was a temperamental man but capable of unusual clemency. He was in many ways a conventional king whose main interest was warfare. Admired in his own time and for centuries after, he was denounced as an irresponsible adventurer by later Whig historians such as Bishop William Stubbs, but modern historians credit him with some significant achievements.
  • He was christened on 20 November 1312 in Windsor, Berkshire, England.
  • He held the title of King of England from 25 January 1327 to 21 June 1377.
  • He held the title of Lord of Ireland from 25 January 1327 to 21 June 1377.
  • He is/was my 7th cousin 20x removed
Edward III of England, detail from his bronze effigy in Westminster Abbey.

Family: Philippa de Hainaut, Queen of England, (b. 24 June 1314, d. 14 August 1369)

Parents

  • Last Edited: 22 February 2022

Edward III, King of England

M, #23010, b. 13 November 1312, d. 21 June 1377

Biography

  • Edward III, King of England, was born on 13 November 1312 in Windsor, Berkshire, England.
  • He died on 21 June 1377 at age 64 in Sheen, Staffordshire, England.
  • He was buried on 5 July 1377 in London, Middlesex, England.
  • Edward III, King of England, was christened on 20 November 1312 in Windsor, Berkshire, England.
  • Last Edited: 21 February 2022

Philippa de Hainaut, Queen of England

F, #23011, b. 24 June 1314, d. 14 August 1369

Biography

  • Philippa de Hainaut, Queen of England, was born on 24 June 1314 in Valenciennes, Hainaut, France.
  • Edward, III King of England, and she were married on 24 January 1328 in York, North Yorkshire, England+.
  • She died on 14 August 1369 at age 55 in Windsor, Berkshire, England.
  • She was buried on 24 August 1369 in London, Middlesex, England.
  • Philippa de Hainaut, Queen of England, is/was my spouse of 7th cousin 20x removed

Family: Edward, III King of England, (b. 13 November 1312, d. 21 June 1377)

  • Last Edited: 22 February 2022

Edward, of Woodstock

M, #23012, b. 15 June 1330, d. 8 June 1376

Biography

  • Edward, of Woodstock, was born on 15 June 1330 at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England.
  • He died on 8 June 1376 at age 45 at Palace of Westminster in Westminster, City of Westminster, Greater London, England.
  • He was buried on 29 September 1376 at Trinity Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral, in Canterbury, Kent, England.
  • Edward, of Woodstock, was also known as Edward, the Black Prince.
  • Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, succeeded to the throne instead. Edward nevertheless earned distinction as one of the most successful English commanders during the Hundred Years' War, being regarded by his English contemporaries as a model of chivalry and one of the greatest knights of his age.
    Edward was made Duke of Cornwall, the first English dukedom, in 1337. He was guardian of the kingdom in his father's absence in 1338, 1340, and 1342. He was created Prince of Wales in 1343 and knighted by his father at La Hougue in 1346.
    In 1346 Prince Edward commanded the vanguard at the Battle of Crécy, his father intentionally leaving him to win the battle. He took part in Edward III's 1349 Calais expedition. In 1355 he was appointed the king's lieutenant in Gascony, and ordered to lead an army into Aquitaine on a chevauchée, during which he pillaged Avignonet and Castelnaudary, sacked Carcassonne, and plundered Narbonne. The next year (1356) on another chevauchée he ravaged Auvergne, Limousin, and Berry but failed to take Bourges. He offered terms of peace to King John II of France, who had outflanked him near Poitiers, but refused to surrender himself as the price of their acceptance. This led to the Battle of Poitiers, where his army routed the French and took King John prisoner.
    The year after Poitiers, Edward returned to England. In 1360 he negotiated the Treaty of Brétigny. He was created Prince of Aquitaine and Gascony in 1362, but his suzerainty was not recognised by the lord of Albret or other Gascon nobles. He was directed by his father to forbid the marauding raids of the English and Gascon free companies in 1364. He entered into an agreement with Kings Peter of Castile and Charles II of Navarre, by which Peter covenanted to mortgage Castro de Urdiales and the province of Biscay to him as security for a loan; in 1366 a passage was secured through Navarre. In 1367 he received a letter of defiance from Henry of Trastámara, Peter's half-brother and rival. The same year, after an obstinate conflict, he defeated Henry at the Battle of Nájera. However, after a wait of several months, during which he failed to obtain either the province of Biscay or liquidation of the debt from Don Pedro, he returned to Aquitaine. Prince Edward persuaded the estates of Aquitaine to allow him a hearth tax of ten sous for five years in 1368, thereby alienating the lord of Albret and other nobles.
    Prince Edward returned to England in 1371 and the next year resigned the principality of Aquitaine and Gascony. He led the commons in their attack upon the Lancastrian administration in 1376. He died in 1376 of dysentery and was buried in Canterbury Cathedral, where his surcoat, helmet, shield, and gauntlets are still preserved.
  • He is/was my 8th cousin 19x removed

Family: Joan of Kent, 4th Countess of Kent, (b. 29 September 1328, d. 14 August 1385)

Parents

  • Last Edited: 22 February 2022

Isabel of Woodstock, Countess of Bedford & Soissons

F, #23013, b. 16 June 1332, d. April 1379

Biography

  • Isabel of Woodstock, Countess of Bedford & Soissons, was born on 16 June 1332 in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England.
  • She died in April 1379 at age 46 at Newgate in London, Middlesex, England.
  • She was buried in 1379 in London, Middlesex, England.
  • Isabel of Woodstock, Countess of Bedford & Soissons, is/was my 8th cousin 19x removed

Parents

  • Last Edited: 22 February 2022

Lionel, of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence

M, #23014, b. 29 November 1338, d. 17 October 1368

Biography

  • Lionel, of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, was born on 29 November 1338 in Antwerp, Belgium.
  • He and Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess Of Ulster, were married on 15 August 1352 in London, Middlesex, England.
  • He died on 17 October 1368 at age 29 in Alba, Premonte, Italy.
  • He was buried in October 1368 in Clare, Suffolk, England.
  • Lionel, of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, is/was my 8th cousin 19x removed

Family: Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess Of Ulster, (b. 6 July 1332, d. 10 December 1363)

Parents

  • Last Edited: 26 February 2022

John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster

M, #23015, b. 6 March 1340, d. 3 February 1399

Biography

  • John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, was christened on 24 June 1340 in Gettysburg, Adams, Pennsylvania, USA.
  • He is/was my 8th cousin 19x removed

Family 1: Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster, Countess of Derby, (b. 25 March 1342, d. 12 September 1368)

Family 2: Constanza de Castilla, Duchess of Lancaster, (b. 1354, d. 24 March 1394)

Family 3: Katherine de Roët, Duchess of Lancaster, (b. 25 November 1350, d. 10 May 1403)

Parents

  • Last Edited: 23 February 2022

Sir Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York

M, #23016, b. 5 June 1341, d. 1 August 1401

Biography

  • Sir Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, was born on 5 June 1341 in King's Langley, Hertfordshire, England.
  • He died on 1 August 1401 at age 60 in King's Langley, Hertfordshire, England.
  • He was buried on 2 August 1401 in King's Langley, Hertfordshire, England.
  • Sir Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, was christened in June 1341 in King's Langley, Hertfordshire, England.
  • He is/was my 8th cousin 19x removed

Parents

  • Last Edited: 22 February 2022

Mary of Waltham, Duchess of Brittany

F, #23017, b. 10 October 1344, d. March 1362

Biography

  • Mary of Waltham, Duchess of Brittany, was born on 10 October 1344 in Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire, England.
  • She died in March 1362 at age 17.
  • She was buried in 1362 in Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England.
  • Mary of Waltham, Duchess of Brittany, is/was my 8th cousin 19x removed

Parents

  • Last Edited: 22 February 2022

Margaret of Windsor, Countess of Pembroke

F, #23018, b. 20 July 1346, d. December 1361

Biography

  • Margaret of Windsor, Countess of Pembroke, was born on 20 July 1346 in Windsor, Berkshire, England.
  • She died in December 1361 at age 15 in Sheen, Staffordshire, England.
  • She was buried in December 1361 in Abingdon, Berkshire, England.
  • Margaret of Windsor, Countess of Pembroke, is/was my 8th cousin 19x removed

Parents

  • Last Edited: 22 February 2022

Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester

M, #23019, b. 7 January 1355, d. 9 September 1397

Biography

  • Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester, was born on 7 January 1355 in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England.
  • He died on 9 September 1397 at age 42 in Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France.
  • He was buried in September 1397 in London, Middlesex, England.
  • Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester, is/was my 8th cousin 19x removed

Parents

  • Last Edited: 22 February 2022

Joan, of England

F, #23020, b. 28 January 1334, d. 1 July 1348

Biography

  • Joan, of England, was born on 28 January 1334 in London, Middlesex, England.
  • She died on 1 July 1348 at age 14 in Loremo, Bordeaux, France+.
  • She was buried at Bayonne Cathedral in Bayonne, Department des Pyrenees-Atlantique, Aquitaine, France.
  • Joan of England (19 December 1333 or 28 January 1334 – 1 July 1348) was a daughter of Edward III and his wife, Philippa of Hainault. Joan, also known as Joanna, was born in the Tower of London. As a child she was placed in the care of Marie de St Pol, wife of Aymer de Valence and foundress of Pembroke College, Cambridge. She grew up with her sister Isabella, her brother Edward, and their cousin Joan of Kent, and she died in the Black Death that struck Europe in 1348.
  • Joan, of England, is/was my 8th cousin 19x removed

Parents

  • Last Edited: 22 February 2022

Philippe, IV King of France

M, #23021, b. 28 May 1268, d. 29 November 1314

Biography

  • Philippe, IV King of France, was born on 28 May 1268 in Seine-et-Marne, Ile-de-France, France.
  • He died on 29 November 1314 at age 46 in Seine-et-Marne, Ile-de-France, France.
  • He was buried on 9 December 1314 in St-Denis, Seine-St-Denis, Île-de-France, France.
  • Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (French: Philippe le Bel), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre as Philip I from 1284 to 1305, as well as Count of Champagne. Although Philip was known to be handsome, hence the epithet le Bel, his rigid, autocratic, imposing and inflexible personality gained him (from friend and foe alike) other nicknames, such as the Iron King (French: le Roi de fer). His fierce opponent Bernard Saisset, bishop of Pamiers, said of him: "He is neither man nor beast. He is a statue."
    Philip, seeking to reduce the wealth and power of the nobility and clergy, relied instead on skillful civil servants, such as Guillaume de Nogaret and Enguerrand de Marigny, to govern the kingdom. The king, who sought an uncontested monarchy, compelled his upstart vassals by wars and restricted their feudal privileges, paving the way for the transformation of France from a feudal country to a centralized early modern state. Internationally, Philip’s ambitions made him highly influential in European affairs, and for much of his reign he sought to place his relatives on foreign thrones. Princes from his house ruled in Hungary, and he tried and failed to make another relative the Holy Roman emperor.
    The most notable conflicts of Philip's reign include a dispute with the English over King Edward I's fiefs in southwestern France, and a war with the Flemish, who had rebelled against French royal authority and humiliated Philip at the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302. The war with the Flemish resulted in Philip's ultimate victory, after which he received a significant portion of Flemish cities, which were added to the crown lands along with a vast sum of money. Domestically, his reign was marked by struggles with the Jews and the Knights Templar. In heavy debt to both groups, Philip saw them as a "state within the state" and a recurring threat to royal power. In 1306 Philip expelled the Jews from France, followed by the total destruction of the Knights Templar the next year in 1307. To further strengthen the monarchy, Philip tried to take control of the French clergy, leading to a violent conflict with Pope Boniface VIII. This conflict resulted in the transfer of the papal court to the enclave of Avignon in 1309.
    His final year saw a scandal amongst the royal family, known as the Tour de Nesle affair, in which Philip's three daughters-in-law were accused of adultery. His three sons were successively kings of France: Louis X, Philip V, and Charles IV. Their rapid successive deaths without surviving sons of their own would compromise the future of the French royal house, which had until then seemed secure, precipitating a succession crisis that would eventually lead to the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453).
  • Philippe, IV King of France, held the title of King of Navarre from 16 August 1284 to 4 April 1305.
  • He held the title of King of France from October 1285 to 29 November 1314.
  • He is/was my 7th cousin 20x removed
Philip IV by Raymond de Béziers, ca. 1313

Family: Jeanne de Navarre de Champagne (b. 14 January 1273, d. 2 April 1305)

Parents

  • Last Edited: 17 March 2022

Jeanne de Navarre de Champagne

F, #23022, b. 14 January 1273, d. 2 April 1305

Biography

  • Jeanne de Navarre de Champagne was born on 14 January 1273 in Bar-sur-Seine, Champagne-Ardenne, France.
  • She died on 2 April 1305 at age 32 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France.
  • She was buried in April 1305 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France.
  • Jeanne de Navarre de Champagne is/was my spouse of 7th cousin 20x removed

Family: Philippe, IV King of France, (b. 28 May 1268, d. 29 November 1314)

  • Last Edited: 22 February 2022

Joan of Kent, 4th Countess of Kent

F, #23023, b. 29 September 1328, d. 14 August 1385

Biography

  • Joan of Kent, 4th Countess of Kent, was born on 29 September 1328.
  • She died on 14 August 1385 at age 56 in Wallingford, Berkshire, England.
  • She was buried on 27 January 1386 in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England.
  • Joan of Kent, 4th Countess of Kent, is/was my spouse of 8th cousin 19x removed

Family: Edward, of Woodstock, (b. 15 June 1330, d. 8 June 1376)

  • Last Edited: 22 February 2022

Richard II, King of England

M, #23024, b. 6 January 1367, d. about 14 February 1400

Biography

  • Richard II, King of England, was born on 6 January 1367 in Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France.
  • He and Anne, of Bohemia, Queen consort of England, were married on 22 January 1382 at Westminster Abbey in Westminster, City of Westminster, Greater London, England.
  • He and Isabella, of Valois, Queen of England, were married on 31 October 1396 in Calais, Pas-de-Calais, France.
  • He died about 14 February 1400 at Pontefract Castle in Pontefract, Yorkshire, England.
  • He was buried in 1413 in London, Middlesex, England.
  • Richard II (6 January 1367 – c. 14 February 1400), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard's father, Edward, Prince of Wales, died in 1376, leaving Richard as heir apparent to his grandfather, King Edward III. Upon the death of Edward III, the 10-year-old Richard succeeded to the throne.
    During Richard's first years as king, government was in the hands of a series of regency councils, influenced by Richard's uncles John of Gaunt and Thomas of Woodstock. England then faced various problems, most notably the Hundred Years' War. A major challenge of the reign was the Peasants' Revolt in 1381, and the young king played a central part in the successful suppression of this crisis. Less warlike than either his father or grandfather, he sought to bring an end to the Hundred Years' War. A firm believer in the royal prerogative, Richard restrained the power of the aristocracy and relied on a private retinue for military protection instead. In contrast to his grandfather, Richard cultivated a refined atmosphere centred on art and culture at court, in which the king was an elevated figure.
    The king's dependence on a small number of courtiers caused discontent among the influential, and in 1387 control of government was taken over by a group of aristocrats known as the Lords Appellant. By 1389 Richard had regained control, and for the next eight years governed in relative harmony with his former opponents. In 1397, he took his revenge on the Appellants, many of whom were executed or exiled. The next two years have been described by historians as Richard's "tyranny". In 1399, after John of Gaunt died, the king disinherited Gaunt's son, Henry Bolingbroke, who had previously been exiled. Henry invaded England in June 1399 with a small force that quickly grew in numbers. Meeting little resistance, he deposed Richard and had himself crowned king. Richard is thought to have been starved to death in captivity, although questions remain regarding his final fate.
    Richard's posthumous reputation has been shaped to a large extent by William Shakespeare, whose play Richard II portrayed Richard's misrule and his deposition as responsible for the 15th-century Wars of the Roses. Modern historians do not accept this interpretation, while not exonerating Richard from responsibility for his own deposition. While probably not insane, as many historians of the 19th and 20th centuries believed, he may have had a personality disorder, particularly manifesting itself towards the end of his reign. Most authorities agree that his policies were not unrealistic or even entirely unprecedented, but that the way in which he carried them out was unacceptable to the political establishment, leading to his downfall.
  • Richard II, King of England, was christened on 9 January 1367 in Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France.
  • He held the title of Lord of Ireland from 22 June 1377 to 29 September 1399.
  • He held the title of King of England from 22 June 1377 to 29 September 1399.
  • He is/was my 9th cousin 18x removed
Portrait of Richard II at Westminster Abbey, mid-1390s

Parents

  • Last Edited: 22 March 2022

Edward, of England

M, #23025, b. 27 January 1365, d. 20 September 1370

Biography

  • Edward, of England, was born on 27 January 1365 in Angoulême, Poitou-Charentes, France.
  • He died on 20 September 1370 at age 5 in Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France.
  • He was buried on 1 October 1370 in London, Middlesex, England.
  • Edward, of England, was christened on 9 March 1365.
  • He is/was my 9th cousin 18x removed

Parents

  • Last Edited: 26 February 2022