Richard II – Toil and trouble!

‘Richard now had to contend with his uncle, Thomas, the Duke of Gloucester!

Good relations between uncle and nephew, were becoming increasingly difficult to foster!’

Gloucester and his supporters were angry with the calibre of the men who advised the king. One reason for this was unadulterated snobbery on their part. The nobles objected to them because they were of low birth. To Gloucester, if a man was not born into the aristocracy, he should not be elevated to the king’s side. Gloucester and his allies were particularly critical of Richard’s chancellor, Michael de la Pole. To Gloucester’s grumblings, Richard retorted:

‘You shout and rage about de la Pole and condemn him as a low born slob!

For no other reason than you are an insufferable old snob!’

In October 1386, parliament met at Westminster and demanded among other things, the removal of de la Pole. Richard, who had refused to leave Eltham palace to visit Westminster, replied:

‘I would not even remove a scullion from my kitchen at your request!

You may complain all you want, be my guest!’

Richard’s rather highhanded attitude did not sit well with their lordships at Westminster. Gloucester and another powerful noble, Richard FitzAlan, the earl of Arundel confronted the king at Eltham. They did not mince their words.

Richard receives Gloucester and Arundel at Eltham palace.

‘We demand the dismissal of that rogue, Michael de la Pole!

If you refuse, be warned, the result will be an own goal!’

The two nobles told the king that he was governing in a most unjust fashion and this had to stop forthwith. They even had the gall to remind him of the horrible fate of his great-grandfather, Edward II, some 60 years earlier. The king, a fledgling of 21 years, folded before the magnates and agreed to their demands. Michael de la Pole was dismissed as chancellor, and a commission was established to look into the affairs of both the government, and the royal household. The commission’s investigation was to last for a year.

‘Our intention, your majesty is not to cause you any unnecessary pain!’

However, necessity demands that you be kept on a tighter rein!’

Parliament now exercised unprecedented power over the monarch and Richard winced at what he regarded as its intrusions. In the meantime, Richard had no choice but to wait and bide his time.