Tyrannical Rule of Richard II

Name: Tyrannical Rule of Richard II
Start: 1390
End: 1399

Type Event Region Western Europe Time 1390–1399

In the 1390s, England's Richard II gradually strengthened royal power after quelling the aftermath of the 1381 peasant revolt, suppressing noble oppo…

Timeline

1390–1396Westminster · EnglandRichard II relied on favorites such as Robert de Vere, consolidating personal power through court favor and grants of charters, weakening the influence of traditional nobles in the privy council, and promoting an opulent court culture to display the sacred nature of royal authority.
1397–1398Shrewsbury · ShropshireDuring the Parliament of 1397–1398, Richard II settled accounts with opposition leaders such as the Duke of Gloucester on charges of treason; several Lancastrian nobles were executed or exiled. Known as the "Tyranny Parliament," it marked the peak of violent royal suppression of noble resistance.
1399Tower of London · EnglandHenry Bolingbroke returned from France and raised forces; in 1399 Richard II was captured in Wales and forced to abdicate, dying in captivity soon after. Tyrannical rule ended in a coup, and the House of Lancaster ascended the throne.

Sources

Richard II and the Revolution of 1399 — Anthony Tuck (1973)