Editing Richard II of England (section)

=== A fragile peace ===
[[File:Silver halfpenny of (Richard II YORYM 1980 1578) obverse.jpg|thumb|Silver half penny of Richard II, [[York Museums Trust]]]]
Richard gradually re-established royal authority in the months after the deliberations of the Merciless Parliament. The aggressive foreign policy of the Lords Appellant failed when their efforts to build a wide, anti-French coalition came to nothing, and the north of England fell victim to a [[Battle of Otterburn|Scottish incursion]].<ref>Saul (1997), p.&nbsp;199.</ref> Richard was now over twenty-one years old and could with confidence claim the right to govern in his own name.<ref name="S203-4">Saul (1997), pp.&nbsp;203–204.</ref> Furthermore, John of Gaunt returned to England in 1389 and settled his differences with the King, after which the old statesman acted as a moderating influence on English politics.<ref>Harriss (2005), p.&nbsp;469.</ref> Richard assumed full control of the government on 3 May 1389, claiming that the difficulties of the past years had been due solely to bad councillors. He outlined a foreign policy that reversed the actions of the appellants by seeking peace and reconciliation with France, and promised to lessen the burden of taxation on the people significantly.<ref name="S203-4"/> Richard ruled peacefully for the next eight years, having reconciled with his former adversaries.<ref name="Tuck"/> Still, later events would show that he had not forgotten the indignities he perceived.<ref>Harriss (2005), p.&nbsp;468.</ref> In particular, the execution of his former teacher Sir Simon de Burley was an insult not easily forgotten.<ref>Saul (1997), p.&nbsp;367.</ref>

[[File:Isabela richard2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|left|Richard and [[Isabella of Valois|Isabella]] on their wedding day in 1396. She was six – he was 29.]]

With national stability secured, Richard began negotiating a permanent peace with France. A proposal put forward in 1393 would have greatly expanded the territory of [[Duchy of Aquitaine|Aquitaine]] possessed by the English Crown. However, the plan failed because it included a requirement that the English king pay [[homage (feudal)|homage]] to the King of France—a condition that proved unacceptable to the English public.<ref>Saul (1997), pp.&nbsp;215–225.</ref> Instead, in 1396, a truce was agreed to, which was to last 28 years.<ref>Saul (1997), p.&nbsp;227.</ref> As part of the truce, Richard agreed to marry [[Isabella of Valois]], daughter of [[Charles VI of France]], when she came of age. There were some misgivings about the betrothal, in particular, because the princess was then only six years old and thus would not be able to produce an heir to the throne of England for many years.{{Efn|As it turned out, she never did produce an heir: just four years later, Richard was dead.<ref>McKisack (1959), p.&nbsp;476.</ref>}}

Although Richard sought peace with France, he took a different approach to the situation in Ireland. The English [[Lordship of Ireland|lordships in Ireland]] were in danger of being overrun by the Gaelic Irish kingdoms, and the [[Normans in Ireland|Anglo-Irish]] lords were pleading for the King to intervene.<ref>Tuck (1985), p.&nbsp;204.</ref> In the autumn of 1394, Richard left for Ireland, where he remained until May 1395. His army of more than 8,000 men was the largest force brought to the island during the late Middle Ages.<ref>Harriss (2005), p.&nbsp;511.</ref> The invasion was a success, and a number of Irish chieftains submitted to English overlordship.<ref>Saul (1997), pp.&nbsp;279–281.</ref> It was one of the most successful achievements of Richard's reign, and strengthened his support at home, although the consolidation of the English position in Ireland proved to be short-lived.<ref name="Tuck"/>
[[File:Royal Arms of England (1395-1399).svg|thumb|In 1395 Richard II adopted the [[attributed arms]] of King [[Edward the Confessor]] and [[Impalement (heraldry)|impaling]] the royal arms of England, denoting a mystical union.]]