Editing Richard II of England (section)

=== Second crisis of 1397–1399 ===
The period that historians refer to as the "tyranny" of Richard II began towards the end of the 1390s.<ref>Saul (1997), p.&nbsp;203.</ref> The King had Gloucester, Arundel and Warwick arrested in July 1397. The timing of these arrests and Richard's motivation are not entirely clear. Although one chronicle suggested that a plot was being planned against the King, there is no evidence that this was the case.<ref>Saul (1997), pp.&nbsp;371–375.</ref> It is more likely that Richard had simply come to feel strong enough to safely retaliate against these three men for their role in events of 1386–1388 and eliminate them as threats to his power.<ref>Harriss (2005), p.&nbsp;479.</ref>

Arundel was the first of the three to be brought to trial, at the parliament of September 1397. After a heated quarrel with the King, he was condemned and executed.<ref>Saul (1997), p.&nbsp;378.</ref> Gloucester was being held prisoner by the Earl of Nottingham at Calais while awaiting his trial. As the time for the trial drew near, Nottingham brought news that Gloucester was dead. It is thought likely that the King had ordered him to be killed to avoid the disgrace of executing a prince of the blood.<ref>Saul (1997), pp.&nbsp;378–379.</ref>

Warwick was also condemned to death, but his life was spared and his sentence reduced to life imprisonment. Arundel's brother [[Thomas Arundel]], the Archbishop of Canterbury, was exiled for life.<ref>Tuck (1985), p.&nbsp;210.</ref> Richard then took his persecution of adversaries to the localities. While recruiting [[retinue|retainers]] for himself in various counties, he prosecuted local men who had been loyal to the appellants. The fines levied on these men brought great revenues to the crown, although contemporary chroniclers raised questions about the legality of the proceedings.<ref name="Tuck"/>
[[File:Thomas of Woodstock.jpg|thumb|upright=0.81|Murder of [[Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester|Thomas of Woodstock]] in [[Calais]] in 1397]]

[[File:Johnofgaunt.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[John of Gaunt]] had been at the centre of English politics for over thirty years, and his death in 1399 led to insecurity.]]

These actions were made possible primarily through the collusion of John of Gaunt, but with the support of a large group of other magnates, many of whom were rewarded with new titles, and were disparagingly referred to as Richard's "duketti".<ref name="Saul (2005), p.&nbsp;63.">Saul (2005), p.&nbsp;63.</ref> These included the former Lords Appellant
* [[Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby]], who was made [[Duke of Hereford]], and
* Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham, who was created [[Duke of Norfolk]].

Also among them were
* [[John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter|John Holland]], the King's half-brother, promoted from [[Earl of Huntingdon]] to [[Duke of Exeter]]
* [[Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey|Thomas Holland]], the King's nephew, promoted from [[Earl of Kent]] to [[Duke of Surrey]]
* [[Edward of Norwich, Earl of Rutland]], the King's cousin, who received Gloucester's French title of [[Duke of Aumale]]
* Gaunt's son [[John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset]], who was made [[Marquess of Somerset]] and [[Marquess of Dorset]]
* [[John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury]]
* [[Thomas Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester|Lord Thomas le Despenser]], who became [[Earl of Gloucester]].{{Efn|John Beaufort was the oldest of John of Gaunt's children with [[Katherine Swynford]]; illegitimate children whom Richard had given legitimate status in 1390. He was made [[Marquess of Dorset]]; [[marquess]] being a relatively new title in England up until this point. Rutland, heir to the [[Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York|Duke of York]], was created [[Duke of Aumale]]. John Montacute had succeeded [[William Montacute, 2nd Earl of Salisbury|his uncle]] as [[Earl of Salisbury]] earlier the same year. Thomas Despenser, the great-grandson of [[Hugh Despenser the Younger]], [[Edward II]]'s favourite who was executed for treason in 1326, was given the forfeited [[earldom of Gloucester]].<ref>Saul (1997), pp.&nbsp;381–382.</ref>}}
With the forfeited lands of the convicted appellants, the King could reward these men with lands suited to their new ranks.<ref name="M483-4">McKisack (1959), pp.&nbsp;483–484.</ref>

A threat to Richard's authority still existed, however, in the form of the [[House of Lancaster]], represented by John of Gaunt and his son Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford. The House of Lancaster not only possessed greater wealth than any other family in England, they were of royal descent and, as such, likely candidates to succeed the childless Richard.<ref>Saul (1997), pp.&nbsp;196–197.</ref>

Discord broke out in the inner circles of court in December 1397, when Bolingbroke and Mowbray became embroiled in a quarrel. According to Bolingbroke, Mowbray had claimed that the two, as former Lords Appellant, were next in line for royal retribution. Mowbray vehemently denied these charges, as such a claim would have amounted to treason.<ref name="Saul (2005), p.&nbsp;63."/> A parliamentary committee decided that the two should settle the matter by battle, but at the last moment Richard exiled the two dukes instead: Mowbray for life, Bolingbroke for ten years.<ref>Harriss (2005), p.&nbsp;482.</ref>
[[File:Shrewsbury Abbey - geograph.org.uk - 1708510.jpg|thumb|Shrewsbury thought to be the venue of the Revenge Parliament, which was prorogued in Westminster and moved to Shropshire]]
In 1398 Richard summoned the Parliament of [[Shrewsbury]], often called the Revenge Parliament<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-12 |title=Parliament and the Politics of intimidation in Medieval England - The History of Parliament |url=https://historyofparliament.com/2022/05/12/intimidation-in-medieval-england/ |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=historyofparliament.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and understood to have met in the Abbey of that town,<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/odnb/9780192683120.013.16406 |title=Leighton, William Allport (1805–1889) |date=2017-11-28 |publisher=Oxford University Press |series=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|doi=10.1093/odnb/9780192683120.013.16406 }}</ref> which declared all the acts of the Merciless Parliament to be null and void, and announced that no restraint could legally be put on the King. It delegated all parliamentary power to a committee of twelve lords and six commoners chosen from the King's friends, making Richard an absolute ruler unbound by the necessity of gathering a Parliament again.<ref>Gardiner, Samuel R. (1916), [http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/gutenberg.org/2/8/1/5/28157/28157-h/28157-h.htm#chap18sec11 Student's History of England from the Earliest Times to the Death of King Edward VII], vol. I.: B.C. 55–A.D. 1509. Longman's.</ref>

On 3 February 1399, Gaunt died. Rather than allowing Bolingbroke to succeed, Richard extended the term of his exile to life and expropriated his properties.<ref>Saul (1997), pp.&nbsp;403–404.</ref> The King felt safe from Bolingbroke, who was residing in Paris, since the French had little interest in any challenge to Richard and his peace policy.<ref>Saul (2005), p.&nbsp;64.</ref> Richard left the country in May for another expedition in Ireland.<ref>McKisack (1959), p.&nbsp;491.</ref>