Richard II

Forget-me-not – or a flowery take on an usurpation

Ask anyone what flower they associate with the House of Lancaster, and chances are they’ll answer a rose. And yes,  during the War of the Roses, Lancaster had a red rose as a badge. Their fierce opponents, the House of York, sported a white rose. And by now all of those who know your history …

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Blog tour: A King under Siege – Ms Rochelle’s take on Richard II

Today I am happy to yet again work with The Coffee Pot Book Club and host a stop on Mercedes Rochelle’s blog tour for her book A King Under Siege. This book is set in the late 14th century, and as evidenced by Ms Rochelle’s posts about the various movers and shakers in the period, …

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Treason on Twelfth Night

On October 13, 1399, Henry of Lancaster was crowned king of England. There was just a teensy-weensy problem: the king he succeeded wasn’t dead. Instead, Richard II had been forced to abdicate. Henry and Richard were cousins, their common grandfather being Edward III. Richard became king as a child and grew up to be a …

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Heavy weighs the usurped crown

On July 4, 1399, a man landed at Ravenspurn, Yorkshire, returning from his exile in France. With him came a handful of companions, and I suppose the man must have been nervous, no matter how determined. He was, after all, risking his life and his future. Henry Bolingbroke had come to claim the English crown. …

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John Ball – a man of rhyme and plenty of reason

We all have our particular favourites among historical people. Quite often, the people we idolise will be vilified by others – history, just like pretty much everything in life, is a matter of perception and opinion. After all, none of us knew the people who took central stage during the preceding centuries. (Well; I would …

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