On 17 February 1400 Richard IIs body began its journey from Pontefract to London. King Richard II had died in captivity at Pontefract Castle on 14th February 1400. He had been deposed in 1399 by Henry Bolingbroke, Henry IV. Richard’s reign had been turbulent, seeing unrest in the form of the Peasants Revolt, and ongoing disputes with his uncles, and the Lords Appellant.
Richard II overthrown
When John of Gaunt had died, his son, Henry Bolingbroke, was in exile and stood to be denied immediate inheritance of the Duchy of Lancaster and its enormous wealth. With Henry aggrieved, and Richard unpopular in some quarters, the opportunity and motive for overthrowing the king were there.
Death of King Richard II
It was, at first, a relatively bloodless usurping of power. Richard was taken into custody. It was plots against the new King, in favour of the return of the deposed Richard, led to the former king’s death. King Henry IV felt the need to stamp out any thought of rebellion in the name of his predecessor.
To do this, the people needed to see that Richard of Bordeaux was dead. 3 days after his death, his body began the journey to London from Pontefract Castle.
Richard II transported from Pontefract to London
The Kings body was embalmed, then wrapped in linen. It was placed into a lead coffin and placed onto a carriage that had the with the flags of St. George and St. Edward on posts in the corners. The coffin was draped with a black cloth, then, with an escort of torchbearers, set off on its long journey to St. Pauls in London.
Body laid out for Public viewing and mourning
The body was laid out for public viewing in St. Paul’s. Adam of Usk wrote at the time that the kings face was visible for all to see. The body was available for viewing and prayers for two days, so many people will have seen that it was indeed the corpse of Richard II. Froissart suggests a figure of twenty thousand visitors to St. Paul’s in those two days, though the accuracy of that figure is hard to establish.
Burial and Reinternment of Richard II
Richard had paid for a magnificent double tomb in which he had wished to be placed alongside his much-loved wife, Anne of Bohemia. Having Richard buried in London was not symbolically or politically viable for the new Lancastrian regime. Richard’s body was quietly taken away to King’s Langley in Hertfordshire and buried there. His remains were moved in the reign of Henry V and Richard’s remains were interred alongside his wife at Westminster, where they remain to this day.
Featured Image
Funeral of Richard II from BL Royal 18 E II, f. 416v