7. Henry IV and the problems arising from his behaviour in 1399 Flashcards
What was claimed in his
first parliament as Henry IV?
claimed that Richard had
voluntarily resigned the throne when a delegation of nobles had
approached him on the issue and explained to him that he could
not rule because of his ‘incapacity and insufficiency’ to be king.
What did Richard apparently say?
Richard gave up his throne
willingly, as it appeared, and with a cheerful face’, admitting
that he was ‘utterly inadequate and unequal to the rule and
government of the said realms and dominions… and, on account
of my notorious faults, I deserve to be deposed from them.
What other action did Richard apparently make when ‘giving up the throne’
He expressed a hope that Henry Bolingbroke should become the
next king, placing his own gold ring on the finger of the duke.
What was a serious problem for the stability of the new king’s
reign
The widespread knowledge that Richard, despite Henry’s claims of
voluntary abdication, had in fact been forcibly removed from the
throne
According to Usk, how did the committee justify the deposition
on the wide -ranging grounds of Richard’s immoral rule, citing offences including sacrilege, perjury, sodomy,
incompetence, lack of ability and greed.
What did this justification of the deposition mean
the deposition was permitted by canon law, because of the immorality of Richard’s rule.
What followed the justifications for the deposition?
39 accusations against Richard were read out at Henry IV’s first
parliament
Examples of the accusations
The imposition of weighty and unnecessary taxes, which were
not used for the common good, but for Richard’s personal
advantage.
The unjust and unmerciful treatment of Henry, duke of
Lancaster
Failure to pay back loans
What contributed substantially to Richard’s downfall
leaving his subjects in a state of continual uncertainty was a
defining characteristic of the reign and that this engendered terror
and dislike among many of his leading subjects
Why was it important that there was overwhelming reason to remove the
monarch?
such a course of action challenged the fundamental idea that the hereditary monarchy was ordained by God.
Why did the usurpation impact Bolingbroke?
it cast a long shadow over the reign of Bolingbroke and his heir, as it provided a very public precedent for a king to be removed because he was unpopular and incompetent.
What was the unspoken implication?
from now on a king’s
conduct lay open to the criticism and potential judgement of his
subjects. It was now clear to all nobles
that an unpopular king could be ousted by an ‘over-mighty subject’
provided he had sufficient military support.
