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[Swords clashing,
men yelling]
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00:00:12,120 --> 00:00:15,200
NARRATOR: Out of the chaos,
darkness, and violence
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00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:17,840
of the middle ages,
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00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:21,760
one family rose to seize control
of England.
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[Man grunts]
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NARRATOR: Generation
after generation,
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they ruled the country
for more than 300 years...
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00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:37,600
ruthlessly crushing
all competition,
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to become the greatest
English dynasty of all time.
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The Plantagenets.
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[Men shouting]
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00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,600
What I love about
the Plantagenet story
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00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,400
is that it's more shocking,
more brutal,
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00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,400
and more astonishing than
anything you'll find in fiction.
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00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:00,680
I want to show you the
Plantagenets as I see them,
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00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,840
real, living, breathing people
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00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:08,640
driven by ambition, jealousy,
hatred, and revenge.
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These kings murdered, betrayed,
and tyrannized their way
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to spectacular success.
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00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:16,440
For better and for worse,
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the Plantagenets forged England
as a nation.
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This time,
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the golden boy
who single handedly
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ended the Peasants' Revolt.
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But Richard II became the most
vicious Plantagenet of them all.
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[Speaking French]
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And his reign of terror brought
the whole Plantagenet dynasty
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crashing down.
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June 11, 1381.
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Two 14-year-old boys
are taking refuge
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here at the Tower of London
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as murderous rebels
stalk the streets outside.
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[People shouting]
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The first of the boys
is the king himself,
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Richard II --
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eighth in the unbroken line
of Plantagenet kings.
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The second is his cousin,
Henry Bolingbroke,
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son and heir of
the Duke of Lancaster.
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They will change
the face of England.
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00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,360
But first they have to survive
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00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:03,360
this bloody crisis, and that's
not exactly guaranteed.
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00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,360
The only thing
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00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:08,880
on the king's side
is that it's not him
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the rebels are after.
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Richard II has been king since
he was ten --
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since then, his realm has been
ruled by counselors.
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Now, in the eyes
of the peasants,
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these counselors are greedy
and evil.
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And how do you fix
a problem like that?
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Well, you kill them,
obviously.
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Richard's counselors are the
most senior nobles in the land.
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Most of them have fled London.
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The rest are hiding in
the Tower with the king.
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As the situation deteriorates,
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the most hated
of Richard's counselors
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hatch a desperate plan.
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They send the young king with
an entourage out of the Tower
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and through the streets
to create a distraction.
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They're hoping
the mob will follow
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00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,920
so they can make
their escape.
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But their cowardice very quickly
comes back to haunt them...
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[Screaming]
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The rebels simply
let Richard pass.
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He's not their target.
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His evil counselors are.
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Unfortunately for young
Henry Bolingbroke,
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his dad, John of Gaunt,
the king's uncle,
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00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:32,960
is one of those
evil counselors --
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which puts Henry directly in
the firing line.
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00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,760
And worse than that,
he's stuck up in the Tower
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with the two most hated men
in England,
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the king's chancellor
and his treasurer.
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And the rebels,
massed outside these walls,
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can smell blood.
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It was probably only
the king's presence
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that was holding them back.
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But he's gone now.
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The mob storms the gates.
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[Crashing]
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[Shouting]
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The rebels tear through
the Tower,
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going from room to room
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looking for the men
they hate.
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They find the treasurer,
Sir Robert Hales...
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[Screaming]
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...and then in this chapel
they find the chancellor,
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Archbishop Sudbury,
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cowering in prayer
in front of the altar --
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but God's not going to
save him.
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Both men are dragged
out into the street
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kicking and screaming
in terror.
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00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,000
While all this
is going on,
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Henry's hiding
in a cupboard.
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00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,720
And you can imagine him
alone in the darkness,
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barely daring to breathe,
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waiting for the rebels
to find him.
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But they never do.
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They have their victims.
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[Crowd cheering]
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Sudbury and Hales
are beheaded in the street.
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Sudbury's head is stuck on
a spike on London Bridge,
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his archbishop's miter
nailed to his head
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so there's no doubt about
who they've killed.
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England is on the brink of
full-blown anarchy.
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It's the greatest crisis
the country has faced
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in more than 100 years.
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Richard could lose his crown.
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In desperation, his ministers
start issuing
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charters of freedom
to the rebels,
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but it doesn't work --
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they've just murdered
two of his top ministers
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and got away with it.
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A few bits of parchment aren't
going to stop them now.
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The 14 year old king has one
last throw of the dice,
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to ride out again through
the blood-frenzied mob
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and confront the rebel leaders.
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For his whole life,
Richard's been told
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that he alone
can save England.
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Now, he's about to find out
if it's true.
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The whole future of England
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is now in the hands of
a 14 year old boy.
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He meets the rebels outside
the city walls at Smithfield,
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open countryside near where
the meat market is today.
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Wat Tyler,
the fearsome rebel leader,
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00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:27,520
comes across
to make his demands.
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They are extraordinary.
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00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,600
What he's asking for is
completely outrageous --
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00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,400
no more bishops,
no more nobles,
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00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:40,320
common ownership
to all lands --
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00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,920
seven centuries later,
you'd call it communism.
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00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,920
In medieval England
it's just bonkers.
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And it leads to a standoff.
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There are conflicting accounts
about exactly
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00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,160
what happens next.
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00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:56,480
What we do know is
a scuffle breaks out
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between Tyler
and one of Richard's men.
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00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:03,440
Weapons are drawn.
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00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:05,080
In the struggle,
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00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,360
Richard's man cuts the leader
hard across the face
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and neck
with his sword.
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00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:19,240
Tyler is mortally wounded.
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00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,440
When Tyler's army of Kentish
rebels see what's happening,
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they draw back their bows,
ready to fire.
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00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,280
And in that instant, the whole
future of the English monarchy
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00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:33,840
hangs in the balance.
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00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:37,040
[Shouting]
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00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:06,720
[Shouting]
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00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,800
JONES: Faced with
certain death,
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00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:11,680
the king's terrified men
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00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:13,720
turn to flee --
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00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:16,640
but Richard doesn't.
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00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,960
Instead, the young king does
something astonishing.
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The 14 year old charges alone,
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straight toward
the rebel ranks.
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He cries out, in English,
that he is their leader,
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00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,480
their captain,
and their king.
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He commands them
to lower their weapons.
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And, incredibly, they do.
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It's always been seen as
an astonishing act of bravery
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00:10:02,560 --> 00:10:05,640
by the young king.
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00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:09,360
But I think there's more to it
than that.
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00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:14,520
For Richard's whole life,
he's been told
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00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:17,960
that he's the man to save
England from terminal decline.
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00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,280
All he's ever known
is adulation --
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00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,200
"You are God's anointed king.
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00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,360
Your people adore you,
you will be mighty."
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After a while, that sort of
thing can go to a kid's head.
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00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:30,920
So, when Richard rides out
to meet the rebels,
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that's what's going
through his mind.
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"My people love me,
God will protect me."
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And when the rebels
kneel before him,
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it just confirms everything he's
ever believed about himself.
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[Rebels cheering]
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From this moment on,
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00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:50,240
nothing will ever shake
Richard's belief
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00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:52,600
that God is on his side.
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He is the king, he is right,
and he is invincible.
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00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,560
When Richard orders
the peasants home,
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00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:02,960
they go happily,
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00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:04,960
clutching their
charters of freedom,
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00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:07,360
safe in the knowledge that
Richard is their man,
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00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:11,520
their captain, their king.
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00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:13,880
They are wrong.
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00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:20,320
The following week,
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00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:22,560
Richard meets
the rebels again.
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00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:27,400
They've come to seal the deal
with their new champion.
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00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:32,200
But Richard's got
a new deal in mind.
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00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,760
A firsthand account
of the meeting
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still exists here in
the British Library.
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00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,560
This is the chronicle
of Thomas Walsingham,
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00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:46,240
who was an eyewitness
to many of the events
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00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:47,840
of the Peasants' Revolt.
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00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:49,560
And he records
Richard's reaction,
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00:11:49,560 --> 00:11:52,600
but it's not what the peasants
were expecting at all.
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00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,640
It's in Latin --
Richard says,
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00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:56,840
"peasants you are,
and peasants you remain,
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00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:58,960
in permanent bondage,
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00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:00,960
not as you were before,
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00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:03,960
but in an incomparably
harsher state."
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00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:05,400
Then Richard goes on to say
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00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:07,480
he's going to devote
the rest of his life
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00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:09,560
to tormenting the rebels
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00:12:09,560 --> 00:12:14,440
so much that no one in England
will ever dare to rise up again.
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00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,880
So much for being
their captain and their leader.
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00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:18,880
Richard's going to be
their hangman.
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00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:21,000
[Shouting]
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00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:25,200
In the months that follow,
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00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:28,080
hundreds, possibly thousands,
of peasants
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00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,200
are strung up by
the king's men.
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00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,040
His people
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00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:38,400
never dare rise up
against him again.
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00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:41,200
Richard's terrifying ordeal at
the hands of the rebels
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00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:42,640
has taught him a lesson.
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00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,400
A king doesn't need
to be loved,
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00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:49,680
he needs to be feared.
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00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,480
By 1385, even the country's
senior nobles
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00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:59,600
are starting to become nervous.
218
00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:03,880
It's four years since Richard
crushed the Peasants' Revolt,
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00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:05,680
but he's no longer
a child.
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00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:08,240
He's 19, he's married
to Anne of Bohemia,
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00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,440
daughter of
the Holy Roman Emperor,
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00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,120
and he's fed up with people
telling him what to do.
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00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,440
He decides to take the lead,
and from this point on
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00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:19,480
Richard's reign will be
dominated by his struggle
225
00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:21,360
to do things his way.
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00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:29,040
Richard and Anne
are a great match,
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00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:31,720
and the queen is clearly
a good influence on him.
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00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,360
A young court of nobles
springs up around them,
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00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:41,080
led by the king's favorite,
Robert de Vere.
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00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:43,360
Like the king,
his young court
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00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,160
have little time for
the old guard --
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00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:47,880
men like his uncle, Gloucester,
233
00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:50,200
and the Archbishop of
Canterbury.
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00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:53,120
But Richard's under 21,
235
00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:55,360
so they can legitimately control
his council --
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00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,120
the equivalent of cabinet.
237
00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:00,160
They still think of him
as a child.
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00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,280
But he's not.
239
00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:08,800
When the Archbishop
240
00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:10,800
criticizes Richard
for keeping bad company,
241
00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:13,160
the king makes it crystal clear
242
00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:16,720
that he's not interested
in his opinion anymore.
243
00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:19,320
[Shouts in French,
laughter]
244
00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:21,960
[Speaking French]
245
00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:28,000
Then he drums his point home
by attacking the old man.
246
00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:35,040
He's only stopped from doing
247
00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:38,200
serious harm by the intervention
of his uncle, Gloucester.
248
00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:48,200
This time Richard climbs down.
249
00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:50,840
But egged on by de Vere
and the others,
250
00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:53,160
the split between the king
and his old counselors
251
00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:56,800
is only going to get worse.
252
00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:58,560
One important young noble
253
00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:01,440
is missing from
the king's entourage --
254
00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:04,200
his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke,
so far best known
255
00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,720
for hiding in a cupboard.
256
00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,320
Because while Richard is
swanning about at court
257
00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:10,760
with his new pals,
258
00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:12,360
Henry's off fighting
in tournaments
259
00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:14,040
and learning
the business of war.
260
00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,360
And Bolingbroke
stands to inherit
261
00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:30,480
the most powerful duchy
in Richard's kingdom.
262
00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:32,400
So, despite his absence,
263
00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:35,600
Henry will have far more
influence on the king's reign
264
00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,200
than any of his new friends.
265
00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:39,440
[Spectators cheering]
266
00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:43,640
But while Bolingbroke
is away,
267
00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:45,800
Richard's new pals
268
00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:47,600
are still making
all the running.
269
00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:52,360
The king is wrestling control
away from the old guard
270
00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:53,960
by replacing them
on his council
271
00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:58,400
with his new friends,
like de Vere.
272
00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,200
But a crisis in the never-ending
war with France
273
00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:03,560
is about to undo
all Richard's plans.
274
00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:14,720
By the autumn of 1386,
275
00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,480
the French are poised to launch
an invasion.
276
00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:20,600
De Vere and the others
do nothing to prevent it.
277
00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:24,920
The old guard
have had enough.
278
00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:28,040
They go to Parliament
and get them onside
279
00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:31,600
against the king
and his young allies.
280
00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:35,200
The king's uncle is the man
charged with telling Richard
281
00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:36,800
to get rid of them,
282
00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:38,400
or the old guard will.
283
00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:41,240
Gloucester delivers
the ultimatum to Richard
284
00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:42,960
here at Eltham Palace.
285
00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:46,240
And given the king's tendency
to blow his top
286
00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:49,680
at even the slightest attempt to
curb his behavior,
287
00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:51,360
Gloucester must have realized
288
00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,640
his nephew was never going to
take this well.
289
00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:58,160
All the same, Richard's reaction
absolutely floors him.
290
00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:00,240
[Shouting in French]
291
00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:02,040
He accuses his council
292
00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:04,520
and Parliament of treason
293
00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,520
and threatens to seek help
from the French.
294
00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:10,880
If the old guard
don't yield,
295
00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:12,360
he'll invite in
296
00:17:12,360 --> 00:17:15,440
the country's deadliest enemy
to destroy them.
297
00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,600
Gloucester doesn't rise
to the bait.
298
00:17:21,120 --> 00:17:25,280
He simply asks Richard to think
about his great-grandfather,
299
00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,000
Edward II.
300
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:31,320
It's an explicit threat.
301
00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:33,720
Gloucester has called
the king's bluff.
302
00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:35,160
In a bloodless coup,
303
00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:37,480
all Richard's ministers
are removed.
304
00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:41,280
Gloucester and the old guard
retake control
305
00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,880
of the council
and the country.
306
00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:47,400
But if they think they've got
Richard under control,
307
00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:48,880
they're dead wrong --
308
00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,880
because the king is more
devious, more cunning,
309
00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:54,960
and more ruthless than anyone
has dared to imagine.
310
00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:59,160
[Speaking French]
311
00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:04,760
Richard and de Vere
organize
312
00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:07,520
a secret meeting
of judges.
313
00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:10,600
The king sees the actions of
the old guard as treason.
314
00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:15,520
Unfortunately, that's not
what the law says.
315
00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,160
Richard has
316
00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,720
a simple solution to that --
317
00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:22,840
change the law.
318
00:18:24,360 --> 00:18:26,760
No sane judge would ever agree,
319
00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,200
but then, it all depends on
how you ask them.
320
00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:43,400
The judges rule that any
opposition to the king
321
00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,800
is equivalent to treason.
322
00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:48,920
It's basically
a tyrant's charter --
323
00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:50,920
do what I say
or you'll be strung up.
324
00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:55,480
Richard thinks he's cracked it.
325
00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:57,840
This judgment
threatens everyone.
326
00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,160
And to Richard, that's what
being a king is all about --
327
00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:02,800
intimidation.
328
00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:07,360
The old guard
have a stark choice.
329
00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:09,960
They can let Richard's
treason law stand,
330
00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:13,280
in which case the king can kill
them whenever he likes.
331
00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:17,160
Or they can raise an army
against him.
332
00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:23,680
Unsurprisingly,
Gloucester and his allies
333
00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:25,400
go for the second option.
334
00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,800
In response,
335
00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,400
de Vere, Richard's best pal,
336
00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:33,160
raises an army
to defend the king.
337
00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:37,920
With the situation escalating,
338
00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:42,120
all the leading nobles
have to choose a side --
339
00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:46,320
and that brings a decisive
new player into the game...
340
00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:51,400
the king's cousin,
Henry Bolingbroke.
341
00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,840
Until now, Henry's been pretty
loyal to Richard
342
00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:59,000
even if the deal with the judges
was quite hard to swallow.
343
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,400
But he can't stand de Vere.
344
00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:03,680
Not only has de Vere
chucked his wife,
345
00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:05,120
who is Henry's cousin,
346
00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:08,120
he's also been poaching
Henry's lands.
347
00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:10,880
Now, Henry knows de Vere
couldn't have done any of this
348
00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:12,400
without Richard's approval,
349
00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:13,840
and an attack on de Vere
350
00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:15,720
is effectively an attack
on the king.
351
00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:17,200
But he's had enough.
352
00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:19,040
And so as de Vere tries to cross
353
00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,120
Radcot Bridge
here in Oxfordshire,
354
00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:23,600
Henry Bolingbroke
is waiting for him.
355
00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,320
Henry is
a battle-hardened veteran,
356
00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:32,280
so when de Vere's army run into
Henry's troops,
357
00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,960
they basically
run for the hills.
358
00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:36,560
De Vere flees to France.
359
00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:39,560
He never returns.
360
00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:41,640
Settling his score
with de Vere
361
00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,440
means that Henry has now
sided with the barons
362
00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:46,440
against the king.
363
00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:50,280
And with de Vere gone
nothing stands between them
364
00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,920
and Richard.
365
00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,320
The king is forced
to offer peace talks
366
00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:59,040
at the Tower of London.
367
00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:01,440
Along with four other
senior nobles --
368
00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,320
Gloucester, Arundel,
Warwick, and Mowbray,
369
00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:07,600
Henry heads to the tower
where Richard is waiting.
370
00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:10,880
They take 500 soldiers with them
just in case the king
371
00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:14,080
gets the mistaken idea
that this is a friendly chat.
372
00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:15,920
On top of twisting
the treason laws,
373
00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:18,080
they've discovered that
Richard has been
374
00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:20,000
negotiating for peace
with the French
375
00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:21,760
without Parliament's knowledge.
376
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:23,960
They enter the Tower
to confront the king.
377
00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,360
And locked the doors
behind them.
378
00:21:28,360 --> 00:21:33,120
For three days Richard is
locked up in the Tower
379
00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:35,160
with his enemies,
380
00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:37,120
and forced to watch as
the five of them
381
00:21:37,120 --> 00:21:38,600
decide what to do with him.
382
00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:42,560
Deposing the king is undoubtedly
on the table.
383
00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:44,880
After all,
384
00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:48,520
Gloucester has already
threatened Richard with it once.
385
00:21:51,360 --> 00:21:53,920
When the doors finally open,
386
00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:57,600
the king is sent to Parliament
to await his fate.
387
00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,760
It's a packed house as the five
lords return from the Tower
388
00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:09,400
to deliver their verdict.
389
00:22:13,120 --> 00:22:14,720
Everyone is expecting them
390
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:17,640
to force Richard to abdicate.
391
00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:23,440
But they don't.
392
00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:26,120
Instead, all five bow low
393
00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:29,160
and swear allegiance
to the king.
394
00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:31,720
[Speaking French]
395
00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,480
Despite everything
he's done,
396
00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:38,560
Richard survives.
397
00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,160
It's an astonishing turnaround.
398
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,440
No one knows exactly what
happened in that tower,
399
00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:49,200
but I think Henry
and the others
400
00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:51,280
were actually going to
depose Richard
401
00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:53,360
and in the end the only thing
that stopped them
402
00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:54,960
was the fear of
civil war.
403
00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:59,960
The chaos and slaughter
of the inevitable fight
404
00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:03,160
over who should be king instead
405
00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:05,080
would tear the country apart.
406
00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:07,960
The reality is,
leaving Richard in place
407
00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:11,640
is simply the least-worst
option.
408
00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:13,760
So, how does Richard feel?
409
00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,640
Grateful? Lucky?
Humbled?
410
00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:18,320
No.
411
00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:21,280
In Richard's mind,
this is further proof that,
412
00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,120
whatever he does,
God will protect him.
413
00:23:24,120 --> 00:23:27,880
After the Tower
Richard keeps a low profile,
414
00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:30,040
but he's just biding his time.
415
00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:33,640
He's now 21 -- theoretically,
he can take full control
416
00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:34,840
of the country
417
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:36,520
anytime he likes --
418
00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,120
and then God help
the men who stood against him.
419
00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:13,160
JONES: With Richard in charge,
420
00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,280
the old guard probably
fear the worst.
421
00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:18,080
But getting the power
he's always craved
422
00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:19,840
seems to calm him down.
423
00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:24,040
Astonishingly, peace breaks out.
424
00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:28,720
The king agrees
a truce with France,
425
00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:30,440
and in Henry's absence
426
00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:33,640
he even makes up with Gloucester
and the others.
427
00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:38,520
It looks like Richard has grown
out of his youthful malice.
428
00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:40,640
But he hasn't.
429
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:42,440
While all this public
peace and reconciliation
430
00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:44,080
is going on,
431
00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:45,720
Richard's quietly
doing something
432
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:47,120
that will completely alter
433
00:24:47,120 --> 00:24:49,280
the balance of power
in the kingdom.
434
00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:52,280
He's raising a private army
in the north of England.
435
00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:55,600
But this isn't an army paid for
or approved by Parliament,
436
00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:58,080
it's a band of private
mercenaries
437
00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:01,280
with no loyalty to anyone but
Richard himself.
438
00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,560
The emblem he chooses for his
soldiers is the white hart.
439
00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:08,680
Strange, isn't it?
440
00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:12,080
This is more like the behavior
of a warlord than a king.
441
00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,480
So, what's he up to?
442
00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:17,760
Well, incredibly,
443
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:19,920
more than six centuries on,
444
00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:24,000
there is a way to peer inside
the mind of Richard II.
445
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,720
And it's here,
at the National Gallery.
446
00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:30,760
This is the Wilton Diptych.
447
00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:32,600
It's a portrait
painted for Richard
448
00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:37,520
at around this time.
449
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:39,840
And everything you see in it,
450
00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:43,120
every aspect of the symbolism,
is here
451
00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:45,920
because Richard
wants it here.
452
00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,840
But even though this was painted
when he was a fully grown man,
453
00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:50,400
he's presented here as though
454
00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,200
he was still 14 years old --
455
00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:55,400
the age of his greatest triumph
in the Peasants' Revolt.
456
00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:56,920
Behind him we have the saints,
457
00:25:56,920 --> 00:25:58,520
St. Edmund,
Edward the Confessor,
458
00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:00,360
John the Baptist.
459
00:26:00,360 --> 00:26:02,440
And here we have the Virgin Mary
and the baby Jesus,
460
00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:04,160
both looking adoringly
down at Richard,
461
00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:07,520
giving him their blessing.
462
00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,840
What's most interesting are
these eleven angels,
463
00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,360
all wearing the symbol of
the white hart.
464
00:26:13,360 --> 00:26:16,360
It's the symbol of Richard's
private army.
465
00:26:16,360 --> 00:26:19,560
It's saying, even the angels
wear my badge --
466
00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:21,560
God is on my side.
467
00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:23,400
This is a painting of a man
468
00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:26,720
who truly believes he can do
whatever the hell he wants.
469
00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:33,480
Three years after
leaving England,
470
00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:35,680
Henry Bolingbroke returns.
471
00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:39,960
The kingdom has changed --
a lot.
472
00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:41,800
Richard may have brought peace
to the country,
473
00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:45,000
but the white hart,
symbol of his personal power,
474
00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:48,000
is everywhere --
on flags,
475
00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,440
buildings, statues,
windows,
476
00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:54,560
and, of course,
on the king's private soldiers.
477
00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,240
And they're everywhere, too.
478
00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:00,920
It seems threatening --
with good reason.
479
00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:05,800
Henry must have been
sweating it --
480
00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:09,280
the last time he saw his cousin
he all but deposed him.
481
00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:14,080
[Speaking French]
482
00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:18,040
But Richard graciously welcomes
him back.
483
00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:21,000
The nasty business
in the Tower of London
484
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,680
seems forgotten.
485
00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:27,080
He even makes Henry a trusted
counselor and diplomat.
486
00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:29,680
After all,
they are cousins.
487
00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:39,720
Despite Richard's disturbing
track record,
488
00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:43,640
he's now ruled his country in
his own right peacefully
489
00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:47,480
for more than five years.
490
00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:51,040
But all that's about to change.
491
00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:01,440
Richard's queen,
Anne of Bohemia,
492
00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:03,520
dies suddenly
at just 28.
493
00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:11,120
The king is utterly inconsolable
and properly unhinged.
494
00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:18,680
I think Anne was some sort of
stabilizing influence on him.
495
00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:21,720
Now she's gone, there's nothing
holding him back.
496
00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,280
And that's apparent straightaway
when Arundel,
497
00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:30,680
one of the five
from the Tower,
498
00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:33,160
turns up late
to her funeral.
499
00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:44,280
The peace-loving image
500
00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:46,960
the king has cultivated
is ripped away.
501
00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:56,760
Here, in Westminster Abbey,
there's direct evidence
502
00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:00,200
of the real Richard
that emerges.
503
00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:03,520
This is an incredible
piece of history.
504
00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:05,680
It's the earliest surviving
portrait of a British monarch
505
00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:07,560
to be taken from life,
506
00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:11,600
and it was painted around the
time of Richard's wife's death.
507
00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:14,560
And it shows you the king not
only as he wanted to be seen,
508
00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:16,920
but as his subjects
really did see him.
509
00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:18,800
Because the Richard
that's shown here
510
00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:20,520
was a seriously nasty
piece of work.
511
00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:22,440
He really did
512
00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:27,200
sit like this on a high throne
above his court, staring around.
513
00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,040
It sort of feels like
his gaze is on me now.
514
00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:30,640
And if he looked at you,
515
00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:32,720
you were supposed to throw
yourself to the ground
516
00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:34,440
or face his wrath.
517
00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:37,240
This was a really
dangerous atmosphere.
518
00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:40,040
But I don't think this is
a new personality.
519
00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:41,760
Richard's always
had this in him --
520
00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,800
think about his bloody crushing
of the Peasants' Revolt,
521
00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:47,160
his attack on
the Archbishop,
522
00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:50,000
his abuse of the treason laws,
523
00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:53,560
his buildup of a private army.
524
00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:56,640
I think Richard
has always been a tyrant.
525
00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:04,760
Backed by his private army,
526
00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:08,880
the king reinstates his version
of the treason law --
527
00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:13,000
anybody who opposes him
now faces death.
528
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,960
The monster
has been unleashed.
529
00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:30,560
Ten years earlier,
in that tower over there,
530
00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:32,240
five men humiliated the king
531
00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:35,480
and threatened to
rip his crown away from him.
532
00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:39,000
Now, one way or another,
Richard's going to crush them.
533
00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,520
This is a vendetta,
pure and simple.
534
00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:45,000
Richard's tried being
a nice guy -- he didn't like it.
535
00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:46,920
As one chronicler
of the time wrote,
536
00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:50,160
"This is the year that
Richard's tyranny began."
537
00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:59,200
The Earl of Warwick
was one of the five
538
00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,240
who humiliated Richard
in the Tower.
539
00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:04,480
He should probably have
thought better
540
00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:08,280
of going back there for dinner
with the king.
541
00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:13,280
When the meal is finished,
so is Warwick.
542
00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,880
And Richard's just
warming up.
543
00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:23,320
Gloucester was the ringleader
of the five
544
00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:24,960
who threatened him --
545
00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:27,560
now, Richard rides
through the night
546
00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:29,840
to return the favor.
547
00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:32,440
Ah, mon cher uncle.
548
00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:34,720
The king greats him
as fair uncle...
549
00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:36,240
and has him arrested
550
00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:38,200
on the spot.
551
00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:45,680
Gloucester is packed off into
the custody of Thomas Mowbray,
552
00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:47,440
another of the five.
553
00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:51,280
[Gloucester grunts,
Mowbray shushes]
554
00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:56,240
To atone for his sins,
555
00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:59,720
he's now the king's
hatchet man.
556
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,240
[Muffled screams]
557
00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:06,960
[Reciting in Latin]
558
00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:13,320
The fourth man, Arundel, is
arrested and imprisoned as well.
559
00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:16,240
He, too, was charged
with treason.
560
00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:24,480
Gloucester, Warwick,
and Arundel
561
00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:27,040
have their trials set for
a parliament in Westminster.
562
00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:33,360
Just like today, Westminster
Hall was under construction,
563
00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,400
so parliament is held in
a wooden hall next door.
564
00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:38,600
It opens with a sermon
from Ezekiel,
565
00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:40,720
"There'll be one king
over them all."
566
00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:42,080
And indeed there is --
567
00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:43,960
because, towering above them
568
00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:46,520
on a specially built
high throne
569
00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:50,320
is Richard, with 300 of his
white hart archers at his back.
570
00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:52,240
The message is simple --
you're either with the king
571
00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:53,960
or you're against him.
572
00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:57,400
There is no politics now --
just life or death.
573
00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:17,160
Graphic proof of this comes
when Mowbray reports that
574
00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:19,800
unfortunately, Gloucester
can't stand trial...
575
00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:23,920
on account of being dead.
576
00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:36,600
Luckily, before he died,
577
00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:38,760
he made a full confession
578
00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:42,560
admitting to all
Richard's charges.
579
00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:45,640
In reality,
of course,
580
00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:48,240
Richard has had him
tortured to death.
581
00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:51,360
[Screaming]
582
00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:56,000
Henry Bolingbroke was the fifth
man in the Tower,
583
00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:57,240
and not for the first time
584
00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:00,160
he has to choose
a side.
585
00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:02,280
Join with the king
586
00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:05,240
or share Gloucester's fate.
587
00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,800
Henry chooses life.
588
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:19,680
He makes a speech condemning
his old ally, Arundel.
589
00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:22,800
Arundel is sentenced to death.
590
00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:26,200
Warwick, banished for life.
591
00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:29,400
Of the five who stood
against the king,
592
00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:32,840
only Henry and Mowbray remain.
593
00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:36,400
And they must know
they're not safe.
594
00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:41,000
The king has just murdered
his own uncle, a royal duke --
595
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,680
anybody could be next.
596
00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:57,880
Three months later, as fear
and paranoia stalk the land,
597
00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:01,320
Henry is called to
a secret meeting.
598
00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:13,440
[Whispering in French]
599
00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:16,960
Mowbray tells him that the king
is plotting against them.
600
00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:22,360
Mowbray may well be
telling the truth,
601
00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:24,360
but this could
easily be a trap.
602
00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:27,960
[Speaking French]
603
00:35:30,240 --> 00:35:32,680
Henry can't risk it.
604
00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:37,040
He goes straight to the king
and denounces Mowbray.
605
00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:39,880
But since it was
a private conversation,
606
00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:43,000
there are no witnesses to prove
who was telling the truth.
607
00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:51,360
This is perfect
for the king.
608
00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:55,000
He declares the case can't be
proven and exiles them both.
609
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:59,560
Henry for 10 years,
Mowbray for life.
610
00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:02,400
In one fell swoop,
611
00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:06,080
the last two of the five
from the Tower are gone.
612
00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:09,080
Richard's revenge
is complete.
613
00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:13,160
He believes no one
can challenge him.
614
00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:17,000
But Henry Bolingbroke will now
be watching
615
00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:20,760
the king's every move
from exile in France.
616
00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:23,600
Richard should have
killed him.
617
00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:25,200
What happens next shows
618
00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:27,760
just what a ruthless tyrant
Richard has become.
619
00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:30,320
With Bolingbroke and Mowbray
out of the way,
620
00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:32,960
Richard sends his thugs round
to the houses
621
00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:34,960
of all the other nobles
he suspects
622
00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:37,120
and forces them
to put their seals
623
00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:38,720
on pieces of blank parchment.
624
00:36:38,720 --> 00:36:40,320
Once he has those,
625
00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:42,920
he can write on them pretty much
anything he wants.
626
00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:45,440
"I'll give the king
£10,000."
627
00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:47,960
"I'll leave the king my lands
and all my castles."
628
00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:50,240
"I am a traitor."
629
00:36:50,240 --> 00:36:52,520
If anyone puts a foot
out of line,
630
00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:55,920
or even if they don't,
Richard can destroy them.
631
00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:06,720
A year later, Richard's tyranny
is in full swing
632
00:37:06,720 --> 00:37:11,040
when Henry Bolingbroke's father,
the Duke of Lancaster, dies.
633
00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:19,240
This is what remains
634
00:37:19,240 --> 00:37:22,200
of Pontefract Castle
in Yorkshire --
635
00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,200
just one of more than 30 castles
636
00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:27,760
Henry Bolingbroke
should now inherit
637
00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:31,040
as part of the largest Duchy
in the kingdom.
638
00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:33,360
It will make Henry
639
00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,240
the most powerful noble
in England.
640
00:37:36,240 --> 00:37:38,960
But given the history between
the king and his cousin,
641
00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:41,400
there's no way Richard
can allow that to happen.
642
00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:43,160
So, with Henry still banished,
643
00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:45,760
Richard just takes the lot
for himself.
644
00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:47,440
But in doing so he undermines
645
00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:50,400
the whole basis of law and order
in England --
646
00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:52,960
the right to property
and inheritance.
647
00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:56,000
And he's given
Henry Bolingbroke
648
00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:58,680
the excuse
he's been waiting for
649
00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:01,160
to take the king down.
650
00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:28,600
JONES: May 1399,
Richard is in Wales.
651
00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:30,080
He's got exactly
652
00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:32,040
what he always wanted.
653
00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:34,120
Everyone in his kingdom
fears him.
654
00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:37,560
But even that's not enough.
655
00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:39,960
So, Richard is heading for
Ireland to extend
656
00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:41,880
his tyranny there.
657
00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:44,960
It's a massive miscalculation.
658
00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:46,840
There's a fundamental flaw
659
00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:49,360
in Richard's whole idea
of kingship.
660
00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:52,120
He doesn't understand that
the strongest kings
661
00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:54,520
have always governed
by consent --
662
00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:57,920
iron-fisted consent, maybe,
but consent all the same.
663
00:38:57,920 --> 00:38:59,840
If you rule by fear,
like Richard,
664
00:38:59,840 --> 00:39:01,680
the moment you leave
the country,
665
00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:04,120
what is there for your enemies
to be afraid of?
666
00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:06,920
What's there to stop them
moving against you?
667
00:39:08,720 --> 00:39:10,920
As soon as Richard's gone,
668
00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:13,840
Henry Bolingbroke
seizes his moment.
669
00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:18,080
He races back across the Channel
with one thing on his mind.
670
00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:19,520
Regime change.
671
00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:22,280
By stealing
his inheritance,
672
00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:26,200
Richard has created an enemy
with nothing to lose
673
00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:29,560
and alienated every single
landholder
674
00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:32,160
in the kingdom.
675
00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:35,160
The nobles of England
flock to Henry's side.
676
00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:39,080
Richard's white hart army
is no match for
677
00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:43,600
the combined might of
the enraged English barons.
678
00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:46,680
By the time Richard makes it
back from Ireland,
679
00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:49,760
his army is gone.
680
00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:52,680
He's friendless
and exposed.
681
00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:55,720
If you're expecting a war,
forget it --
682
00:39:55,720 --> 00:39:58,320
it's over before
it's even begun,
683
00:39:58,320 --> 00:40:00,040
and Richard has lost.
684
00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:07,560
The king is forced to surrender
to his cousin.
685
00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:09,920
Henry takes him to London,
686
00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:12,400
bangs him up
in the Tower.
687
00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:17,560
12 years before,
688
00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:20,400
Henry Bolingbroke
was one of the five nobles
689
00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:23,080
who backed away from
deposing Richard.
690
00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:30,040
He won't make
the same mistake again.
691
00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:40,920
This time, he's going to
take the throne.
692
00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:44,520
[Speaking French]
693
00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:47,920
According to one chronicler,
the king was so enraged
694
00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:50,360
that he could hardly speak.
695
00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:53,360
And when he did,
it was to make a threat.
696
00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:07,040
This is pretty funny, really.
697
00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:10,560
If there's one thing Richard
isn't, it's physically brave.
698
00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:12,160
And even if he were,
699
00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:14,400
Henry's been a crusader,
a tournament champ --
700
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:15,840
he'd toast Richard
on his own.
701
00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:19,840
All Richard knows
is fear.
702
00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:21,360
But without the men
or the authority to back him up,
703
00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:23,040
he's nothing.
704
00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:26,120
He's reduced to shouting --
it's a temper tantrum.
705
00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:38,200
The next day in Parliament,
706
00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:41,680
250 years after the first
Plantagenet king
707
00:41:41,680 --> 00:41:44,520
claimed and won
the English crown,
708
00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:49,200
Henry Bolingbroke formally
claims his cousin's throne.
709
00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:53,040
I, Henry of Lancaster,
710
00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:55,080
challenge this realm
of England,
711
00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:56,920
and the crown,
712
00:41:56,920 --> 00:41:59,400
with all the members
and the impertinencies,
713
00:41:59,400 --> 00:42:02,320
that I am descendant,
by the right line of blood,
714
00:42:02,320 --> 00:42:06,800
coming from the Good Lord,
King Henry III.
715
00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:11,200
By claiming the throne not in
Latin or French but in English,
716
00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:13,880
the first king to do so since
the Norman conquest,
717
00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:16,120
Henry's sending
a very clear message --
718
00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:20,560
"I am not like Richard.
719
00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:23,840
His tyranny is over."
720
00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:32,760
There's just one problem --
Richard is still alive.
721
00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:38,040
And as long as he is,
he remains a dangerous threat.
722
00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:40,640
No one knows for sure
how Richard II died,
723
00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:42,320
but what we do know is that
724
00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:44,920
he was being held in a room
in this tower
725
00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:47,120
on January 6, 1400,
726
00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:50,480
when the last plot to spring him
was foiled.
727
00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:53,840
By February 17,
728
00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:57,840
he's already dead.
729
00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:00,040
Given the stakes involved,
730
00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:03,600
I think it's safe to assume that
Henry is behind it.
731
00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:06,760
What he needs is
plausible deniability --
732
00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:10,080
it can't look like he's murdered
the ex-king.
733
00:43:10,080 --> 00:43:13,200
[Speaking French]
734
00:43:13,200 --> 00:43:16,480
So, knowing just how fast
Richard dies,
735
00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:19,880
I think it's pretty obvious
what really happens.
736
00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:21,720
Richard II,
737
00:43:21,720 --> 00:43:24,600
the boy king who crushed
the Peasants' Revolt,
738
00:43:24,600 --> 00:43:27,800
was simply left in a room with
no food and no water
739
00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:29,960
and allowed to die
of thirst.
740
00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:37,880
It's a grim way to die.
741
00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:41,160
As his kidneys shut down,
his blood thickens,
742
00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:44,080
and ear-splitting
headaches set in.
743
00:43:44,080 --> 00:43:47,600
Richard would have had
plenty of time
744
00:43:47,600 --> 00:43:50,400
to think about his mistakes.
745
00:43:55,640 --> 00:44:00,160
The king dies
without a mark on him.
746
00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:05,120
So, technically, no one,
747
00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:09,160
especially not the new king,
has blood on their hands.
748
00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:11,120
Richard II is dead --
749
00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:14,600
it's the end of one of
the greatest periods
750
00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:17,800
in British history.
751
00:44:24,720 --> 00:44:27,120
The crown of England had passed
down legitimately
752
00:44:27,120 --> 00:44:28,760
through eight generations,
753
00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:32,360
since Henry II established
the Plantagenet dynasty
754
00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:35,760
two and a half centuries
earlier.
755
00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:38,640
Henry IV's coronation ends that.
756
00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:41,840
From now on, anyone with a drop
of royal blood
757
00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:44,280
can theoretically
claim the throne,
758
00:44:44,280 --> 00:44:47,360
and that possibility
will plunge England into
759
00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:51,040
the Wars of the Roses
and half a century of civil war.
57671
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