Richard II was only ten years old when he ascended to the throne in 1377, succeeding his grandfather, Edward III, who reigned from 1327 to 1377. Richard’s father, Edward the Black Prince, the oldest of Edward III’s seven sons, had died of illness the year before. The health of both Edwards was broken by years of rigorous campaigning in France, where, starting in the 1330s, Edward III had initiated the conflict that would become known as the Hundred Years’ War. The war was not going well for England when Richard succeeded to the throne. Early English successes in the 1340s and 1350s (such as the Black Prince’s victory at Poitiers in 1356) had given way to a French military revival starting in 1369, a resurgence that came as both Edward III and his son declined in health.
Under these difficult circumstances, influence in the government had increasingly fallen to the next oldest of Edward III’s surviving sons, John of Gaunt. Fearing that Gaunt might try to usurp the throne, after Edward III’s death the nobles demanded that Richard be confirmed as rightful heir. The unpopular Gaunt’s influence, however, continued after Richard’s accession, despite Gaunt’s being excluded from the ruling council set up to run the government during Richard’s minority.
