Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland

Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland, Marquess of Dublin, 9th Earl of Oxford (16 January 1362 - 1392) was a favourite, court companion and close advisor, of Richard II of England.

Royal favourite

He was originally the 9th Earl of Oxford, but King Richard II created him Marquess of Dublin and Duke of Ireland for life. He was thus the first Marquess, and the first non-royal Duke in England.

Robert de Vere fleeing Radcot Bridge, 1387: taken from the Gruthuse manuscript of Froissart's Chroniques (circa 1475).

De Vere was married to Philippa de Coucy, the King’s cousin, and also had an affair with Agnes de Launcekrona, a Czech lady-in-waiting of the Queen, Anne of Bohemia.

Opposition from Lords Appellant

De Vere was hugely unpopular with the other nobles and magnates and King Richard’s close relationship with him was one of the catalysts for the emergence of an organised opposition to his rule in the form of the Lords Appellant.

Defeat at Radcot Bridge

In 1387, de Vere led Richard’s forces to defeat at Radcot Bridge outside Oxford, against the forces of the Lords Appellant. He fled the field and his forces were left leaderless and compelled into ignominious surrender.

Punishment

He was forced into exile by parliament in 1388, and his lands were confiscated.

Death

He was severely wounded by a wild boar when he was hunting in France in 1392, and died of his wounds at Louvain.^[1] In 1395, King Richard II had his embalmed body brought back to England for burial. Many of the Lords refused to attend the funeral, during which King Richard had the coffin opened to kiss his lost friend's hand.

Succession

After his death his uncle Aubrey was restored to the family titles and estates, becoming 10th earl of Oxford.

References

1. ^ Lowndes, Rev. C. "Chesham", in Records of Buckinghamshire, Or, Papers and Notes on the History, Vol. III by the Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society. Publ. J. Pickburn, 1870.