Richard II: King, Culture, and the Court of Venus

The colorful, often-violent story of how Richard II came to define one of the most controversial eras in English history.

Richard II is one of England’s most notorious kings. Just a child when he came to the throne, he was thrust into instability. Even so, Richard was not a warrior king, but a man who cared for art, literature, and frivolity. Women were to be found everywhere at court, and Richard lavished them with the honor of being appointed Ladies of the Garter.

But troubles rumbled unde...