Hello everyone and welcome to the History of England, episode 118, introducing Rich

of the Second.

And so we arrived at the complex and eventful reign of Rich of the Second, a very contrasting

reign to that event with the third.

If we very crudely characterise Edward's reign as one of internal harmony and external

success, then Rich of the Seconds is the polar opposite, internal chaos and external failure.

Granted that kind of ignores the last years of Edward's reign, but hey.

There are other changes about the way we look at things.

Firstly and maybe a bit trivially, Richard is the first of our kings for whom we have

a proper likeness.

Up to now, pictures of kings are just symbolic, a kind of idealised image fitting in with

the way kings are supposed to look.

From here on in we have proper likenesses.

More significantly maybe, now we're into the era of Shakespeare and his history plays.

It is sometimes very difficult to remember that Shakespeare's business was entertainment,

not history, because he's had such an influence on maintaining the historical view of Hollinshed

and his tutor-oriented history of England, and also because he's so dull.

The Shakespearean view so ever-present that it's almost impossible to throw off outside

the rooms of academic and expert Bade.

Now, I went to the National Gallery in London recently.

I have always feared, loathed and detested museums and art galleries.

I doubt you have any interest in my personal problems, but as soon as I cross the threshold

...