The Duel That Never Happened: Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas Mowbray

 

    Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, was the son of John of Gaunt. Many of us Tudor fans are aware of John of Gaunt, as the Tudor line descended from Gaunt, the third living son of King Edward III. Bolingbroke had a tense relationship with his cousin, King Richard II. Although, outside of Richard II’s few favorites, I’m quite sure everyone had a tense relationship with Richard II. It is the background of their relationship and the threat that Bolingbroke posed to Richard II, that lay the backdrop for one of the most famous duels in history.

Henry Bolingbroke, Unknown, 16c Imagined Painting, National Portrait Gallery

    Richard II was the son of the famous Black Prince, first son of King Edward III. The Black Prince died before he was able to inherit his father’s throne. Upon the death of Edward III, his grandson ascended to the throne as Richard II. Richard II had a tumultuous relationship with all his uncles, including John of Gaunt. Gaunt was the Duke of Lancaster, and as a result, was very wealthy and had vast lands. Richard II viewed Gaunt as a threat, even though Gaunt was loyal to a fault. Gaunt only had his heart set on becoming King of Castile, never King of England. Richard II knew that Henry Bolingbroke was set to inherit all of Gaunt’s wealth and power, so he kept a sharp eye on his cousin.

John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, Unknown, c. 1593, Badminton House

    Tensions between Richard II, Gaunt and Bolingbroke were set to explode in 1397. Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, had been childhood friends with Richard II. Mowbray continued to rise in favor with the king, while Bolingbroke consistently fell further. There was even a plot for the assassination of Gaunt put in motion by Mowbray and his friends. Bolingbroke did not take this lightly.

 

King Richard II, Unknown, c. 1390, Westminster Abbey

    As time went on, Mowbray began to fall out of favor with Richard II. Mowbray attempted to join forces with Bolingbroke in the beginning of 1397. One day, Mowbray met Bolingbroke while on the road. Mowbray informed Bolingbroke of Richard II’s plot to have them both killed. But Bolingbroke didn’t trust Mowbray. Was this information the truth? Or was Mowbray attempting to lure Bolingbroke into a treasonous plot so Richard II would be able to do away with him? Bolingbroke turned to his father for advice. Ever the loyal subject to his nephew, Gaunt told Bolingbroke to take the information to Richard II and allow him to make a judgement.

 

    This just happened to work to Richard II’s advantage perfectly. He immediately had both Bolingbroke and Mowbray arrested. In one quick move, Richard II was able to isolate both Dukes that constantly threatened the sole power that he desperately wanted. The conflict instantly turned into a he said, he said situation and the issue could not be resolved. The two men refused to make amends. Richard II ordered the only solution possible- the two would have to duke it out (pardon the pun!) in a duel set to take place in Coventry. An old-fashioned trial by combat was to take place. But was this really the only solution? If Bolingbroke died, his wealth and lands would be forfeit to the crown and Richard II would rid himself of his pesky cousin. 

 

    Invitations to the duel were dispatched throughout the Continent. It was set to be the spectacle of the year! Months of preparation went into the duel. It was bound to be a great show as both Bolingbroke and Mowbray were experienced and skilled jousters.

 

    The duel was set to take place on 16 September 1398. This was several months after the conflict, so the argument could be made that Richard II perhaps intended the delay to allow cooler heads to prevail. Unfortunately, that did not happen. At 9 AM on 16 September, King Richard II entered the lists, followed by Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas Mowbray. The two men went to their respective sides and prepared for combat. Armor on and weapon in hand, Bolingbroke and Mowbray climbed onto their horses. Just as the men prepared for the charge, Richard II abruptly stood up, stopping the advance. A hush fell over the crowd as confusion grew. People had travelled from near and far to be entertained by the event of the year. What was happening?

 

    Richard II shockingly called off the duel and walked away from the lists. The confusion would have been unbearable for Bolingbroke and Mowbray. Two men had entered the lists that morning but only one was going to exit with his life. The torment they must have endured while preparing their souls for possible death, would have been unbearable. After what was most likely an agonizing two hours, King Richard II returned to the lists with his verdict. Perhaps sensing a victory by Bolingbroke, Richard II declared the two men would not duel to the death, rather Bolingbroke was to be exiled for ten years and Mowbray for life. Bolingbroke’s sentence was later lessened to six years of exile.

 

    It was the most famous duel in history, that never happened. Perhaps Richard II would come to regret that decision in the years to come. Bolingbroke would later return to England, depose his cousin and become King Henry IV.