Richard Fitzalan - 11th Earl of Arundel

  General Notes:

He was the son of Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and Eleanor of Lancaster and was born in 1346. He succeeded his father on 24 January 1376.

His brother was Thomas Arundel who was Bishop of Ely from 1374 to 1388, then Archbishop of York from 1388 to 1397, then Archbishop of Canterbury.

At the coronation of Richard II, Richard FitzAlan carried the crown.

In 1377 he was Admiral of the West and South. In this capacity, he attacked Harfleur at Whitsun 1378, but was forced to return to his ships by the defenders. Later, he and John of Gaunt attempted to seize Saint-Malo but were unsuccessful.

FitzAlan was closely aligned with Thomas, Duke of Gloucester who was uncle of King Richard II. Thomas was opposed to Richard II's desire for peace with France in the Hundred Years War and a power struggle ensued between him and Gloucester. In late 1386, Gloucester forced Richard II to name himself and Richard FitzAlan to Richard's Council. This Council was to all intents and purposes a Regency Council for Richard II, however Richard limited the duration of the Council's powers to be one year.

In 1386, Richard II named him Admiral of England, as well as being made a Knight of the Garter. As Admiral of England, he defeated a Franco-Spanish-Flemish fleet off Margate in March 1387, along with Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham.

In August, the King dismissed Gloucester and FitzAlan from the Council and replaced them with his favourites - including the Archbishop of York, Alexander Neville, the Duke of Ireland Robert de Vere, Michael de la Pole the Earl of Suffolk, Sir Robert Tresilian who was the Chief Justice, and the former Mayor of London Nicholas Brembre.

The King summoned Gloucester and FitzAlan to meet with the King, but instead of coming, they raised troops and defeated the new Council at Radcot Bridge, taking the favorites prisoner. The Merciless Parliament the next year condemned the favorites. FitzAlan was one of the Lords Appellant who accused and condemned Richard II's favorites. He made himself particularly odious to Richard by refusing, along with Gloucester to spare the life of Sir Simon Burley who had been condemned by the Merciless Parliament, even though the queen, Anne of Bohemia went down on her knees before them to beg for mercy. Richard never forgave this humiliation and planned and waited for his moment of revenge. In 1394 he further antagonized the King by arriving late for the queen's funeral. Richard, in a rage snatched a wand and struck him in the face and drew blood. Shortly after that, Richard feigned a reconciliation but he was only biding his time for the right moment to strike. Arundel was named Governor of Brest in 1388.

Peace was concluded with France in 1389, however Richard FitzAlan followed Gloucester's lead and stated that he would never agree with the peace that had been concluded.

On 12 July 1397 he was arrested for his opposition to Richard II, as well as plotting with Gloucester to imprison the king. He stood trial at Westminster and was attainted. He was beheaded on 21 September 1397 and was buried in the church of the Augustin Friars, Bread Street, London. Tradition holds that his final words were said to the executioner, "Torment me not long, strike off my head in one blow". In October of 1400, the attainder was reversed, and Richard's son Thomas succeeded to his father's estates and honors.

Richard married Elizabeth de Bohun, daughter of William de Bohun - 1st Earl of Northampton and Elizabeth de Baddlesmere, on 28 Sep 1359. (Elizabeth de Bohun was born about 1350 in Derbyshire and died in 1385.)

  Marriage Notes:

On 28 September 1359, by Papal dispensation, Elizabeth married Richard Fitzalan, who succeeded to the earldoms of Arundel and Surrey upon the death of his father, Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of Arundel in 1376. Their marriage was especially advantageous as it united two of the most powerful families in England. The alliance was further strengthened by the marriage of Elizabeth's brother, Humphrey to Fitzalan's sister Joan.

Richard next married Philippa Mortimer in 1368 in Reading Abbey, Reading, Berkshire. (Philippa Mortimer was born on 16 Aug 1355 in Eltham Palace, Kent and died on 5 Jan 1382 in Cork, Ireland.)