Richard II (1367–1400) was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III. Richard was tall, good-looking and intelligent. Although probably not insane, as earlier historians believed, he may have suffered from one or several personality disorders that may have become more apparent toward the end of his reign. Less of a warrior than either his father or grandfather, he sought to bring an end to the Hundred Years' War that Edward III had started. He was a firm believer in the royal prerogative, which led him to restrain the power of his nobility and rely on a private retinue for military protection instead. He also cultivated a courtly atmosphere where the king was an elevated figure, and art and culture were at the centre, in contrast to the fraternal, martial court of his grandfather. Richard's posthumous reputation has to a large extent been shaped by Shakespeare, whose play Richard II portrays Richard's misrule and Bolingbroke's deposition as responsible for the 15th-century Wars of the Roses. Most authorities agree that the way in which he carried his policies out was unacceptable to the political establishment, and this led to his downfall. (more...)
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A reproductive cone of Encephalartos sclavoi, a cycad tree native to Africa. Some species of the Encephalartos genus are known as "bread trees" because a bread-like starchy food can be prepared from the centre of the stem. Male cones are elongated, and three or four may appear at a time. Female cones are borne singly, or up to three at a time, and may weigh up to 60 lb (27 kg). All the species of Encephalartos are endangered.
