The Council of 14

By 1386, the barons were fed up with the influence that Robert de Vere had over the king. Prior to de Vere coming along, Richard was under the control of his uncles. According to Hume, Richard's "violent temper" made it impossible for him to stand this control any more, especially that of the Duke of Gloucester.

The barons, listed by Hume as

1. Moubray earl of Nottingham, the mareschal
2. Fitz-Alan earl of Arundel
3. Piercy earl of Northumberland
4. Montacute earl of Salisbury
5. Beauchamp earl of Warwic

are described as being "all connected with each other, and with the princes, by friendship or alliance, and still more by their common antipathy to those who had eclipsed them in the king's favour and confidence."

They decide on two steps. First, the impeach and remove from office Michael de la Pole, the chancellor. (In the course of this, a member of Parliament called for the record of the deposition of Edward II, "a plain intimation of the fate, which Richard, if he continued refractory, had reason to expect from them."

Second, they established a council of 14, to rule for a year, which in effect was a temporary deposition of Richard. It was clear, says Hume, that the barons intended to extend the power of this council indefinitely into the future. All of the members were of the party of the Duke of Gloucester, with the exception of Nevil, Archbishop of York.