A war in Scotland called the king from home when he had been married a little over a year, and while he was away, his half-brother, John Holland, murdered Lord Stafford. The cause of this dreadful crime was jealousy. Stafford was a soldier of such high and noble character that he was a great favorite with the whole English army, and so chivalrous that the queen called him "her knight." It was when on his way with messages from the king to Anne that the encounter, which resulted in the death of the honored earl, took place. John Holland had noticed him, for many months, with increasing envy, which led him, at last, to slay one who had not given the slightest provocation for a quarrel. The father of Stafford was so distressed at the atrocious murder of his dearly-beloved son, that King Richard, prompted by the old man's demand for justice, vowed his brother's life should pay the forfeit of his deed. Meanwhile Holland had fled to the shrine of St. John of Beverly, and kept out of the way until the king returned from Scotland. Then Joanna, Princess of Wales, mother of Richard and John Holland, pleaded, with tears and lamentations, to one son for the life of another. Before it was granted, she died, and the king, unable to refuse her last request, pardoned the criminal, who started, at once, on an atoning pilgrimage to Syria.
The queen was called upon to act as mediator again in 1387, after the defeat of the royal troops by the Duke of Gloucester and young Henry of Bolingbroke. The Archbishop of Canterbury was then sent to the king to propose a treaty of peace, but was absolutely refused admittance to his majesty's presence until the queen persuaded her husband to yield. After the interview the royal household removed from Bristol, where it had been established for several months, to London.
and actually went on her knees to plead for the life of John Calverly, one of her esquires, but to no avail. That parliament was called "the merciless," and merited the title.
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The succeeding two years were passed by the royal couple at Shene, a favorite summer residence because of the beauty of the surrounding landscape.
A.D. 1389. At the meeting of parliament in 1389 the Duke of Gloucester, with his adherents, established a reign of terror that made fidelity to the king and queen an offence. Several members of Queen Anne's household were selected as victims, principally because they favored the cause of the Reformation and read the works of Wickliffe and Lollard. The queen spared no pains in trying to save her friends, ard asked them, "how old he was."
"Twenty-two," was the reply, whereupon he declared that his ancestors had been considered of age much earlier, and it was therefore his intention to submit to control no longer. A sort of recoronation then took place at St. Stephen's Chapel, when the nobility renewed their oaths to the young sovereign, who thenceforth governed the kingdom himself.
A splendid tournament was held in honor of this event, over which Queen Anne presided. Sixty of her ladies, mounted on fine horses, each led by a knight, rode, to the sound of the trumpets, and attended by a train of minstrels, through the streets of London. When they arrived at the tilting-grounds at Smithfield, they passed before the queen, who was already seated on a richly decorated stand, then placed themselves on either side of her. The prizes consisted of a richly jewelled clasp and a gold crown, which the queen presented to the victors with her own hands. At the close of the match, a fine banquet was served, succeeded by dancing, which was kept up until a late hour in the night.