King Richard II of England, born in Bordeaux in 1367, was the son of Edward, the Black Prince, and Joan of Kent. Coming from a lineage of kings, Richard was thrust into power at a tender age, inheriting the throne at ten years old after the death of his grandfather, Edward III. His early years of reign saw him under the guardianship of regents, given his youth, making him heavily reliant on advisors. These formative years were marred by the Peasants' Revolt in 1381, a major uprising against taxing the poor for wars against France. Even though young, Richard played a pivotal role in quelling this revolt by meeting the rebels and subsequently ending the immediate threat, though tensions lingered.

Throughout his reign, Richard's relationship with the governing class and Parliament was contentious. He perceived them, especially the "Lords Appellant" who sought to limit the King's powers and curtail his closest advisors, as threats to his royal prerogative. This culminated in the Merciless Parliament of 1388, where many of Richard's allies were executed or exiled. In response, later in his reign, Richard sought to centralize power around the monarchy, reducing the influence of these adversarial nobles.

Richard’s foreign policy was largely characterized by his desire for peace, especially with France. He secured a 28-year truce with France in 1396, a move that was both praised for potentially ending decades of conflict but also criticized for seeming to abandon England's territorial claims in France.

On the domestic front, Richard’s rule, especially in the later years, was marked by what many historians consider to be veering towards tyranny. He sought to instill a culture of majesty around the monarchy, adopting emblems and practices that emphasized the divine nature of kingship. Culturally, his reign saw a growth in the arts, particularly literature. It was during his time that Geoffrey Chaucer wrote his famed "Canterbury Tales."

Richard's personal relationships were complex. He married Anne of Bohemia in 1382, a union that, while childless, was believed to be a loving one. After her death, he married Isabella of Valois, but they had no children. Without direct heirs, this left the succession open to challenge. His relations with many of his nobles were strained, leading to internal strife and challenges to his rule.

His reign came to a tumultuous end when, in 1399, he was deposed by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, who became King Henry IV. Richard was imprisoned and died in captivity in 1400 at Pontefract Castle. The exact circumstances of his death remain a mystery, though starvation or assassination are commonly speculated. At the time of his death, feelings were mixed. Many saw him as a tyrant and were relieved by his deposition, but others, in retrospect, lamented the loss of a king who, for all his faults, had aimed for peace and patronized a flourishing of English culture.

Society during Richard's reign was in flux. The aftermath of the Black Death in the previous century had led to significant socio-economic shifts, with a smaller population and resultant labor shortages. The Peasants' Revolt exemplified the tensions of the time, with the lower classes demanding more rights and a fairer distribution of wealth. Culturally, the late 14th century in England saw advancements in literature, architecture, and religious thought, setting the stage for further developments in the Renaissance.