Richard I

1189 - 1199

aka The Lionheart

Richard was crowned on 3rd September 1189 following a battle with his father King Henry II. Richard was King of England, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou and Aquitaine. His mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, returned to Court and Henry’s enemies were granted pardons. Richard’s true calling however was as a warrior. Rather than ruling England, Richard’s first priority was to raise money to fight in the Third Crusade. He wished to take control of Jerusalem away from the Muslims and put it into Christian hands. In order to do this he cancelled the Treaty of Falais which meant releasing Scotland in return for a large sum of money. The common man was taxed heavily. England once again found itself at the mercy of a King who was happy to plunder her riches.

Within months of his coronation, Richard departed for the Holy Land with his ally King Philip of France. During their journey, Richard said he no longer wished to marry Philip’s sister, Alice. The friends quarrelled and parted ways. Undeterred, Richard married Berengaria of Navarre in Cyprus. While Richard’s defeat of Arsouf was hailed as a great victory he made little progress beyond this over the following year. Jerusalem remained out of reach, protected by Richard’s great Muslim rival Saladin.

During his campaign Richard took many prisoners, whom he subsequently killed. In one shocking episode, 3000 prisoners, including women and children were beheaded and disembowelled. Heading for home, he was captured in Austria. Richard had enemies all over Europe and he was imprisoned by the German emperor, Henry VI. He tried to avoid capture by dressing as a serving boy and hiding in the kitchens of a castle. His gold rings are said to have betrayed him. Two years later, and after a huge ransom of £100,000 was raised by his mother, Richard was released.

While Richard was away from England for four years, his brothers were making plans against him. John and Geoffrey, Richard’s illegitimate half-brother, had agreed to stay away from the country in his absence. Instead, John and King Philip formed an alliance, with John promising to marry Philip’s sister. John announced that Richard had been killed during the Crusade, hoping to make Philip’s invasion from France easier. His plan didn’t work and he prayed for Richard’s mercy on his return. Richard forgave him, blaming his bid for the throne on ‘evil counsellors’. He spent the last four years of his life fighting King Philip for the lands he lost during his imprisonment by Henry VI of Germany.

Richard was tall, blue-eyed, energetic and charismatic. He grew up in the Court of Poitiers, with his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. She had taken part in the Second Crusade and encouraged Richard to join her, aged 15, in the Great Rebellion of 1173 against his father. Just a few years later, aged 21, he helped quell a rebellion in Aquitaine. He later went on to earn merit for his victories at the Third Crusade. Some historians have painted Richard as egotistical and war-mongering. They say he had something to prove having been accused of vanity and greed. He was known to have been cruel to his subjects in France, sparking their rebellion. Others suggest that Richard was naturally athletic and that by going to war he was defending the Christian faith as was his duty as a strong monarch. There is no doubt that growing up within a strong, battle-hardened family influenced Richard to right wrongs where he saw them.

Richard’s call to arms infected the nation. Silk, jewels, fine wines, spices, carpets and rugs imported from the east began to appear in the homes of the rich. Meanwhile, the populace turned on those Jewish communities living in England. Jews living in York burnt themselves to death inside Clifford Tower, rather than risk the wrath of the mob.

Ever the adventurer, Richard died aged 42 as a result of grangrene. He was hit in the shoulder by a crossbow bolt. At the time he was trying to take possession of a large amount of treasure housed in a castle at Chalus. The man who fired the shot, Bertram de Gourdon, was summoned to speak to Richard as he lay dying. Richard asked him why he tried to kill him, telling him he had done him no harm. Bertram replied that Richard had harmed him by killing his father and two brothers. He showed so little remorse for shooting him, that Richard was impressed by his courage and gave him his freedom. Richard’s men were not so forgiving though - after his death, they skinned Bertram alive before hanging him.

Richard I Factfile