Richard I, known as C?ur de Lion ('the Lion Heart') 1157-99
King of England

He was born in Oxford, the third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Of his 10-year reign he spent only a few months in England, and it is doubtful that he spoke English. For the rest of the time he was taking part in the crusades or, induced by his mother, in rebellion with his brothers Henry and Geoffrey against their father Henry II (1173 and 1189), on the second occasion in league with Philip II of France. Richard became King of England, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou on 5 July 1189. He had already taken the crusader's vow; and in 1190 he and Philip set out to join the Third Crusade. They spent the winter in Sicily, where the throne had recently been seized by the Norman Tancred; Tancred made his peace with Richard by giving up to him Richard's sister Johanna, the widowed queen, and her possessions, and by betrothing his daughter to Prince Arthur, Richard's nephew and heir. When in 1191 part of Richard's fleet was wrecked off Cyprus, the island's ruler Isaac I, Comnenus treated the crews with hostility. Richard sailed back from Rhodes, defeated and deposed Isaac, and give his crown to Guy of Lusignan. In Cyprus he married Berengaria of Navarre, and on 8 June landed near Acre, which surrendered. Richard's exploits, including his march to Joppa, two advances on Jerusalem (which he failed to regain), his capture of the fortresses in southern Palestine, and his relief of Joppa, excited the admiration of Christendom. In September he concluded a three years' peace with Saladin, and set off alone on the journey home. He was shipwrecked in the Adriatic, and made his way in disguise through the dominions of his enemy, Leopold, Duke of Austria. He was recognized, and was seized and handed over to the Emperor Henry VI (1193), who demanded a heavy ransom for his release. Richard's subjects raised the money, and despite his brother John's attempts to prevent him, he returned home in March 1194, after concluding useful political alliances with the empire. John was forgiven, and Richard set off again for France, where he spent the rest of his life campaigning against Philip, mainly on the Norman-French border which he held for the Angevins. The government of England was meanwhile entrusted to the justiciar, Hubert Walter. Richard was killed while besieging the castle of Chalus, and was buried at Fontevrault.

Bibliography: K Norgate, Richard the Lion Heart (1924)