Who's Who in Medieval History
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Richard I was also known as:
Richard I was known for:
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About Richard I:
Richard the Lionheart was the son of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine and the second king in the Plantagenet line.
Richard was far more interested in his holdings in France and in his Crusading endeavors than he was in governing England, where he spent about six months of his ten-year reign. In fact, he nearly depleted the treasury left by his father in order to fund his Crusade. Though he scored some successes in the Holy Land, Richard and his fellow Crusaders failed to meet the objective of the Third Crusade, which was to recapture Jerusalem from Saladin.
On his way home from the Holy Land in March of 1192, Richard was shipwrecked, captured, and handed over to Emperor Henry VI. A large portion of the 150,000-mark ransom was raised through heavy taxing of the people of England, and Richard was freed in February of 1194. Upon returning to England he had a second coronation to demonstrate that he still had control of the country, then promptly went to Normandy and never returned.
The next five years were spent in periodic warfare with King Philip II of France. Richard died from a wound inflicted when besieging the castle of Châlus. His marriage to Berengaria of Navarre had produced no children, and the English crown passed to his brother John.
For a more detailed look at this popular English king, visit your Guide's Biography of Richard the Lionheart.
More Richard the Lionhearted Resources:
Richard the Lionheart Image Gallery
Richard the Lionheart in Print
Richard the Lionheart on the Web
Richard the Lionheart on Film
The Lion in Winter
Henry II (Peter O'Toole) must choose which of his three surviving sons will succeed him, and a vicious verbal battle ensues between himself and his strong-willed queen. Richard is portrayed by Anthony Hopkins (in his first feature film); Katharine Hepburn won an Oscar® for her portrayal of Eleanor.
Medieval & Renaissance Monarchs of England
The Crusades
Medieval Britain
Medieval France
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