Richard I | The Lionheart

Richard I is an iconic figure in British history, and remains a well respected ruler in both England and France. During his time as ruler, Richard was not only King of England, but also the Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Poiters, Count of Anjou, Maine and Nantes and the Overlord of Brittany. So, it isn’t really much of a surprise that he only spent about six months of his entire reign in England, he spent much of his time on the continent and when he wasn’t in France, he was on crusade or in captivity. He received his many titles from his father’s death in 1189, until his own passing in 1199, but before we look at what made him a legend, let’s start at the beginning. 

 Quick Facts:  

Born: 8th September 1157, Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England 
Died: 6th April 1199 (aged 41), Chalus, Duchy of Aquitaine.  
Reign: 3rd September 1189 – 6th April 1199 
Parents: Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine 
Predecessor: Henry II (father) 
Successor: John (brother) 
Spouse: Berengaria of Navarre 
Children: Philip of Cognac (illegitimate) 
Royal House: Plantagenet / Normandy

Image: Statue of Richard the Lionheart

Richard I was born on 8th September 1157, the third of Henry II’s five sons and one of eight total legitimate children. It is thought that he was born in England at Beaumont Palace in Oxford and that he was his mother’s favourite. Being the third son, you might not think that he would have been in the running for the crown or any of the duchies, but by the end of his father's life, only he and his younger brother, John, were still alive. Many historians remember him as being courageous and chivalrous, especially in comparison to John and this was something that was evident in him from a young age. He showed significant political and military ability throughout his childhood and early teens and by the age of 16, had command of his own army.  

Despite his very obvious skills, Richard wasn’t really considered a viable option for king by his father, which left him eager to prove himself. Towards the end of his father's reign, Richard wanted to rule independently over at least a part of his father’s many territories. Henry however disagreed, instead naming his older son, Young Henry as heir apparent and co ruler, something that did not sit well with Richard or his siblings. It wasn’t a particularly popular choice among the people either and the king’s issues with the church rather hampered his plans to have Young Henry act as an equal ruler. Over the last few years of Henry II’s reign, he and Richard had a difficult relationship. Richard allied himself with the French and actively campaigned against his own family, but with his own health worsening and with only Richard and John left to succeed him, Henry eventually named Richard as his heir. He died a few days later.  

Richard was named Richard I of England at Westminster Abbey on 3rd September 1189, several months after being given the Dukedom of Normandy. Much like his father before him, Richard had a tempestuous relationship with his French counterpart. He had allied with the French during his feud with his father and had an on/off betrothal to a French princess, but the relationship between the two was never an easy one.  As a young man, Richard was betrothed to Alys, Countess of the Vexin, one of King Louis VII’s daughters. He also had a fractious relationship with Philip, who became the French King during Richard reign. He eventually went on to marry Berengaria of Navarre.  

Fighting with France  

Both Richard and Philip were allied at various points during their reigns and there is even speculation that they might have been lovers. Many of the crusades that Richard was famous for featured Philip, who marched with him into the Holy Lands along with Leopold of Austria, however tensions rose between them over the division of the territory. In fact, just a year into his reign, Richard and Philip teamed up to go to Sicily where Richard’s sister was the Dowager Queen and had been imprisoned. During their occupation, Richard renounced his betrothal to Philip’s sister for good and secured the territory by arranging a betrothal to the usurper’s daughter, which did rather dent their good relations. Following on for this, the pair headed to Cyprus where Richard gained control of the island before heading on to Acre and embarking on a religious crusade. The pair parted ways on bad terms, each believing that they had been treated unfairly in the division of the region. It also caused tension with Leopold of Austria, who would get his own back, but over the course of history, it would be these adventures that cemented Richard as being one of England’s great kings and earned him the nickname of Lionheart. 

Much is written about Richard’s exploits while crusading around the Holy Lands. His forces managed to occupy huge swathes of land, despite the fact that he was ill with what is widely believed to be scurvy, he even managed to stay abroad for much longer than his comrades – say what you like about Richard I, he was certainly determined to make his mark.  

Unfortunately for Richard, his former allies turned against him with Leopold of Austria taking him prisoner on his way back to Europe from crusade. Leopold claimed that he was exacting revenge for Richard arranging the murder of his cousin, but contemporary reports think it was more likely because Richard tore down Leopold’s flag while they were abroad and that this was an insult that could not be tolerated. 

Leopold handed Richard over to the Holy Roman Emperor who wanted to ransom him back to England to raise money so he could invade Italy. Eleanor, Richard’s mother set about raising the funds but unbeknown to her, Philip of France allied himself with Richard’s younger brother John and the pair pooled their resources, offering the Emperor money to keep Richard in prison for as long as possible. Philip’s motivation was undoubtedly because he wanted to invade and take control of Normandy, but John’s were a little more complex. Either way, Richard gained his freedom and was even recrowned, nullifying the shame of his captivity.  

After Richard was released, he embarked on an all out war with Philip aiming to reacquire Normandy. Richard poured all his military expertise and money into the war and set about making allies across Europe to back his claim. Philip ended up fleeing, leaving his finances and territories to be captured by Richard and for Richard and John to make amends. Despite being married to Berengaria of Navarre, the pair had no children, leaving Richard low on potential heirs. There is one illegitimate son that was known of, Philip of Cognac, a nephew, Arthur and his brother, John. Richard’s reign, and his life, came to an end while in France celebrating the spoils of his war with Philip. The king was shot by a crossbow and according to reports made at the time, Richard called the crossbowman to stand before him and that in a final act of mercy, allowed him to go free with a pocketful of money. The wound turned gangrenous and Richard died in his mother’s arms on 6th April 1199, the crossbowman that had been pardoned was captured, flayed and hanged as soon as the news of Richard’s death was announced. With no heirs to speak of, John succeeded his brother, something that was immediately rejected by the French territories. The lack of a direct heir and John’s unpopularity among the people was the first step in dissolving the empire that Richard had spent so long amassing.  

Richard the “good” king and John the “bad” king  

Historians have often compared King Richard and King John. Richard was named Lionheart and stories are still told about his bravery. He is often described as being tall, fair and handsome, whereas John is reported as being short and ugly in comparison. It is true to say that Richard’s legacy has endured, for instance, his motto, Dieu et mon Driot is still used by the monarchy today and continues to feature on British passports. His use of the three lions is also still in use as the Royal Arms of England – you can even see them on the England football team’s shirts! While Richard might have been revered in life, in death, there was less care taken with him. His body was split up, with his heart being moved to Normandy, his entrails being buried where he died and the rest of him being buried at the feet of his father. However, much of these burial sites were destroyed during the French Revolution and his remains are now lost.  

We’ve mentioned that Richard and John’s reigns were hampered with comparisons between the two, with Richard being known as the “good, historic king” and John the “bad king.” Click here to find out how true that really is!  

Places to visit: 

Palace of Westminster, London 
You can find a statue of Richard at the Palace.  

Westminster Abbey, London 

Bures, Suffolk 
The legend of Richard fighting a dragon originated here. The town sits on the border of Suffolk and Essex and there is a local legend of the Bures Dragon which was defeated by the king. The legend is thought to come from the fact that Richard as gifted a crocodile which was kept at the Tower of London but escaped and made its way to the Essex marches.  

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