Plantagenet Kings

 Richard the Lionheart

The Crusader King

Richard was born on September 8th, 1157, in Oxford, England. His parents were King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Being the third son of Henry, he had small chances of inheriting the throne of England. In 1173, his elder brother revolted against their father, supported by both France and Scotland. After some initial success, King Henry II emerged victorious in 1174. Richard, by that time Duke of Aquitaine, sided with his sibling, but Henry did not punish his sons. However, he imprisoned his wife as an insurance that his offsprings would never rise against him.

King Richard I (1157-1199; reigned from 1189-1199)

Over the next decade, Richard governed his duchy with great success, distinguishing himself as a great military commander. In 1183, Henry the Young, Henry II's heir apparent to the throne suddenly died. As a result, Richard became the next in line to become king. However, the relation between Richard and Henry soured. Eventually, with the support of King Philip Augustus of France, Richard rebelled against his father. The duo was triumphant and Henry was forced to recognize Richard as the sole heir. In 1189, Henry II died of illness and Richard was crowned King of England. 

He did not have time to celebrate this moment. In Levant, Sultan Saladin had conquered Jerusalem two years before and the Christian world had been preparing for a new Crusade ever since. King Henry had already responded the call and he levied a new tax in England called the ''Saladin tithe'' in order to raise money for the Crusade. Richard continued this fiscal policy and the treasury was full in order to assemble an army. In 1190, Richard sailed for the Holy Land. 

Sultan Saladin ( 1137-1193; reign 1174-1193)

His first stop was in Sicily, where his brother-in-law, King William II of Sicily, passed away, and the new King Tancred imprisoned Richard's sister. After a short battle, the two monarchs reached an agreement. Moreover, the English King married Berengaria of Navarre.

Berengaria of Navarre (1165-1230), Richard's wife; They had no children

In April 1191, Richard finally sailed for the Holy Land, but once again, troubles occurred. The vessel which carried his wife and sister shipwrecked on Cyprus where they were taken prisoners by Issac Komnenos, the tyrant of the island. Richard invaded Cyprus and conquered it, and he later sold it to Guy of Lusignan, the former King of Jerusalem. In the end, the Crusader King reached the Holy Land, but he experienced setbacks even here from his own allies. King Philip II of France fell ill and returned home to France. Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa drowned while crossing a river, and his army decided to abandon the Crusade. The only commander that remained was Duke Leopold of Austria with whom Richard had a bad relation. Nevertheless, Richard won a major victory at the battle of Arsuf which allowed him to capture the city of Jaffa. However, he lacked the manpower necessary to take and hold Jerusalem, so he started negotiations. On September 2nd, 1192, Richard and Saladin signed the Treaty of Jaffa. On his way home, Richard was arrested by Duke Leopold who then sent the English King to Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI. In 1194, Richard was released after his mother paid an enormous ransom. After returning to England, he named John, his younger brother, as his heir and he immediately went to France where King Philip had conquered Normandy. For the next 5 years, King Richard waged wars against the French, shortly interrupted by some truces. In 1199, while besieging a small castle named Chalus-Chabrol, Richard was patrolling the perimeter and inspecting his men, paying little notice to the arrows fired from the castle's walls. Ultimately, a bolt from a crossbow hit him in the shoulder, right below the neck. The wound was not fatal, but it was poorly treated which resulted in a gangrene. King Richard the Lionheart died 2 weeks later.