Richard I of England

Richard I (September 8, 1157 – April 6, 1199) was King of England from 1189 to 1199. He was often referred to as Richard the Lionheart, C?ur de Lion.

Richard on the Third Crusade

In April 1191, Richard stopped on the Byzantine island of Rhodes to avoid the stormy weather. It seems that Richard had previously met his fiancée Berengaria only once, years before their marriage. He had assigned his mother to represent him and convince her father, Sancho VI of Navarre, and her other relatives to agree to the marriage, and to bring the bride to the wedding. Richard came to their rescue when they were shipwrecked on the coast of Cyprus. He left Rhodes in May but a new storm drove Richard's fleet to the island. On May 6, 1191, Richard's fleet arrived in the port of Lemesos (now Limassol). Richard captured the city. When the island's despot Isaac Dukas Comnenus arrived to stop the Crusaders he discovered he was too late, and retired to Kolossi. Richard called Isaac to negotiations but Isaac broke his oath of hospitality and started demanding Richard's departure. Richard ordered his cavalry to follow him in a battle against Isaac's army in Tremetusia. The few Roman Catholics of the island joined Richard's army and so did the island's nobles who were dissatisfied with Isaac's seven years of tyrannical rule. Though Isaac and his men fought bravely, Richard's army was bigger and better equipped, assuring his victory. Isaac continued to resist from the castles of Pentadactylos but after the siege of his castle of Kantara he finally surrendered. Richard became the new ruler of Cyprus.

Related Topics:
Byzantine - Rhodes - Berengaria - Sancho VI of Navarre - Cyprus - May 6 - 1191 - Lemesos - Limassol - Isaac Dukas Comnenus - Kolossi - Tremetusia - Pentadactylos - Castle of Kantara

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Richard looted the island and massacred those trying to resist him. Meanwhile, Richard was finally able to marry Berengaria, first-born daughter of King Sancho VI of Navarre. The marriage was held in Limassol on May 12, 1191 at the Chapel of St. George. It was attended by his sister Joan, whom Richard had brought from Sicily. There were no children from the marriage; opinions vary as to whether it was ever a love match. The unfortunate Berengaria had almost as much difficulty in making the journey home as her husband did, and did not see England until after his death.

Related Topics:
Sancho VI of Navarre - May 12 - 1191

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From Cyprus onwards, Richard had among his friends and allies a Franco-Syrian noble, Humphrey IV of Toron, the former husband of Richard's father's first cousin Isabella, Queen of Jerusalem. The young Humphrey was the dispossessed Lord of Toron, Oultrejordain, etc. He knew the Muslim culture and spoke Arabic, whereby Richard used him as his translator and negotiator. As contemporary sources alleged, Humphrey was not suited to married life and was known as soft and effeminate. (He did not want to oppose the other lords, and therefore had consented to the forced divorce from Richard's cousin.) As contemporary sources say, Richard had a deep affection for Humphrey. Humphrey died sometime in the mid-1190s.

Related Topics:
Humphrey IV of Toron - Isabella, Queen of Jerusalem - Toron - Oultrejordain

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Whether Richard's marriage with Berengaria was ever even consummated is a matter for conjecture. (Though it should be noted that when Richard married Berengaria he was still officially betrothed to Alys and that Richard pushed for the match, in order to obtain Navarre as a fief like Aquitaine for his father.) Richard had a terrible womanising reputation, but he took his new wife with him briefly on this episode of the crusade. However, they returned separately. Although, after his release from German captivity, Richard showed some degree of regret for his earlier conduct, he was not joined by his wife. The fact that the marriage was childless is inconclusive, but it is certainly true that Richard had to be ordered by a priest to reunite with and to show fidelity to Berengaria in the future, with the language he used being the main source cited for a 20th century theory that Richard had been engaged in homosexual activities. Nevertheless, when he died in 1199, she was greatly distressed, apparently having loved her husband very much.

Related Topics:
Navarre - Aquitaine - 1199

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Richard and most of his army left Cyprus for the Holy Land early in June. In his absence Cyprus would be governed by Richard Camville. King Richard arrived at Acre in June 1191, in time to relieve the siege of the city by Saladin. Deserted by Philip and having fallen out with Duke Leopold V of Austria, he suddenly found himself without allies.

Related Topics:
Richard Camville - Acre - 1191 - Saladin - Leopold V of Austria

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Richard's tactics ensured success at the siege of Acre and on the subsequent march south, Saladin's men being unable to harass the Crusader army into an impulsive action which might not have gone their way. However, the desertion of the French king had been a major blow, from which they could not hope to recover. Realising that he had no hope of holding Jerusalem even if he took it, Richard sadly ordered a retreat. Despite being only a few miles from the city, he refused, thereafter, to set eyes on it, since God had ordained that he should not be the one to conquer it. He had finally realised that his return home could be postponed no longer, since both Philip and John were taking advantage of his absence to make themselves more powerful.

Related Topics:
Siege of Acre - Jerusalem

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Having planned to leave Conrad of Montferrat as "King" of Jerusalem and Cyprus in the hands of his own protégé, Guy of Lusignan, Richard was dealt another blow when Conrad was assassinated before he could be crowned. His replacement was Richard's own nephew, Henry I of Champagne.

Related Topics:
Conrad of Montferrat - "King" of Jerusalem - Cyprus - Guy of Lusignan - Henry I of Champagne

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