Deborah Chan
Richard I of England, also known as Richard the Lionheart, was king from 1189 until his death in 1199. Richard spent little time in England during his reign, and it is doubtful that he could speak English. Richard's honeymoon with Berengaria of Navarre took place in Cyprus, where he also married her. He spent the last years of his life in France and died at the age of 41 in 1199 while fighting in Châlus, duchy of Aquitaine.
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What You'll Learn
Richard I's marriage to Berengaria of Navarre
Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionheart, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He was a popular king, known for his knightly manner and prowess in the Third Crusade. Richard's marriage to Berengaria of Navarre was a political union, arranged by his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor promoted the engagement to protect the southern borders of her Duchy of Aquitaine and foster better relations with neighbouring Castile, whose queen was Richard's sister, Eleanor.
Richard's betrothal to Berengaria was kept secret as he had been engaged for many years to Alys, the half-sister of King Philip II of France. However, it was suspected that Alys had become the mistress of Richard's father, Henry II, which would have made their marriage impossible in the eyes of the Church. Richard officially terminated his betrothal to Alys in 1190 and sent his mother, Eleanor, to retrieve Berengaria. Eleanor and Berengaria embarked on a long and difficult journey to meet Richard, who was already on the Third Crusade. They finally arrived in Messina, Sicily, in 1191, and were joined by Richard's sister, Joan, the widowed queen of Sicily.
On their way to the Holy Land, the ship carrying Berengaria and Joan ran aground off the coast of Cyprus, and they were threatened by the island's ruler, Isaac Comnenus. Richard came to their rescue, captured the island, and overthrew Comnenus. Richard and Berengaria were married on 12 May 1191, in the Chapel of St. George at Limassol, Cyprus, and Berengaria was crowned the same day. Richard then took his new wife with him for the first part of the Third Crusade, which was unusual at the time. However, Berengaria returned to Europe before Richard left the Holy Land, and she remained there during his captivity and after his release.
Richard and Berengaria's relationship was strained, and there is conjecture about whether their marriage was ever consummated. Richard spent little time in England during his reign, and Berengaria never visited England while he was alive. After Richard's death in 1199, Berengaria retired to Le Mans in Maine and lived in virtual poverty as Richard's brother, King John, seized much of her property and refused to repay her. Berengaria died in 1230, soon after founding a Cistercian monastery.
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The couple's coronation in Cyprus
Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionheart, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He was also Lord of Cyprus and held several other titles during his reign. Richard's reputation as a military leader and warrior was solidified by his role as an important Christian commander during the Third Crusade.
Richard I's conquest of Cyprus in 1191 was a significant event in his reign. The island of Cyprus was ruled by Isaac Komnenos, a Byzantine prince and self-proclaimed emperor. When three ships from Richard's fleet, en route to the siege of Acre, were wrecked off the coast of Cyprus due to a storm, Komnenos seized the opportunity to capture and imprison the passengers. Unbeknownst to him, the passengers included Richard's sister, Queen Joanna of Sicily, and his fiancée, Princess Berengaria of Navarre.
Upon learning of the imprisonment of his loved ones and the insults offered to them, Richard sailed to Cyprus with a large army. He met Komnenos in battle, defeated him, and took Limassol castle. Richard then married Berengaria, who was crowned Queen of England in the same ceremony, making this a coronation for the couple. Aided by Guy de Lusignan, the deposed King of Jerusalem, Richard continued his conquest of Cyprus, taking Lefkosha (Nicosia) and other strongholds.
The conquest of Cyprus provided Richard with a strategic base for further Crusade operations. He imposed a 50% capital levy on the island and ordered Cypriot men to shave their beards, which led to some resistance and rebellion. Richard realized that Cyprus would be challenging to maintain while also launching offensives in the Holy Land, so he sold it to the Knights Templar for 100,000 bezants. However, the Templar rule in Cyprus was also met with opposition, and they allegedly begged King Richard to take back control of the island.
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Richard's crusade in the Holy Land
Richard I of England, also known as Richard the Lionheart, spent most of his reign outside of England, including a significant amount of time on the Third Crusade. The Crusade was a response to the loss of Jerusalem to Saladin's forces in 1187, which was perceived as a profound spiritual defeat for Christendom.
Richard's father, King Henry II, and King Philip II of France ended their conflict and took the cross in 1188, imposing a "Saladin tithe" on their citizens to finance the venture. However, Henry II died in 1189, and Richard became king and leader of the English contingent. He immediately began raising funds for the Crusade, selling sheriffdoms and other offices, and putting everything up for sale to buy arms. In April 1190, Richard's fleet departed from Dartmouth, and Richard himself left England in July of that year, travelling via Sicily.
Richard's journey to the Holy Land was challenging, including a shipwreck near Cyprus in May 1191. He conquered Cyprus, which provided a valuable supply base for the Crusaders. The first major engagement in the Holy Land was the Siege of Acre, which began before Richard's arrival and lasted until July 1191. Richard's arrival boosted the Crusader forces, and the siege ended with the surrender of the Muslim garrison, a significant victory. However, tensions between Richard and Philip hampered their alliance, and Philip left the Holy Land in August 1191 due to ill health and disputes.
Richard led his forces close to Jerusalem twice but could not recapture the city. He made a truce with Saladin in September 1192, allowing the Crusaders to hold Acre and a thin coastal strip and granting Christian pilgrims free access to the holy places. Richard departed the Holy Land on 9 October 1192, and the Crusade's military successes allowed the Christians to maintain states in Cyprus and on the Syrian coast, restoring a narrow strip of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Richard's involvement in the Crusade contributed to his popularity and reputation as a great military leader and warrior.
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Richard's imprisonment and ransom
On 21 December 1192, Richard I of England, also known as Richard the Lionheart, was captured by Duke Leopold of Austria. Richard was returning from the Third Crusade in the Holy Land, where he had made an enemy of Leopold during the siege of Acre. When the city fell, Richard refused to share the spoils with Leopold and worsened the situation by throwing the Duke's standard into the mud.
Richard's ship was wrecked near Venice, and he decided to travel inland, disguising himself as a merchant. However, he was discovered in Vienna in December 1192 and imprisoned in the Duke's castle at Dürnstein on the Danube. Leopold demanded a ransom of 150,000 silver marks for Richard's release, an enormous sum amounting to 34 tons in weight and several million pounds in today's money.
Back in England, Richard's brother John was tasked with raising the ransom money, which proved extremely challenging. John imposed fresh taxes on everyone with money, making him highly unpopular. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard's mother, also worked tirelessly to raise the ransom. Both clergy and laymen were taxed a quarter of their property's value, and the gold and silver treasures of churches were confiscated.
Richard was eventually handed over to Henry VI, the Holy Roman Emperor, who kept him in various imperial castles. Henry demanded the same ransom as Leopold and the surrender of Richard's kingdom, which he would receive back as a fief. The ransom was paid, and Richard was released in February 1194. The raising of the ransom money was a remarkable fiscal measure, showcasing England's prosperity. However, it left the kingdom virtually bankrupt.
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Richard's return to England
Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionheart, became King of England in 1189 and ruled until his death in 1199. However, he spent very little time in England during his reign, perhaps as little as six months in total. Most of his time was spent on Crusade, in captivity, or defending the French portions of the Angevin Empire.
Richard's reputation as a ruler has fluctuated over the years. He was once regarded as a model king and a pious hero by his subjects, but more recent historians have viewed him less favourably, portraying him as a ruler who preferred to use his kingdom as a source of revenue to support his armies, rather than regarding England as a responsibility requiring his presence.
Upon his return to England, Richard did not remain for long. He soon spent the rest of his life in France, continuing his military campaigns. In 1199, he was fatally wounded while besieging the castle of the Vicomte of Limoges, who had refused to hand over a hoard of gold. Richard died at the age of 41, and the throne passed to his brother, John.
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Frequently asked questions
King Lionheart, also known as Richard I of England, likely spent his honeymoon in Cyprus, where he married Berengaria of Navarre.
King Lionheart, or Richard I, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He was the third son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.
It is unclear why Richard I chose to marry in Cyprus, though one source mentions "the magic of the island" as a potential reason.
No, Richard I spent very little time in England during his reign. He spent most of his adult life in the Duchy of Aquitaine, in southwest France, and was often away fighting in the Third Crusade.
