What was Richard the Lionheart like? How did Richard the Lionheart die?

Richard the Lionheart

Richard I.

Typical knight adventurer

Richard I the Lionheart (French Coeur de Lion, English Lion-Hearted) (8.IX.1157 - 6.IV.1199) - king (1189-1199) from the Plantagenet dynasty. He spent his childhood, youth and most of his reign outside England, the management of which he transferred to the governor. A typical medieval knight-adventurer, Richard I waged continuous wars that were alien to the interests of England and cost her enormous amounts of money. Participated in the 3rd Crusade (1189-1192), during which he captured the island of Cyprus and the fortress of Acre (in Palestine), on the way back he was captured by the Austrian Duke Leopold V (who handed him over to the emperor Henry VI) and was released only in 1194 for a huge ransom. From 1194 - in France, he waged war with Philip II Augustus, who sought to reconquer the lands owned by the Plantagenets in France. During this war he was killed.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 12. Reparations - SLAVS. 1969.

Literature: Chronicles and memorials of the reign of Richard I, ed. by W. Stubbs, v. 1-2, L., 1864-65; Landon L., The itinerary of King Richard I, L., 1935.

Preserved in the image of a noble knight and a just king

Richard I
Richard the Lionheart
Richard the Lionheart
Years of life: September 8, 1157 - April 6, 1199
Years of reign: 1189 - 1199
Father: Henry II
Mother: Eleanor of Aquitaine
Wife: Berengaria of Navarre

Richard was the third son Henry II and was not considered as the main heir to the English throne. When distributing possessions between his sons in 1172, Henry allocated the Duchy of Aquitaine to Richard. Until his coronation, the future king visited England only twice, spending all the time in his lot. In 1183, Henry the Younger demanded an oath of allegiance from Richard, and when he refused, he invaded Aquitaine with an army of mercenaries, but that same year he unexpectedly fell ill with a fever and died. This led to discord between Richard and his father. Henry demanded that Aquitaine be given to his youngest son, John. Richard asked the French king for help Philip II and swore allegiance to him in 1188. Richard, Philip and allies opposed Henry and defeated him. Henry II accepted peace on humiliating terms and soon died, leaving the English throne to Richard.

On September 3, 1189, Richard was crowned Westminster Abbey and lived in England for 4 months, and later came for another 2 months in 1194 - and that was it.

Richard took an active part in preparing the Third Crusade, a vow to participate in which he made in 1187. Taking into account the problems of the first campaigns, he insisted on reaching the Holy Land by sea. The campaign began in the spring of 1190, when crowds of crusaders moved across France to the Mediterranean Sea. In Marseilles, Richard's army boarded ships and was already in Sicily in September. There, the crusaders had friction with the local residents. It came to an armed conflict with the citizens of Messina, which ended with the victory of Richard and the plunder of the city. Richard spent the winter of 1190/1191 in Sicily. During this time, he quarreled with his associate, the French king Philip II, and then they moved separately. In the spring of 1191, Richard arrived in Cyprus. Some of his ships were thrown ashore during a storm, and the emperor Isaac Komnenos, who ruled the island, refused to give them back in an amicable way. Richard had to use force, and as a result of a 25-day war, he captured the entire island. He left half of the captured property to the residents, and distributed the other half to his knights, who were supposed to settle on the island to protect it. There in Cyprus, Richard had a magnificent wedding with the Navarrese princess Berengaria. On June 5, Richard sailed to Syria and three days later joined the participants in the siege of Acre, which had already lasted two years. With the arrival of the British new strength Work began on the construction of rams and catapults, on digging tunnels, and within a month Acre was taken. The crusaders kept hostages from among the most noble townspeople with the possibility of ransoming them for 200 thousand chervonets. However, after this success, discord began in the Christian camp, caused by the discussion of the candidacy of the King of Jerusalem. The quarrels ended with Philip II and many of the French deciding to return, and Richard becoming the sole leader of the crusaders. Meanwhile, the weakened Christian army faced the most important thing - to take Jerusalem. However, they did not reach Jerusalem, frightened by rumors about powerful fortifications around the city, and turned to Ascalon. Just recently, the pilgrims found the flourishing city in ruins. It was Saladdin who ordered the destruction of Ascalon, since he did not hope to hold it. The crusaders restored the fortifications in the shortest possible time, and Richard himself set an example, carrying stones on his shoulders for construction. A few weeks later, a second campaign was launched against Jerusalem, but again the crusaders did not reach the city. On the way, news was received of Saladdin's attack on Jaffa, and Richard rushed to the rescue. During the defense of Jaffa, Richard showed himself to be a strong, brave and reasonable commander.

Meanwhile, news began to arrive from England about the atrocities of John, who ruled the country in the absence of the king. Richard, in a hurry to return home, abandoned the idea of ​​​​taking Jerusalem, and signed a peace treaty with Saladdin on unfavorable terms. On the way home, Richard ran into trouble. He did not want to sail around Europe by sea, and the route by land lay through the lands of Leopold of Austria, with whom Richard also quarreled during the Crusade and Emperor Henry VI, the fierce enemy of the Normans. Nevertheless, Richard decided to climb north along the Adriatic Sea, and then through southern Germany to get to France, but near Venice his ship ran aground, and Richard and a few companions, in disguise, began to secretly make their way through Leopold’s possessions. Nevertheless, near Vienna he was recognized, captured and imprisoned in Castle Dürenstein. Leopold handed over the prisoner to Emperor Henry for a ransom of 50 thousand marks of silver, and Henry released Richard for a promise to send a ransom of 150 thousand marks. Finally, in the spring of 1194, Richard landed in England. John did not dare to engage in armed confrontation with his brother and submitted to him. Despite his unseemly deeds, John received forgiveness, and Richard left England two months later, never to return there again.

In France, Richard successfully fought against Philip II, who, in Richard's absence, seized some of his possessions, and managed to return part of the lands in Normandy.

On March 26, 1199, returning home at dusk, without armor, Richard was deeply wounded by an arrow in the shoulder. The wound was not very dangerous, but after an unsuccessful operation, blood poisoning began, and Richard died 11 days later. The royal title was inherited by his brother John.

The image of Richard the Lionheart as a noble knight and a just king has been preserved in people's memory. This is due to the fact that only rumors about the king’s heroics in the Holy Land reached England, and the lawlessness that was happening in the country at that time was associated with the name of John. The plot, on the theme of the sudden return of the rightful king, restoring justice and punishing the guilty, was reflected in literature, for example, in the ballads about Robin Hood and W. Scott’s novel “Ivanhoe.”

Material used from the site http://monarchy.nm.ru/

Richard I the Lionheart - English king from the family Plantagenets, reigned 1189-1199. Son of Henry II and Eleanor of Guyenne.

Wife: from 1191 Beranger, daughter of Sancho VI, King of Navarre (+ 1230). Genus. September 8, 1157

Richard was the second son of Henry Plantagenet. He was not considered as the direct heir of his father, and this left a certain imprint on his character and on the events of his youth. While his elder brother Henry was crowned by the English crown in 1170 and declared co-regent of Henry II, Richard was proclaimed Duke of Aquitaine in 1172 and was considered the heir of his mother Eleanor. After this, until his coronation, the future king visited England only twice - at Easter in 1176 and at Christmas in 1184. His reign in Aquitaine took place in constant clashes with local barons, accustomed to independence. Soon clashes with his father were added to the internal wars. At the very beginning of 1183, he ordered Richard to take the feal oath to his elder brother Henry. Richard flatly refused to do this, citing the fact that it was an unheard of innovation. Henry the Younger invaded Aquitaine at the head of a mercenary army, began to ravage the country, but in the summer of that year he suddenly fell ill with a fever and died. The death of the older brother did not put an end to the quarrels between father and son. In September, Henry ordered Richard to give Aquitaine to his younger brother John.

Richard refused and the war continued. The younger brothers Gottfried and John attacked Poitou. Richard responded by invading Brittany. Seeing that nothing could be achieved by force, the king ordered the disputed duchy to be transferred to his mother. This time Richard complied. But although father and son made peace, there was no trust between them. Particularly suspicious was the closeness established between the king and his youngest son John. There were rumors that Henry, contrary to all customs, wanted to make him his heir, removing his rebellious older sons from the throne. This made the relationship between his father and Richard even more tense. Henry was a tough and despotic man, Richard could expect any dirty trick from him. The French king was not slow to take advantage of the discord in the English royal house. In 1187, he showed Richard a secret letter from the English king, in which Henry asked Philip to marry his sister Alice (already betrothed to Richard) to John and to transfer the duchies of Aquitaine and Anjou to the same John. Richard felt threatened by all this. A new rift began to brew in the Plantagenet family. But Richard openly opposed his father only in the fall of 1188. Against his will, he made peace with the French king in Bonmoulin and took him the feudal oath. The following year, the two of them captured Maine and... Touraine. Henry waged war against Richard and Philip, but without much success. In a few months, all continental possessions fell from him, except

Normandy. At Lehman, Henry almost was captured by his son. In July 1189, he had to agree to humiliating conditions dictated to him by his enemies, and died soon after. In August, Richard arrived in England and was crowned in Westminster Abbey on September 3. Like his father, who spent most of his time not on the island, but in his continental possessions, he did not intend to stay in England for long. After his coronation, he lived in his country for only four months, and then came here again for two months in 1194.

Having assumed power, Richard began to work on organizing the Third Crusade, which he vowed to participate in back in 1187. He took into account the sad experience of the Second Crusade and insisted that the sea route be chosen to reach the Holy Land. This saved the crusaders from many hardships and unpleasant clashes with the Byzantine emperor. The campaign began in the spring of 1190, when masses of pilgrims moved through France and Burgundy to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In early July, Richard met Philip Augustus in Wesel. Kings and troops greeted each other and continued their march to the south together with joyful songs. From Lyon the French turned to Genoa, and Richard moved to Marseilles. Having boarded ships here, the British sailed east and on September 23 were already in Messina. Here: the king was detained by enemy actions local population. The Sicilians were very unfriendly towards the English crusaders, among whom there were many Normans. They not only showered them with ridicule and abuse, but at every opportunity tried to kill unarmed pilgrims. On October 3, due to an insignificant clash in the city market, a real war began. The townspeople hastily armed themselves, locked the gates and took up positions on the towers and walls. In response, the British, without hesitation, launched an assault. Richard, as much as he could, tried to keep his fellow tribesmen from ruining the Christian city. But the next day, during peace negotiations, the townspeople suddenly made a bold foray. Then the king stood at the head of his army, drove the enemies back into the city, captured the gates and carried out harsh judgment on the vanquished. Until the evening, robberies, murders and violence against women were rampant in the city. Finally, Richard managed to restore order.

Due to the late time, the continuation of the campaign was postponed until next year. This multi-month delay had a very bad effect on the relationship between the two monarchs: Every now and then minor clashes occurred between them, and if in the fall of 1190 they arrived in Sicily as intimate friends, then in the spring of the next year they left it as almost outright enemies. Philip went straight to Syria, and Richard made a forced stop in Cyprus. It so happened that due to a storm, some of the English ships were washed ashore on this island. Emperor Isaac Comnenus, who ruled Cyprus, took possession of them on the basis of coastal law. But on May 6, the entire crusader fleet entered the harbor of Limassol. The king demanded satisfaction from Isaac, and when he refused, he immediately attacked him. The galleys of the crusaders approached the shore, and the knights immediately began the battle. Richard, along with others, boldly jumped into the water, and then was the first to enter the enemy shore. The battle, however, did not last long - the Greeks could not withstand the blow and retreated. The next day the battle resumed outside Limassol, but was just as unsuccessful for the Greeks. As the day before, Richard was ahead of the attackers and most distinguished himself by his valor. They write that he captured the banner of Isaac and even knocked the emperor himself off his horse with a blow of a spear. On May 12, the king’s wedding to Berengaria was celebrated with great pomp in the conquered city. Isaac, meanwhile, realized his mistakes and began negotiations with Richard. The conditions of reconciliation were very difficult for him: in addition to a large ransom, Isaac had to open all his fortresses to the crusaders and send auxiliary troops to participate in the crusade. With all this, Richard has not yet encroached on his power - the emperor himself gave the reason for events to take a worse turn for him. After all matters seemed settled, Isaac suddenly fled to Famagusta and accused Richard of encroaching on his life. The angry king declared Komnenos an oathbreaker, a violator of the peace, and instructed his fleet to guard the shores so that he would not escape. He himself first of all captured Famagusta, and then moved to Nicosia. On the way to Tremifussia, another battle took place. Having won his third victory, Richard solemnly entered the capital. Here he was detained for some time by illness. Meanwhile, the crusaders, led by King Guido of Jerusalem, took the strongest castles in the mountains of Cyprus. Among other captives, Isaac's only daughter was captured. Broken by all these failures, the emperor surrendered to the victors on May 31. The only condition of the deposed monarch was the request not to burden him with iron chains. But this did not make his fate any easier, because Richard ordered him to be shackled in silver and exiled to one of the Syrian castles. Thus, as a result of a successful 25-day war, Richard became the owner of a rich and prosperous island. He left half of their property to the inhabitants, and used the other half for the formation of fiefs to the knighthood, which was supposed to take upon itself the defense of the country. Having placed his garrisons in all cities and castles, he sailed to Syria on June 5. Three days later he was already in the Christian camp under the walls of besieged Akkon.

With the arrival of the British, siege work began to boil with renewed vigor. IN short term towers, rams and catapults were built. Under protective roofs and through tunnels, the crusaders approached the enemy’s very fortifications. Soon battle broke out everywhere around the breaches. The position of the townspeople became hopeless, and on July 11 they entered into negotiations with the Christian kings for the surrender of the city. Muslims had to promise that the Sultan would release all Christian captives and return the Life-Giving Cross. The garrison had the right to return to Saladin, but part of it, including one hundred noble people, had to remain hostages until the Sultan paid the Christians 200 thousand ducats. The next day, the crusaders solemnly entered the city, which they had been besieging for two years. The joy of victory, however, was overshadowed by strong discord that immediately broke out between the leaders of the crusaders. The dispute arose over the candidacy of the king of Jerusalem. Richard believed that he should remain Guido Lusignan. But many Palestinian Christians could not forgive him for the fall of Jerusalem and preferred the hero of the defense of Tyre, Margrave Conrad of Montferrat. Philip Augustus was also entirely on his side. This discord was superimposed by another loud scandal associated with the Austrian banner. As can be inferred from the conflicting reports of this incident, shortly after the fall of the city, Duke Leopold of Austria ordered the Austrian standard to be raised above his house. Seeing this flag, Richard became furious and ordered it to be torn off and thrown into the mud. His anger was apparently caused by the fact that Leopold occupied a house in the English part of the city, while he was an ally of Philip. But be that as it may, this incident outraged all the crusaders, and they could not forget about it for a long time. At the end of July, Philip, as well as many French pilgrims, left the Holy Land and began their return journey.

This weakened the forces of the crusaders, while the most difficult part of the war - for the return of Jerusalem - had not yet begun. True, with the departure of Philip, internal strife among Christians should have subsided, since Richard now remained the only leader of the crusader army. However, it was not clear how up to this difficult role he was. Many considered him a capricious and unbridled man, and he himself, with his first orders, confirmed this unfavorable opinion of himself. The Sultan could not fulfill the conditions imposed on him by Akkon’s capitulation as quickly as he was obliged to: release all captured Christians and pay 200 thousand ducats. Because of this, Richard became immensely angry and immediately, after the deadline agreed upon by Saladin - August 20 - had passed, he ordered more than 2 thousand Muslim hostages to be taken out and slaughtered in front of the gates of Akkon. Of course, after this the money was not paid at all, not a single captured Christian received freedom, and Life-giving Cross remained in the hands of the Muslims: Three days after this massacre, Richard set out from Accon at the head of a large number of crusaders. Ascalon was chosen as the goal of the campaign this time. Saladin tried to block the road. On September 7, a fierce battle took place near Arzuf, ending in a brilliant victory for the Christians. Richard was in the thick of the battle and contributed greatly to the success with his spear. A few days later, the pilgrims arrived in the destroyed Joppe and stopped here to rest. Saladin took advantage of their delay to completely destroy Ascalon, which he now had no hope of holding. The news of this upset all the plans of the crusaders. Some of them began to restore Joppe, others occupied the ruins of Ramle and Lydda. Richard himself participated in many skirmishes and often risked his life unnecessarily. At the same time, lively negotiations began between him and Saladin, which, however, did not lead to any results. In the winter of 1192, the king announced a campaign against Jerusalem. However, the crusaders only reached Beitnub. They had to turn back because of rumors of strong fortifications around the Holy City. In the end, they returned to their original goal and, in severe bad weather - through storm and rain - moved towards Ascalon. This, until recently flourishing and rich city, appeared before the eyes of the pilgrims in the form of a deserted heap of stones. The Crusaders zealously began to restore it. Richard encouraged the workers with cash gifts and to show everyone good example, he himself carried stones on his shoulders. Ramparts, towers and houses were erected from terrible debris with extraordinary speed. In May, Richard took Daruma, a strong fortress south of Ascalon, by storm. After this, it was decided to move on to Jerusalem again. But, like last time, the crusaders only reached Beitnub. Here the army stopped for several weeks. Heated debates ensued between the leaders of the campaign about whether it was advisable or not to now begin the siege of such a powerful fortress, or whether it was better to move to Damascus or Egypt. Due to disagreements, the campaign had to be postponed. Pilgrims began to leave Palestine. In August, news arrived of Saladin's attack on Joppe. With the speed of lightning, Richard gathered the remaining military forces at hand and sailed to Joppe. In the harbor, ahead of his men, he jumped from the ship into the water in order to reach the shore without delay. This not only saved the citadel, but also recaptured the city from the enemy. A few days later, Saladin tried again with superior forces to capture and crush the king’s small detachment. A battle took place near Joppe and in the city itself, the outcome of which fluctuated for a long time, now in one direction or the other. Richard showed himself not only to be strong, brave and persistent, but also a reasonable commander, so that he not only held his positions, but also inflicted heavy losses on the enemies. The victory allowed negotiations to begin. Bad news came from England about the autocratic actions of the younger brother of King John the Landless. Richard rushed home with restless haste, and this prompted him to make concessions. According to the agreement concluded in September, Jerusalem remained in the power of the Muslims, the Holy Cross was not issued; The captured Christians were left to their bitter fate in the hands of Saladin, Ascalon was to be razed by workers on both sides. This outcome of the campaign filled the hearts of Christians with grief and rage, but there was nothing to be done.

After concluding an agreement with Saladin, Richard lived in Akko for several weeks and sailed home at the beginning of October. This journey presented great difficulty for him. Apart from the sea route around Europe, which he obviously wanted to avoid, almost all other roads were closed to him. The sovereigns and peoples of Germany were for the most part hostile to Richard. His outspoken enemy was Duke Leopold of Austria. The German emperor Henry VI was Richard's opponent because of the close relations of the English king with the Guelphs and Normans, the main enemies of the Hohenstaufen family. However, despite this, Richard decided to sail up the Adriatic Sea, apparently intending to go through southern Germany to Saxony under the protection of the Welfs. Near the coast between Aquileia and Venice, his ship ran aground. Richard left the sea with a few escorts and, in disguise, rode through Friaul and Carinthia. Duke Leopold soon became aware of his movement. Many of Richard's companions were captured, and with one servant he reached the village of Erdberg near Vienna. The elegant appearance of his servant and the foreign money with which he made purchases attracted the attention of the local residents. On December 21, Richard was captured and imprisoned in Dürenstein Castle.

As soon as news of Richard's arrest reached the emperor, he immediately demanded his extradition. Leopold agreed after they promised to pay him 50 thousand marks of silver. After this, the English king became Henry's prisoner for more than a year. He bought his freedom only after he took the feal oath to the emperor and promised to pay a ransom of 150 thousand marks of silver. In February 1194, Richard was released, and in mid-March he landed on the English coast. John's supporters did not dare to confront him and soon laid down their arms. London greeted its king with magnificent celebrations. But after two months he left England forever and sailed to Normandy. In Lizo, John appeared before him, whose unseemly behavior during the absence of his elder brother bordered on outright treason. Richard, however, forgave him for all his crimes.

In the king's absence, Philip II achieved some dominance over the English on the continent. Richard hastened to correct the situation. He took Loches, one of the main fortresses of Touraine, captured Angoulême and forced the submission of the inveterate rebel Count of Angoulême. The following year Richard marched to Berry and was so successful there that he forced Philip to sign a peace. The French had to give up eastern Normandy, but retained several important castles on the Seine. Therefore, the agreement could not be durable. In 1198, Richard returned the Norman border possessions, and then approached the castle of Chalus-Chabrol in Limousin, the owner of which was exposed in a secret relationship with the French king. On March 26, 1199, after dinner, at dusk, Richard went to the castle without armor, protected only by a helmet. During the battle, a crossbow arrow pierced the king deeply into the shoulder, next to cervical spine spine. Without showing that he was wounded, Richard galloped to his camp. Not a single important organ was affected, but as a result of the unsuccessful operation, blood poisoning began. After being ill for eleven days, the king died.

All the monarchs of the world. Western Europe. Konstantin Ryzhov. Moscow, 1999.

Richard I (1157–1199), nicknamed Lion's Heart, French Coeur de Lion, king England, third son of Henry II. Born in Oxford on September 8, 1157. In 1170 he became Duke of Aquitaine, in 1175–1179 he brought the rebellious barons to submission and subjugated the duchy to his authority. From 1173 to 1189 he waged continuous wars against his father in alliance with his brothers, then against his brothers and against the king of France. Since by the time of his father's death in 1189 his two older brothers had already died, Richard became king of England. However, already in December 1190 he set off on the 3rd Crusade. After a winter in Sicily, Richard captured Cyprus, where he married Berengaria of Navarre. Largely thanks to the personal courage Richard showed during the siege of Acre, this city was taken. In 1191, Richard defeated Saladin at Arzuf and approached Jerusalem. However, he quarreled with his allies - Duke Leopold V of Austria and King Philip II Augustus of France (who left the Holy Land for France and began active actions against English possessions), and his brother John rebelled in England. As a result of these reasons, Richard concluded a truce with Salah ad-din and went home. In Vienna, Richard was captured by Leopold (he was mortally insulted by Richard, who ordered Leopold’s banner, which he had strengthened on one of the towers of Acre, to be torn down and thrown into the mud), and he handed it over to Emperor Henry VI. As a result, Richard had to spend more than a year in captivity until he paid a large ransom for his release. Arriving in England, he remained here for several weeks, and spent the rest of his reign in France, in the fight against Philip Augustus. Richard died from an accidental arrow shot at him during the siege of the Chalu fortress on April 6, 1199, undertaken for personal reasons (dividing a treasure of gold).

Materials from the encyclopedia "The World Around Us" were used.

Read further:

England in the 12th century(chronological table).

Plantagenet Dynasty(family tree).

Historical figures of England(biographical index).

Literature on British history(lists).

British History Course Syllabus(methodology).

Literature:

England in the era of feudalism. M., 1988

Chronicles and memorials of the reign of Richard I, ed. by W. Stubbs, v. 1-2, L., 1864-65;

Landon L., The itinerary of King Richard I, L., 1935.

1. Richard is the third son of King Henry II Plantagenet of England and his wife, Duchess Alienora of Aquitaine. Richard had very little chance of becoming king, but the early deaths of his older brothers (William (1152-1156), Henry died of dysentery at the age of 28 (1155-1183), as well as the younger Geoffrey (1158-1186), simplified his rise to the throne power after the death of his father.

2. Perhaps it was precisely the fact that he was the youngest and was not intended to be an heir that strengthened Richard’s knightly upbringing - he turned out to be a useless king, but a famous knight.

3. He also had another nickname (not as famous as Lionheart) - Richard Yes-e-No (Oc. N Oc-e-No), which meant that he was easily swayed in one direction or another.

4. Richard was well educated (he wrote poetry in French and Occitan) and very attractive - estimated to be 1 meter 93 centimeters tall, with blue eyes and blond hair.

5. Most of all, he loved to fight - from childhood he showed remarkable political and military abilities, was famous for his courage, and knew how to prevail over aristocrats in his lands.

6. During his lifetime he was compared (and continues to be compared) with Achilles. And the comparison is justified in one most important point - fame. Fame attracted him. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard's mother, wrote to the Pope: “While my son, like Achilles, fought under the walls of Accra...” This is where this comparison comes from!

7. The marriage with Berengaria of Navarre was fruitless; he had many extramarital affairs with women. Illegitimate son - Philip de Falconbridge (1175-1204), lord of Cognac from a relationship with NN. Richard the Lionheart followed his fortunes and blessed the union of his illegitimate son Philip de Falconbridge with Amelia de Cognac in 1190.

8. Received the nickname Lionheart during the Third Crusade in 1190. Cyprus, captured by Richard in 1191, was needed to maintain Frankish possessions in Palestine for another century.

9. Some of Richard's military exploits made him one of the most prominent figures in medieval history and literature, along with Roland and King Arthur. Contemporaries, however, even suspected him of treason and betrayal; Muslims reproached him for excessive cruelty.

10. Didn't speak English. During the 10 years of his reign, he spent less than six months in England and treated the army as a source of income. Governance of the country has been reduced to extorting taxes, trade state lands, fasting and other “preparation” for the Crusade.

11. Had many enemies. While returning to Europe, Richard was recognized, captured and imprisoned, where he remained for about two years. He was ransomed for a lot of money; his mother took an active part in the release of her son.

12. During the siege of the Chalus-Chabrol castle in Limousin on March 26, 1199, a crossbow bolt pierced his shoulder near the neck. The operation was unsuccessful, gangrene and sepsis developed. Eleven days later, on April 6, Richard died in the arms of his mother and wife - in full accordance with the heroism of his life.

13. The wounded Richard ordered the French knight Pierre Basil, who mortally wounded the king, not to be executed and even to pay him 100 shillings. After the death of the king and the capture of the castle of Chalu, Basil was flayed and then hanged.

Registration number 0107054 issued for the work:

1. Richard is the third son of King Henry II Plantagenet of England and his wife, Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine. Richard had very little chance of becoming king, but the early deaths of his older brothers (William (1152-1156), Henry died of dysentery at the age of 28 (1155-1183), as well as the younger Geoffrey (1158-1186), simplified his rise to the throne power after the death of his father.
2. Perhaps it was precisely the fact that he was the youngest and not intended to be an heir that strengthened Richard’s knightly upbringing - he turned out to be a useless king, but a famous knight.
3. He also had another nickname (not as famous as Lionheart) - Richard Yes-e-No (Oc. N Oc-e-No), which meant that he was easily swayed in one direction or another.
4. Richard was well educated (he wrote poetry in French and Occitan) and very attractive - estimated to be 1 meter 93 centimeters tall, with blue eyes and blond hair.
5. Most of all, he loved to fight - from childhood he showed remarkable political and military abilities, was famous for his courage, and knew how to prevail over aristocrats in his lands.
6. During his lifetime he was compared (and continues to be compared) with Achilles. And the comparison is justified in one most important point - fame. Fame attracted him. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard's mother, wrote to the Pope: “While my son, like Achilles, fought under the walls of Accra...” This is where this comparison comes from!
7. The marriage with Berengaria of Navarre was fruitless; he had many extramarital affairs with women. Illegitimate son - Philip de Falconbridge (1175-1204), lord of Cognac from a relationship with NN. Richard the Lionheart followed his fortunes and blessed the union of his illegitimate son Philip de Falconbridge with Amelia de Cognac in 1190.
8. He received the nickname Lionheart during the Third Crusade in 1190. Cyprus, captured by Richard in 1191, was needed to maintain Frankish possessions in Palestine for another century.
9. Some of Richard's military exploits made him one of the most prominent figures in medieval history and literature, along with Roland and King Arthur. Contemporaries, however, even suspected him of treason and betrayal; Muslims reproached him for excessive cruelty.
10. Didn't speak English. During the 10 years of his reign, he spent less than six months in England and treated the army as a source of income. Managing the country was reduced to extracting taxes, trading in state lands, posts and other “preparations” for the Crusade.
11. Had many enemies. While returning to Europe, Richard was recognized, captured and imprisoned, where he remained for about two years. He was ransomed for a lot of money; his mother took an active part in the release of her son.
12. During the siege of the castle of Chalus-Chabrol in Limousin on March 26, 1199, a crossbow bolt pierced his shoulder near the neck. The operation was unsuccessful, gangrene and sepsis developed. Eleven days later, on April 6, Richard died in the arms of his mother and wife - in full accordance with the heroism of his life.
13. The wounded Richard ordered the French knight Pierre Basil, who mortally wounded the king, not to be executed and even to pay him 100 shillings. After the death of the king and the capture of the castle of Chalu, Basil was flayed and then hanged.

Richard the Lionheart, son of Henry II Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine, was born on September 8, 1157. Initially, Richard was not considered as a direct heir to the throne, which to a certain extent influenced the formation of his character. In 1172, Richard was proclaimed Duke of Aquitaine, which forced the future king to fully taste all the delights of feudal civil strife. Very soon, the classic petty feudal strife was supplemented by a confrontation with his own father and brother. In 1183, Richard was faced with a difficult choice: to swear allegiance to his elder brother and completely lose political independence, or to choose the path of an independent ruler. Richard chose the latter. In response to the insolence, Richard's elder brother Henry invaded his domain, but soon fell ill and died. Despite what happened between the children, Richard's father Henry II ordered him to give Aquitaine to his younger brother John. Richard opposed his father's will and escalated the conflict, during which a real war broke out between him and his younger brothers Geoffrey and John. Realizing the ugly essence of what was happening, which threatened to develop into an absurd fratricide, King Henry II decided to end the fraternal dispute over the lands of the duchy, transferring it into the possession of Richard’s mother. Despite the relative reconciliation, good family relations in Richard’s family could not be restored. The reason for this was rumors that Henry II, in violation of customs, intended to transfer power to his youngest son John.

Discord in English royal family The French king hastened to take advantage. In 1187, he showed Richard the text of his father’s secret message, in which Henry II asked Philip’s permission to marry his (Philip’s) sister Alice (previously betrothed to Richard) to John, and then transfer the Angevin and Aquitaine duchies into his possession.

So a new conflict was brewing in the royal family, which eventually forced Richard to oppose his father. In 1189, in alliance with the French king, Richard began an open confrontation with his father, as a result of which Henry II lost all continental possessions except Normandy. Already in the summer of 1189, Henry II surrendered all his positions, after which he died.

On September 3, 1189, Richard was crowned in Westminster Abbey. Having gained power, Richard began preparations for the Third Crusade, organized with the blessing of Pope Clement III. In addition to Richard, the German Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and the French King Philip II Augustus took part in this campaign.

Richard I convinced the French king of the advantages of the sea route to the Holy Land, which saved the crusaders from many troubles. The campaign began in the spring of 1190, at which time the crusaders went through France and Burgundy to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. At the beginning of July, a meeting between Richard of England and the French king Philip Augustus took place in Wezelay. The monarchs and their warriors, having greeted each other, continued their journey together for a while. However, from Lyon the French crusaders moved towards Genoa, and Richard went to Marseille.

Having boarded the ships, the British began their march to the east, and on September 23 they made their first stop in Messina in Sicily. However, they had to delay due to the hostility of the local population. The inhabitants of Sicily not only showered the crusaders with ridicule and harsh abuse, but also did not miss the opportunity to attack and brutally reprisal unarmed crusaders. On October 3, a minor clash in the market served as a pretext for a real war. Having quickly armed themselves, the townspeople prepared for battle, positioning themselves on the towers and walls of the city. Despite the fact that Richard tried to prevent the destruction of the Christian city, the British decided to storm it. And after the foray undertaken by the townspeople the next day, the king led his army, and the English, having driven the enemy back into the city, captured the gates and treated the vanquished harshly.

This delay forced the campaign to be postponed until next year, which also had a bad effect on the relationship between the two monarchs. Minor clashes arose between them from time to time, and eventually they left Sicily, having finally quarreled. Philip moved directly to Syria, and Richard had to make another stop in Cyprus.

The fact is that during a storm, some of the English ships were washed ashore by the raging waves on the Cretan coast. The ruler of Cyprus, Emperor Isaac Komnenos, appropriated them, relying on coastal law, which was formally on his side. Of course, this was not to the liking of the crusaders who landed in Cyprus on May 6, 1191. The battle began, but the Greeks quickly retreated, unable to withstand the blow. The battle was resumed the next day, Richard fought bravely in the front row, he even managed to capture the banner of Isaac, knocking the emperor himself off his horse with a blow of a spear. As in the previous battle, the Greeks were defeated.

Less than a week later, on May 12, the wedding of King Richard and Berengaria of Navarre took place in the captured city. Meanwhile, Isaac, realizing his own miscalculations, began negotiations with Richard. The terms of the peace treaty obligated Isaac not only to pay an indemnity, but also to open all fortresses to the crusaders, and the Greeks also had to field auxiliary troops for the crusade.

However, Richard did not intend to deprive Isaac of imperial power until Isaac fled to Famagusta, accusing Richard of encroaching on his life. Angered by Comnenus' treachery, the king ordered the fleet to guard the shores so that Isaac would not escape again. After this, Richard sent an army to Famagusta, capturing which he went to Nicosia. On the way, another battle took place at Tremifussia, after the victory in which Richard I solemnly entered the capital, where illness delayed him for some time.

At this time, in the mountains of Cyprus, the crusaders under the command of the Jerusalem king Guido captured the strongest castles, and among the captives was the only daughter of Isaac. Under the weight of all these failures, on May 31, the emperor surrendered to the mercy of the victors. Thus, in less than a month of war, Richard captured the island of Crete, the strategic importance of which is difficult to overestimate even today.

Richard's further journey lay in Syria. At the beginning of July, Richard arrived at the location of the siege camp under the walls of the city of Acre. With the arrival of Richard's knights, the siege of the city intensified. Gaps were made in the walls of the city, and on July 11 the besieged agreed to negotiate the surrender of the city. The very next day the knights entered the city, which had been under siege for two years.

The victory gave rise to controversy among the crusaders. The question arose as to who should become king of Jerusalem. Each of the allies proposed their own candidacy and did not want to give in. The general triumph was overshadowed by the scandalous episode with the Austrian banner. Most historians describe it this way. After the capture of Acre, by order of the Austrian Duke Leopold, the Austrian standard was raised above his house. Seeing this, Richard became angry and ordered the banner to be torn down and thrown into the mud. The fact is that Leopold was located in a house in the English occupation sector. The result of the scandal that erupted was the departure of a significant part of the crusaders on the return journey. With their departure, Richard became the sole commander of the crusader army.

Now about why Richard I of England received his sonorous and romantic nickname. At first glance, the nickname “Lionheart” indicates the royal courage of its bearer and was given for some brave feat. However, this is absolutely not true. Richard was known as an extremely cruel and angry leader to the point of unbridledness and even absurdity. At the capitulation of Acre, Saladin was given conditions: to release all captured crusaders and pay an indemnity of 200 thousand gold marks. Saladin did not refuse to fulfill these demands, but did not meet the pre-agreed deadline. Upon learning of this, Richard became furious and ordered the execution of about 2,000 Muslim hostages in front of the gates of Acre. For this truly bestial cruelty, which, among other things, doomed many captive Christians to a similar fate, Richard I of England received his famous nickname “Lionheart”. In addition, one of the main Christian shrines, the Life-Giving Cross, remained in the hands of Muslims.

Soon Richard decides to launch an attack on Jerusalem. Having gathered an army of 50 thousand crusaders, he set out on a campaign. It was during the Jerusalem campaign that Richard’s military genius was fully revealed, combining the talent of a military strategist and the greatest organizer, who managed to unite under his banners a diverse crowd of knights accustomed to feudal strife.

The campaign was organized in the most strict manner. Richard categorically forbade his soldiers to engage in minor skirmishes and thereby follow the lead of the enemy, who was trying to disrupt the marching formation of the crusaders. To repel the threat posed by Muslim horse archers, Richard ordered the organization of reliable security from crossbowmen.

The most notable combat episode during the march of Richard's army to Jerusalem took place on September 7, 1191 at settlement Arzufa. Saladin ambushed and attacked the rear of Richard's column. At first, Richard ordered the rearguard not to respond and to continue the march. Some time later, an organized counterattack of the crusaders followed, which determined the outcome of the battle within a few minutes. The Crusaders' losses amounted to 700 people, while Saladin's Mamelukes lost ten times as many killed - 7,000 soldiers. After this, Saladin no longer entered into open battle with Richard's knights.

However, minor skirmishes between the Crusaders and the Mamelukes continued. Simultaneously with the sluggish fighting, Saladin and Richard conducted negotiations, which, however, ended in nothing, and in the winter of 1192 Richard resumed his campaign against Jerusalem. However, this time the campaign was not completed; the crusaders returned to Askelon, restoring the destroyed city and making it a powerful fortress.

In May 1192, Richard took Daruma, a powerful fortification south of Askelon, after which he again marched on Jerusalem. But this time the campaign ended at Beitnub. The reason for this was the doubts of the leaders of the crusaders about the advisability of the future assault on Jerusalem. Proposals were made to turn to Egypt or Damascus. Be that as it may, the crusaders began to gradually leave Palestine.

According to the treaty signed by the opponents in September, Jerusalem and the True Cross remained with the Muslims, the fate of the captured crusaders was also in the hands of Saladin, and the crusader fortress of Askelon was dismantled. All of Richard's military successes in the region were practically reduced to zero.

After the treaty was concluded, Richard sailed to England. And then he remembered old grievances. The hunt for Richard was started by his sworn enemy, the Austrian Duke Leopold. In addition, due to the fact that Richard maintained close relations with the Welfs and Normans, longtime enemies of the Hohenstaufens, the German Emperor Henry VI also became Richard’s enemy.

Richard's ship ran aground off the Italian coast and he was forced to go ashore. Duke Leopold soon found out about this, and on December 21, 1192, Richard was arrested.

The German Emperor Henry VI learned of Richard's capture, and Duke Leopold handed the prisoner over to him. Richard was forced to take the feal oath to Henry VI and only after that was he released. In March 1194 he finally reached England. London greeted the king with celebrations. However, without staying in England even until the summer, Richard, who initially preferred to engage in war rather than public administration, departed for Normandy.

During the years of Richard's wanderings, King Philip II of France managed to significantly push back the British on the continent. Richard was impatient to confuse the cards for the French. During the Norman expedition, Richard managed to win several major victories and take a number of fortresses. Philip had to sign a peace under which the French were deprived of eastern Normandy. However, behind them there were still several strategically important fortresses on the Seine. On March 26, 1199, during the siege of the castle of Chalus-Chabrol, Richard was seriously wounded by a crossbow arrow. And although the arrow did not hit any important organ, the wound and further surgery resulted in blood poisoning, which became the cause of his death. King Richard I of England the Lionheart died 813 years ago - April 6, 1199.

Image of the English king Richard I the Lionheart covered with an aura of romance and courage. His name was often mentioned in medieval epic as a hero of legends and novels. But if we look at history, everything turns out to be not so rosy. And the king received the nickname “Lionheart” not for his outstanding courage, but for his incredible cruelty.

The English king became the hero of numerous literary works. So, in the novels of the 14th-15th centuries, his image is almost ideal. Allegedly, in a fight with a lion, Richard put his hand into its mouth and tore out its pulsating heart. But in fact, he was nicknamed “Lionheart” for a completely different reason.

Another nickname for the king was Richard Yes-and-No. This is a kind of ridicule from his subjects for the fact that he often changed his decisions, being influenced from outside.

According to legend, at first no one knew that Richard was languishing in captivity. But one day the troubadour Blondel passed by the prison and hummed a song composed by the English king. And then suddenly a voice was heard from the prison window, singing along with him.

The emperor asked for 150 thousand marks for the king's ransom. This amount amounted to the taxes of the British for two years. The first to rush to the king's rescue was Alienor of Aquitaine. She ordered a quarter of their income to be collected from people. The English medieval historian William of Newburgh wrote that after the release of Richard, Emperor Henry VI lamented that he had not left “a strong tyrant, truly threatening the whole world” to languish in prison.

The king's mother herself lived a long life.

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Richard the Lionheart died relatively young, and the circumstances of his death became one of the mysteries of the Middle Ages.

Richard I Plantagenet remained on the English throne for ten years, from 1189 to 1199. Of course, there were many English kings who ruled even less, but still, a decade is usually considered too insignificant a period of time for a statesman, a ruler, to achieve something grandiose. However, Richard, nicknamed the Lionheart, managed to achieve truly immortal fame as a knight king, and his shortcomings only set off his valor.

UNSUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN

As you know, Richard the Lionheart had a difficult relationship with the French king Philip II. They were already difficult due to the complex dynastic and vassal situation in the relationship between the two kings (Richard was also the Duke of Aquitaine, and this territory was a vassal territory to France). And they were also worsened by the unsuccessful experience of the joint Third Crusade.

Richard and his younger brother John (John)

As a result, Philip II began to actively campaign for Richard's younger brother, John (John), to overthrow him from the English throne, and the Lionheart, after returning from the Holy Land, began a war against France. As a result, the victory remained with Richard, and in January 1199 peace was concluded on terms favorable to him.

GOLDEN TREASURE

But Richard did not have time to return to England: a situation arose on French territory that required the presence of him and his army. His vassal, Viscount Eimard of Limoges, according to some sources, discovered a rich treasure of gold on his lands (presumably an ancient Roman pagan altar with offerings).

According to the laws of that time, Richard as lord should also receive a certain part. However, the Viscount did not want to share the precious find, so Richard and his army had to besiege the castle of his vassal, Chalus-Chabrol.

DEATH IN FRANCE

It was here that Richard’s unexpected death overtook him. According to medieval chronicles, on March 26, 1199, the assault had not yet begun, and the king and his entourage were driving around the surroundings of the castle, choosing the most comfortable spot, where to go for the attack. They were not afraid of the arrows of the besieged, since they were at a decent distance.

However, among the defenders of the castle there was a crossbowman, and a crossbow bolt fired at random by him wounded Richard (according to various sources, in the arm, shoulder or neck). The king was taken to the camp and the bolt was removed, but Lionheart died from the consequences of his wound on April 6.

POISON OR INFECTION?

Almost all sources telling about the circumstances of the death of the famous knight king focus on the point that Richard’s wound itself was not fatal, but its consequences turned out to be fatal.

In the Middle Ages, a version became widespread that the crossbow bolt fired at the king was smeared with poison - by that time, European knights had already been fighting the Saracens in the Middle East for about a century, from whom they adopted this military trick.

CAUSE OF DEATH

In 2012, a group of French scientists received permission to study the "remains of Richard the Lionheart" to determine the exact cause of his death. More precisely, not all the remains of the king were subjected to comprehensive analysis, but a piece of his heart kept in the Rouen Cathedral.

Since, according to the king's will, parts of his body were buried in different places: brain and entrails, heart, body. In the end, thanks chemical analyzes, which required only one percent of the king's stored heart samples, it was established that no poison entered Richard's wound.

The King Knight died from an infection resulting from blood poisoning. In fact, it was blood poisoning that was the main cause of death of wounded soldiers in the Middle Ages, when both the level of medical knowledge and the level of ideas about hygiene in Europe was not high enough.

WHO KILLED RICHARD?

And if the question of the immediate cause of the death of the Lionheart seems to have been clarified, then the problem of the identity of his killer and the fate of this man remains in the fog. The following is more or less certain: the castle of Chalus-Chabrol was poorly adapted to warfare, so that at the start of the siege there were only two knights in it (the rest of the garrison were simple warriors).

Remains of Chalus-Chabrol Castle

The English knew the two knights well by sight, since they led the defense directly on the fortress walls. The besiegers especially noted one of them, as they mocked the homemade armor of this knight, whose shield was made from a frying pan.

BLOOD REVENGE

However, it was this knight who fired the fatal crossbow shot for Richard, so that the entire English camp knew who exactly wounded the king. The castle was captured even before the death of the Lionheart, who allegedly ordered the knight who wounded him to be brought to him.

Having learned that the knight shot at him because the king had once killed his relatives, Richard ordered not to punish him, but to release him and even give him a monetary reward for marksmanship. But, as most sources report, after the death of the king, the knight was not released, but was executed by a painful death - he was skinned alive and then hanged.

AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY

However, many questions still remain: they are called various options The name of this knight is Pierre Basil, Bertrand de Gudrun, John Sebroz. But the fact is that the knights Pierre Basil and Bertrand de Gudrun are mentioned years and even decades after the death of Richard: the first appeared in documents on the transfer of property to the heirs, the second participated in the Albigensian Wars. So who exactly became the killer of one of the most famous kings of the Middle Ages and what the fate of this man was is still unclear.