RICHARD I 1189 - 1199
(Richard the Lion-Heart)
Born 1156. - Married Berengaria of Navarre, daughter of Sanchez, king of Navarre: no children.
- Began to reign, 1189. Reigned 10 years. - Died 1199.
DOMINIONS Richard succeeded to all his father's dominions,
but in the first year of his reign he gave up the castles in Scotland, and released the Scotch king, William, from
the precise feudal homage for his kingdom, extorted by Henry II. in return for money for the Crusade. During his
crusade and captivity the French took possession of parts of his dominions, which he recovered on regaining his
freedom. In 1193 he received from the Emperor Henry VI. the crown of Burgundy, that is, roughly the country from
Franche Comte southward to the Mediterranean, bonded on the west by the Saone and Rhone and on the east by the
Alps. This was a nominal kingdom only, but might easily
bare become more real had Richard, lord of Aquitaine and overlord of Auvergne, lived to put the alliance of his
nephew Otto, the Emperor-elect, the Flemish and Low Country Germans, and the Count of Champagne, into action against
the French king. The family quarrels of Henry II's reign, the absence and captivity, and finally the premature
death of Richard, destroyed the great Angevin dominion and hastened the separate development of both France and
England.
PRINCIPAL EVENTS.
| 1186. | Prince Geoffrey the fourth son of Henry II.died. |
| 1189. | Richard's coronation, (September 3rd) marked by a fearful massacre of the Jews. |
| 1190-92 | Preparations for the third Crusade |
| 1190. | Emperor, Frederick I. drowned (June 10th) |
| 1191. | Appoints his mother regent, and joins the third Crusade. |
| Richard married the daughter of the king of Navarre. | |
| 1192. | Capture of Jean d' Acre, |
| Peace with the Sultan Saladin | |
| The same year, Richard, on his return from Palestine, was made prisoner by Leopold, duke of Austria. Aided by Louis, king of France, Richard's brother John attempted to seize the crown; | |
| 1193. | March 4th Saladin died fifty-seven years old. |
| 1194. | Richard was ransomed, and returned to his kingdom. Richard declared war against France, which continued during the remainder |
| of his reign without any decisive results. | |
| 1195-97 | The fourth Crusade |
| 1196. | Because of the heavy taxes, needed to support the French war, a riot took place in London excited by one William Fitz-Osbert, |
| surnamed Longbeard. | |
| 1199. | A five year truce with France (January 13th) |
| 6th April Richard I. died from the effects of his wound received during the besieging of the castle of Chaluz, in Poitou. |
Richard I., King of England, surnamed Coeur de Lion, third (Prince William having died in 1156, and the second son, Prince Henry in 1183, after his rebellion.) son of Henry II. and Eleanor of Aquitaine, born at Oxford in 1157. He several times rebelled against his father, and supported by the King of France, defeated the forces of Henry, who was compelled to acknowledge Richard as his heir. On Henry's death at Chinon, Richard sailed to England 13th August 1189, and was crowned at Westminster September 3rd 1189.
For many years there had been struggles between the Turks and the Christians, and for about a hundred years the Christians had held Jerusalem; but the news reached Europe that a great Turkish leader, Saladin, had captured the city. Richard I. succeeded Henry II at a time when plans to overthrow the Saracens (Turks), were made for the third Crusade, the object of which was to recapture Jerusalem.The principal events of his reign are connected with the third crusade, in which he took part, uniting his forces with Germany, led by the Emperor Frederick; and Philip of France
Money was to play a very important part in financing the expedition, and Richard sold many of his possessions,
including some of the Crown Jewels, and even said that he "would have sold London itself if he could have found a purchaser." The German Army went first, traveling by land, because
the Emperor feared to travel by sea. It is rather ironic that he should lose his life, by falling into the river
Selef near Seleucia in Syria, and drown before he reached the Holy Land.
DISASTER AT SEA
Richard and Philip met in France, and decided that they would make the journey by sea. On the 11th December 1189 he set sail for Normandy to raise more funds, and on July 1 1190 joined Philip Augustus of France on the plains of Vezelai. Then he marched to Marseilles; the English ships sailed into the Mediterranean, to join the French ships at Sicily, but unfortunately, were scattered by a great storm, and Richard found himself seeking refuge with a few of his ships on the island of Rhodes. There he learned the news that two of his ships had been wrecked on the island of Cyprus and the crews had been thrown into prison, king Isaac. Richard seized the island, and made Isaac submit and surrender the men who had been imprisoned. in Cyprus on the 12th May 1191 he married the Princess Berengaria of Navarre .
Wherever he went, Richard was renowned for his fighting, and when he arrived at Acre, 10th June 1191, he found that the French and the Germans, who had been there for
about two years, had accomplished nothing. He gave new courage to the Crusaders, who went into battle and soon
captured the town. Saladin fled to Jerusalem, and Richard was delighted, for he thought that at last he would have
the opportunity of capturing the Holy City itself.
However, he was to be disappointed. Things had not gone too favourably for the Crusaders, even the leaders had
squabbled. The King of France, who had never liked Richard because he owned more land
in France than the French King did, found illness the excuse to withdraw from the Crusade. " If Philip think" said Richard " That
a long residence here will be fatal to him, let him go and cover his kingdom in shame."
RICHARD'S STRENGTH AND VALOUR
But Richard was not one to give in easily, he defeated Saladin at Arsoof, September 7th 1191, after which the Saracen destroyed Ascalon. His own strength and valour were sufficient to make his men rally round him and fight to the end. It is said that as he went into battle, wielding his famous battle-axe, the enemy broke before him, and that on one occasion he rescued some of his men almost single handed. His name became a by word among the Moslems, who even told their children that, if they did not behave themselves, King Richard would get them.
Pressing on towards Jerusalem, (January 1192) Richard still hoped to be able to accomplish what he had come out
to do, but day by day it seemed as though he were tackling an almost impossible task. Squabbles among the Crusaders,
lack of good food, dreadful conditions in which to live and move, all told on the gallant little army, until, in
sight of Jerusalem itself, Richard had to admit that he was unable to go on. Moreover, he had learned of disaffection in England, that his brother John in England, and the King
of France, were endeavoring to take away his possessions.
Saladin offered to the Christians peaceable possession of the plains of Judæ, and liberty to perform the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Richard accepted these terms on the 3rd of September with Saladin for three years, three months, three days and three hours, intending after that time to attack the Holy Land again, but this was not to be so.
Richard left Palestine 9th of October 1192 and sailed for the Adriatic. While on his way home again, he was unfortunate to be caught in another storm and driven off his course, which led to his being attacked by pirates, near Aquileia. he was forced to continue his journey home by land. This meant danger, for he had to pass through the lands of his enemy, Leopold of Austria, and he knew that Leopold would be a difficult man to encounter.
On his way home through Germany Richard, disguised himself as a merchant, on a pilgrimage from the Holy Land, he hoped to escape,
but was given away by some of the fine articles which he carried, and fell into the hands of his enemy.
RANSOM On one occasion, Richard had torn down the Austrian
flag and trampled on it,
travelling home through that country he was seized by the Leopold of Austria,
who had succeeded the Emperor Frederick, imprisoned in the castle of Diernstein under
the custody of Hadamar of Cunringand. He was then given as a prisoner to the Emperor Henry VI.who confined him
in the castle of Trifel and demanded a heavy ransom for his safe return.
Richard was not a great
King, he was thoroughly neglectful of his duties as a king, and owes his fame chiefly to his personal bravery,
as a warrior and one who undoubtedly earned for himself the title of the Lion-Heart. However, his reign was to be brought to a sudden end only ten years after he had ascended
the throne. During the war with the King of France, Richard whilst besieging the castle of Chalus was killed by a wound received from a humble bowman.
The story is told of his minstrel, Blondel,
who travelled through Europe to find where the King was, and eventually discovered him through the singing of one
of Richard's favourite songs, and the King, from his dungeon, responding.
During his captivity his
brother John headed an insurrection in England in concert with the King of France, but the ransom money of 100,000
marks of silver was duly raised, and in 1194 Richard returned to England, where he showed his greatness by forgiving
his brother John for his attempt to seize the crown. Richard. Richard then passed over to Normandy, and spent the
rest of his life there in warfare of no decisive character.
He died in April 1199, to be succeeded by King John.
WARS
Richard on his return from captivity was engaged in incessant war with the French king and rebellious vassals abroad. Decisive battles there were none, for the whole course of the war was decided in a contrary direction to that indicated for the moment by Richard's victories over the French king at Fretteval, 1194, and at the bridge of Gisors, 1198. The warfare of the Crusades hardly belongs to English history, but Richard distinguished himself in them as a general as well as a soldier.
Archbishops - Baldwin, d. 1190; Reginald Fitz-Joscelin, trans. from Wells, 1191; see vacant two years; Hubert Walter, trans. from Salisbury, 1193.
Justiciars - Hugh Bishop of Durham, and William de Mandeville, Earl of Essex, 1189; Hugh Bishop of Durham, and William Longchamp, Bishop of Ely, 1190; William Longchamp alone, 1190; Walter of Coutances, Archbishop of Rouen, 1191 - 1193; Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1194 - 1198; Geoffrey Fitz-Peter, Earl of Essex, 1198 - 1199.
Chancellors. - William Longchainp, Bishop of Ely, 1189 - 1197; Eustace, Bishop of Ely, 1197 - 1199.
Constitutionally the officials of Richard's reign are interesting as the first example of really supreme ministers,
owing to the king's absence on the crusade and in captivity. Their rivalry is the first instance of ministerial
struggles and their comparatively orderly government and legal procedure are a strong testimony to the efficacy
of the government established by Henry II
ACTS AND DOCUMENTS
The constitutional monuments of the realm are interesting showing the working of this government. In 1198 one of the earliest occasions of successful opposition to a demand on the part of the king by the great council is found - Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, refusing to furnish the king with knights for the French war to be maintained for a year at the expense of the English tenants in chief, and taking the council with him.
