Name: King Richard I The Lion Heart. Born: 6th September 1157 at

Name: King Richard I The Lion Heart.
Born: 6th September 1157 at Beaumont Place, Oxford.
Parents: Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, House of Angevin.
Ascended to the throne: 6th July 1189, aged 31 years.
Crowned: 2/3 September 1189 at Westminster Abbey.
Married: Berengaria, Daughter of Sancho V of Navarre.
Children: Two illegitimate sons.
Died: 6th April 1199 at Limousin, France, aged 41 years.
Reigned for: 9 years, 8 months, and 30 days.
Succeeded by: his brother John
Richard was the third son of Henry II. He twice rebelled against his father before he became King
of England in 1189, but based himself in his Duchy in Aquitaine inherited from his mother Eleanor.
He spent only six months of his reign in England and spoke only French. He appointed William
Longchamp as Chancellor of England during his absence but he was overthrown by Richard’s
brother John.
Richard acquired a reputation as a leader and warrior becoming known as Richard ‘The Lion Heart’
or ‘Coeur de Lion’. His experience in warfare came from controlling rebellions in Poitou in the
1170s and against his father, Henry II, in 1183. He took up Henry's plans to recover Jerusalem on
his accession in 1189 and set out to establish bases for crusades in Sicily in 1190 and Cyprus, which
he took in 1191. Engaging in the siege of Acre, which he brought to a swift conclusion, he set off
down the coast to Jaffa, conducting a fighting march against Saladin.
In the third Crusade 1191–92 he won victories at Cyprus, Acre, and Arsuf (against Saladin), but
failed to recover Jerusalem. While returning overland he was captured by the Duke of Austria, who
handed him over to the emperor Henry VI. He was held prisoner until a large ransom was raised.
On his release he returned briefly to England, where his brother John had been ruling in his stead.
His later years were spent in warfare in France, where he was killed by a crossbow bolt while
besieging Châlus-Chabrol in 1199. He left no heir.
Timeline for King Richard I The Lion Heart
1189
Richard I becomes King of England upon the death of Henry II.
1189 William Longchamp is appointed Chancellor of England and governs the country during Richard’s
absence abroad.
1189
Richard sets out with Philip of France on the Third Crusade to the Holy Land .
1191
William Longchamp falls from power and Richard’s brother, John, takes over the government.
1191
Richard captures the city of Acre, Palestine, and defeats Saladin at Arsuuf, near Jaffa.
1192
Richard reaches an agreement with Saladin to guarantee Christians safe pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
1192 On his way back to England from Palestine, Richard is captured and handed over to Henry VI,
Emperor of Germany. Henry demands a ransom of 100,000 marks from England for Richard’s release.
1194
The ransom is raised in England. Richard is released from captivity.
1195
Richard returns to England for a brief period, before leaving to fight in France, never to return.
1196
The Assize of Measures standardizes weights including the pound and distance including the yard.
1199
Richard is mortally wounded by an arrow from a crossbow in battle at Chalus, in France.
During his imprisonment, Richard wrote the following song, which was addressed to his half-sister
Marie de Champagne. In the song he complained that his noblemen had not paid a ransom for his
freedom.
Ja nuns hons pris
Mai nessun prigioniero
Ja nuns hons pris ne dira sa raison
A droitement, se dolantement non:
Mais par esfort puet il faire chançon.
Mout ai amis, mais povre sunt li don.
Honte i avront, se por ma reançon
Sui ça deus yvers pris.
Mai nessun prigioniero potrà esprimere
Bene quel che sente, senza lamentarsi:
Ma sforzandosi puo' comporre una canzone.
Ho molti amici, ma poveri sono i loro doni.
Saranno biasimati, se per non darmi riscatto,
Son già due inverni che sono qui prigioniero.
Ce sevent bien mi home e mi baron,
Ynglois, Normanz, Poitevin et Gascon
Que je n'ai nul si povre compaignon
Que je lessaisse, por avoir, en prison.
Je nou di mie por nule rentrançon,
Car encor sui pris.
Ma i miei uomini e i miei baroni,
Inglesi, Normanni, Pittavini e Guasconi,
Sanno bene che non lascerei marcire in prigione
Per denaro neanche l'ultimo dei miei compagni.
E non lo dico certo per rimproverarvi,
Ma perché sono ancora qui prigioniero.
Or sai je bien de voir, certeinnement,
Que je ne pris ne ami, ne parent,
Quant on me faut por or ne por argent.
Mout m'est de moi, mès plus m'est de ma gent;
Qu'après ma mort avront reprochement,
Se longuement sui pris.
Ora so bene, con certezza,
Che un prigioniero non ha più parenti nè amici,
Poiché mi si tradisce per oro o per argento.
Soffro molto per me, ma più per la mia gente,
Poiché, dopo, la mia morte sarà biasimata
Se a lungo resterò prigioniero.
N'est pas mervoille se j'ai le cuer dolant,
Quant mes sires mest ma terre en torment.
S'il li membrast de nostre soirement
Que nos feïsmes andui communement,
Je sai de voir que ja trop longuement
Ne seroie ça pris.
Non c'è da meravigliarsi se ho il cuore dolente,
Dato che il mio Signore tormenta la mia terra.
Se si ricordasse del nostro giuramento
Che entrambi facemmo di comune accordo,
So con certezza che mai, adesso,
Da così tanto sarei prigioniero.
Ce sevent bien Angevin et Torain,
Cil bacheler qui or sont riche et sain,
Qu'encombrez sui loing d'aus, en autre main.
Forment m'aidessent, mais il n'en oient grain.
De beles armes sont ore vuit et plain,
Por ce que je sui pris.
Lo sanno bene gli Angioini e i Turennesi,
Quei baccellieri che son sani e ricchi ora,
Che io sono lontano da loro, in mano ad altri.
Mi aiuterebbero molto, ma non ci sentono.
Di belle armi e di scudi sono privi,
Perché io sono qui prigioniero.
Contesse suer, vostre pris soverain
Vos saut et gart cil a cui je m'en clain;
E por ce que je sui pris.
Je ne di mie a cele de Chartrain,
La mere Loëys.
Sorella Contessa, che conservi e protegga
Il vostro alto pregio Colui cui mi appello
E per cui sono prigioniero.
E non lo dico certo a quella di Chartres,
La madre di Luigi.