8 September 1157, in the family Henry II of England and Alienors of Aquitaine a strange creature was born. "Knight with the heart of a lion and the head of a donkey." Exactly Karl Marx, a prominent publicist of his time, after many years, characterizes the figure of the king of England: Richard the Lionheart.
The definition is tricky. And the image of Richard that has developed in popular culture does not correspond a bit. Indeed, what is this man famous for? The first associative series is simple. First of all, one of the brightest heroes of the era of the Crusades. Then the King of England. And not just a king, but one who left the most rosy memories among the people: you are just, and honest, and an intercessor. Finally, a friend and patron of the famous "noble robber", an unsurpassed archer Robin Hood.However, mass culture is mass culture, that there is little truth in it. Let's start with the fact that the famous archer Robin Hood, who robbed the rich and shared with the poor, if he existed, then at least three hundred years after Richard's death. The rest will have to be dealt with in more detail.
The third crusade, of which Richard was one of the participants, was planned as a revenge. By that time, the main thing, because of which the global project “Let's return the Holy Sepulcher into the hands of Christians” was started, was lost. Muslims occupied Jerusalem and were not going to leave. Looking ahead, let's say that they never left, despite all the heroism of Richard and his comrades. The knight-king himself felt guilty to death for not being able to "wrest the Holy City from the hands of the enemy of the Cross."However, in the Holy Land, he succeeded in something else. In particular, he earned his nickname there, with which he went down in history. Romantic exploits are drawn to the imagination, where our hero alone fights with a hundred Muslims and wins. Something similar actually happened. Here is how the “Chronicle of Ambroise” describes the fighting king: “Richard gave spurs to his horse and rushed, with what speed he could, to support the first ranks. Flying like arrows on his horse Fauvel, which has no equal in the world, he attacked a mass of enemies with such force that they were completely knocked down, and our riders threw them out of the saddle. The brave king, prickly as a hedgehog, from the arrows that dug into his shell, pursued them, and around him, in front and behind, a wide path opened, paved with dead Saracens. The Turks fled like a herd of cattle.”
Handsomely. But "Lionheart" is not about such stories, which really were enough. He received the nickname for a single episode associated with the capture of Acre.
Siege of Acre. reproduction
Actually, there was no capture as such. There was an honorable surrender of the city. After a long and tedious siege, Richard's opponent, Sultan Salah ad-Din sent the keys to the fortress. Everything is as it should be. Relied after that and the exchange of prisoners. When already on the fortieth day after the capitulation of the city, Richard realized that he would not wait for the captured Christians, the following was done: 2700 Muslims were taken outside the walls of Acre. And in full view of the troops of the Sultan, they were cut in cold blood. For this act, the Muslims first nicknamed the king "Stoneheart". Later, however, they learned the details: “convoy servants, the poor, Kurds, in general, all insignificant people, including women and children” were released by Richard without ransom. Then the nickname was changed to familiar to us. Which is fair: the lion is sometimes cruel without measure, but one should not expect meanness from him.
Victorious Saladin. reproduction/ Gustave Dore
That campaign was generally remembered by some incredible number of legends associated with a chivalrous attitude towards the enemy. For example, in the battle of Jaffa, which the crusaders won, a horse was killed under Richard. His opponent, Sultan Saladin's brother Malik al-Adil, sent a horse to the king: "My enemy of such high rank should not fight on foot!"
For his part, Richard did not shy away from the Muslims. He received the same al-Adil in his camp: “The King of England met him in his tent in the most honorable way, after which he took him to his place and ordered him to serve those of the dishes that are considered especially pleasant and desirable by this people. Al-Adil ate these dishes, and the king and his companions ate the dishes offered by al-Adil. Their conversation dragged on well past noon, and they parted, assuring each other of perfect friendship and sincere affection.
Richard and Saladin. reproduction
Then the king came up with almost the only sound and original thought in his whole life. He even developed a project that could solve the case about Jerusalem and generally Christian shrines in the world. And this world could suit everyone. The thought is simple. The king has a sister Jeanne the Beautiful, former Queen of Sicily. Sultan Saladin has a brother, Malik, with whom Richard has already feasted. What if they get married? They could jointly govern the entire Palestinian coast. And they would live in Jerusalem, ruling over the formed Christian-Muslim possession, and such a tandem would allow the Latin clergy to freely perform services at the Most Holy Shrine of the Lord, while Muslims could continue to pray in their mosques.
Richard the Lionheart and Joanna meet King Philip II Augustus of France. reproduction
Saladin unexpectedly liked the project. His brother too. Only Joan the Beautiful herself was horrified by her marriage to a Muslim. The case never worked out.
The affairs of the English king and in England did not grow together. Which is not surprising. He did not know English. In England, for 10 years of formal rule, he spent half a year at most. He was not interested in English affairs, although he took an oath upon accession to the throne: “To create a righteous judgment for the people entrusted to me, to destroy bad laws and perverted customs, if such are found in my kingdom, and to protect the good ones.”
But he demanded money. And a lot. Feats in the Holy Land were very, very expensive. Another thing is that the collection of the so-called "Saladin's tithe" was led by the king's brother, John, famed in folk songs as "Greedy John". Richard himself, preoccupied not with the prosperity of England, but with the war in Syria, remained in his memory as a “good” king. And not only in folk. The official chronicler left the following entry about Richard the Lionheart: “So, the son, rising above the horizon, continued the good works of his father, stopping those that were bad. Those whom the father had dispossessed, the son restored to their former rights. He returned the exiles from exile. Chained by the father in iron, the son let go unharmed. Those to whom the father determined various punishments in the name of justice, the son pardoned in the name of piety.
RICHARD I (Richard) Lionheart (French Coeur de Lion, English Lion-Hearted) (1157-99), English king from 1189, from the Plantagenet dynasty. He spent most of his life outside of England. During the 3rd crusade in 1189-92 he captured Fr. Cyprus and Akru fortress in Palestine. Killed during the war with France.
RICHARD I (Richard) LIONHEART (French Coeur de Lion; English Lion-Hearted) (September 8, 1157, Oxford - April 6, 1199, Chalus Castle, Viscountry of Limoges), King of England from 1189, from the Plantagenet dynasty.
Richard was the third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He spent most of his life outside of England, in the continental possessions of the English crown. Richard received an excellent education, knew many languages (but not English), was a poet and connoisseur of poetry, physically strong, brave, unbridled man, a talented administrator and adventurer.
In 1169, Henry II divided his possessions into appanages, and Richard received the duchy of Aquitaine. In 1174-1177 he rebelled against his father, but was defeated, reconciled with Henry and faithfully served him. In 1180, Philip II Augustus ascended the French throne, intending to take away the continental possessions of England. He in every possible way set up Richard (who became heir to the throne in 1183 after the death of his elder brothers) against his father, and, having united with him, began a war against Henry in 1188, which ended in the defeat of the old king and his death. Richard arrived in England, where he was crowned on September 5, 1189.
Richard and Philip were to take part in the Third Crusade. In a short time, having emptied the treasury and bled the country with extortions, Richard raised funds and in June 1190 sailed to the Holy Land, leaving his brother, Prince John, the future John Landless, at the head of England. Having plundered the city of Messina in Sicily on the way and conquered the island of Cyprus, Richard arrived in Palestine on June 8, 1191, where the fortress-port of Acre (now Akka in Israel) was under siege by the crusaders, and an agreement had already been reached on the honorable surrender of the city. Richard broke off negotiations and took Acre by storm on 11 July. Immediately after this, strife began in the camp of the crusaders, Richard quarreled with Philip and rudely insulted Duke Leopold of Austria. Philip sailed to his homeland, where, in alliance with Prince John, who had betrayed his brother, he began to attack Richard's possessions in Normandy. Richard, not having received the promised ransom for the Acre garrison, ordered the execution of 2,000 captives, for which he received the nickname "Lionheart". After an unsuccessful campaign against Jerusalem, Richard left for home, but on the way back he was captured by his enemy Leopold of Austria, from whom he was redeemed by the German emperor Henry VI, who placed him in honorary imprisonment. Richard was released after paying 150,000 marks in gold and taking an oath of vassalage to the emperor.
In March 1194, Richard returned to England, deposed Prince John, then reconciled with him, reinstating the governor, but limiting his powers. In May 1194 Richard went to France to fight Philip. In January 1199, France, in the hope of Richard's victory, concluded an unfavorable peace with England. Richard went to war against the recalcitrant vassal, Viscount Adémar of Limoges, and during the siege of the castle, Chalu was wounded in the arm by an arrow and died of gangrene. Since Richard was childless, the throne passed to his brother John.
In the reign of John the Landless, the ancestral lands of the Plantagenets on the Continent, for which Richard had exerted so much effort to hold, were ceded to France. Richard did not manage England at all. In the memory of the descendants, Richard remained a fearless warrior who cared about personal glory more than about the well-being of his possessions.
Richard I of England (Lionheart). Biography.
The rise of Richard. Richard I (English) Lionheart was born in Oxford on September 8, 1157 in the family of Henry II Plantagenet and Eleanor (Eleanor) of Aquitaine (Guyenne). Richard was the third son in the family, so 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 the English crown in 1170 and declared co-ruler of Henry II, Richard was proclaimed Duke of Aquitaine in 1172 and was considered the heir of Eleanor's mother. 
English King Henry II, father of Richard After that, 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, Henry II ordered Richard to take a fealty oath to his elder brother Henry. Richard flatly refused to do so, citing the fact that it was an unheard-of innovation. Henry Jr. 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 II ordered Richard to give Aquitaine to his younger brother John (John). Richard refused and the war continued. The younger brothers Geoffrey and John (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 reconciled. There was no trust between them. The closeness between the king and his youngest son John (John) seemed especially suspicious. There were rumors that Henry II, contrary to all custom, wants to make him his heir, removing the recalcitrant older sons from the throne. This made the relationship between father and Richard even more tense. Henry II was a tough and despotic man, Richard could expect any trick from him.
The French king was not slow to take advantage of the strife in the English royal house. In 1187, he showed Richard a secret letter from the English king, in which Henry II asked Philip to marry John (John) his sister Alice (already betrothed to Richard) and transfer the duchies of Aquitaine and Anjou to the same John. 
Richard's younger brother John, the future king of England, John LandlessRichard felt a threat to himself in all this. A new rupture began to brew in the Plantagenet family. But Richard spoke openly against his father only in the autumn of 1188. Against his will, he reconciled at Bonmoulin with the French king and swore an oath to him. The following year they both captured Maine and Touraine. Henry II waged war against Richard and Philip, but without much success. In a few months, all continental possessions fell away from him, except for Normandy. Under Lehman, Henry II was almost captured by his son. In July 1189, Henry II had to agree to humiliating terms dictated to him by his enemies and died shortly thereafter. Richard arrived in England in August and was crowned at Westminster Abbey on September 3, 1189. 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 a long time. After the coronation, Richard I lived in his country for only four months, and then came here again for two months in 1194.
Preparations for the Third Crusade. Having assumed power, Richard began to fuss about organizing the Third Crusade, in which he made a vow to participate in 1187. Three of the most powerful monarchs responded to the call of Pope Clement III to participate in this campaign - the German emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, the French king Philip II Augustus and the English king Richard I. 
The German emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, who drowned in the river, having not reached the place of hostilities, the English king took into account the sad experience of the Second Crusade and insisted that a 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 crusaders moved through France and Burgundy to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In the first days of July, Richard I of England met in Wesel with the French king Philip Augustus. The kings and troops greeted each other and continued marching south together with joyful songs. From Lyon, the French turned towards Genoa, and Richard moved to Marseille.
Having plunged here on ships, the British sailed east and on September 23 they were already in Messina in Sicily. Here the king was detained by the hostile actions of the local population. The Sicilians were very unfriendly to the English crusaders, among whom were many Normans. They not only showered them with ridicule and abuse, but at every opportunity they tried to kill unarmed crusaders. On October 3, a real war broke out due to an insignificant clash in the city market. The townspeople hurriedly armed themselves, locked the gates and took their place on the towers and walls. In response, the British, without hesitation, went on the assault. Richard, as much as he could, tried to keep his fellow tribesmen from ruining the Christian city. But the next day, during the peace negotiations, the townspeople suddenly made a bold sortie. Then the king stood at the head of his army, drove the enemies back into the city, seized the gates and executed a severe judgment on the vanquished. Until the evening, robberies, murders and violence against women raged in the city. At last Richard succeeded in restoring order.
Due to the late time, the continuation of the campaign was postponed until next year. This delay of many months had a very bad effect on the relations between the two monarchs. Every now and then, petty clashes took place between them, and if in the autumn of 1190 they arrived in Sicily as intimate friends, then in the spring of the following year they left it almost outright enemies. Philip went straight to Syria, and Richard made another forced stop in Cyprus.
Conquest of Cyprus by Richard I. It so happened that due to a storm, part of the English ships were thrown onto the coast of this island. Emperor Isaac Komnenos, 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 first stepped onto 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 on the previous day, Richard was ahead of the attackers and most distinguished by his valor. They write that he captured the banner of Isaac and even knocked the emperor himself off the horse with a spear.
On May 12, the wedding of King Richard and Berengaria of Navarre was celebrated with great pomp in the conquered city. Isaac, meanwhile, realized his miscalculations and struck up negotiations with Richard. The conditions of reconciliation were very difficult for him: in addition to a larger ransom, Isaac had to open all his fortresses to the crusaders and put up auxiliary troops to participate in the crusade.
With all this, Richard has not yet encroached on his power - the emperor himself gave a reason for events to take the worst turn for him. 
Richard I on the attack After everything seemed to be settled, Isaac suddenly fled to Famagusta and accused Richard of encroaching on his life. The enraged king declared Komnenos an oathbreaker, a peacebreaker and instructed his fleet to guard the coast so that he would not run away. He himself first captured Famagusta, and then moved to Nicosia. On the way to Tremifussia, another battle took place. Having won a third victory, Richard I 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, the only daughter of Isaac was captured. Broken by all these failures, the emperor surrendered to the victors on May 31. The only condition of the deposed monarch was a request not to burden him with iron chains. But this did not make his fate any easier, because Richard ordered him to be chained in silver shackles and exiled to one of the Syrian castles. Thus, as a result of a successful 25-day war, Richard I of England became the owner of a rich and flourishing island. He left half of their property to the inhabitants, and used the other half for the formation of destinies for that knighthood, which was supposed to take over the defense of the country. Having placed his garrisons in all cities and castles, Richard sailed for Syria on June 5. Three days later he was already in the Christian camp under the walls of the besieged Acre (now - Acre in Israel).
Richard I in Palestine and Syria. With the arrival of the British, siege work began to boil with renewed vigor. In a short time, towers, rams and catapults were built. Under protective roofs and through tunnels, the crusaders approached the enemy's fortifications. Soon, battle broke out everywhere near the breaches. The situation of the townspeople became hopeless, and on July 11 they entered into negotiations on the surrender of the city with the Christian kings. The 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 gold. The next day, the crusaders solemnly entered the city, which had been besieged for two years.
The joy of victory, however, was overshadowed by strong strife, which immediately flared up between the leaders of the crusaders. The dispute arose over the candidacy of the king of Jerusalem. Richard believed that Guido Lusignan (Guy of Loisian) should become it. 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 August was also entirely on his side. This feud was superimposed by another high-profile scandal associated with the Austrian banner. 
Egyptian Sultan Saladin (Salah ad-Din), Richard's adversary in the Third Crusade 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 over his house. Seeing this flag, Richard became furious, ordered to tear it down and throw it 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. After that, the king seriously offended the German emperor, driving a detachment of German knights from his army, depriving them of their property, weapons and horses. But be that as it may, this incident angered all the crusaders, and for a long time they could not forget about it. At the end of July, Philip, as well as many French crusaders, left the Holy Land and set off on their return journey.
This weakened the strength 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 crusading army. However, it was not clear. How difficult this role is for him. Many considered him a wayward and unbridled man, and he himself confirmed this unfavorable opinion about himself with his very first orders. Saladin could not, as soon as he was obliged, fulfill the conditions that the capitulation of Acre imposed on him: release all the captives and pay 200 thousand marks in gold. Richard came to immeasurable anger because of this and immediately, after the deadline agreed by Saladin - August 20 - had passed, he ordered more than 2 thousand Muslim hostages to be taken out and stabbed in front of the gates of Acre, for which he received the nickname "Lionheart". Of course, after that, the money was not paid at all, not a single Christian captive received freedom. And the Life-Giving Cross remained in the hands of the Muslims.
Three days after this massacre, Richard set out from Acre at the head of a large army of crusaders. Richard was determined to advance on Jerusalem. He rallied the multilingual armies of the crusaders (totaling about 50 thousand people) into a single army and went on a campaign, in which he proved to be an outstanding tactician, and also managed, thanks to his personal charisma, to achieve submission from rebellious knights and barons of different tribes. Accompanied by the fleet, he slowly advanced along the coast in short passages so as not to tire the army. On the flanks, there were continuous skirmishes with the army of Saladin, whose goal was to cut off the lagging behind from the main column or break the crusader army into several isolated detachments, as was done at Hattin. But Richard's march to Askelon was clearly planned and organized, and therefore such opportunities were not presented to Saladin. Richard strictly forbade the knights to get involved in skirmishes, and all attempts by Saladin to provoke a column of crusaders to break the formation on the march led to nothing. To prevent Saladin's mounted archers from approaching, Richard placed crossbowmen along the entire column.
Saladin tried to block the road. On the coast near Arsuf (Arzuf), the Egyptian sultan ambushed and then organized a powerful attack on the rear of Richard's column to force the crusader rearguard into battle. At first, Richard forbade any resistance, and the column stubbornly continued its march. Then, when the Mamluks were completely bolder, and the pressure on the rearguard became unbearable, Richard ordered the prearranged signal to attack to be blown. 
Medieval bas-relief depicting Richard I A well-organized counterattack took the unsuspecting Muslims by surprise. The battle was over in just a few minutes. Obeying the orders of Richard, they overcame the temptation to rush to pursue the defeated enemy. This brilliant Christian victory at Arzuf (Arsuf) occurred on September 7, 1191, during which Saladin's troops lost 7 thousand people, and the rest fled. The loss of the crusaders in this battle amounted to about 700 people. After this battle, Saladin never once dared to engage Richard in open battle. Richard was in the midst of the battle and helped with the success with his spear.
A few days later, the Crusaders arrived at the ruined Joppe and stopped here to rest. Saladin took advantage of their delay to completely destroy Askelon, 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 Rimla and Lydda. Richard himself was involved in many skirmishes and often unnecessarily risked his life. At the same time, lively negotiations began between him and Saladin, which, however, did not lead to any results. In the winter of 1192, King Richard I of England announced a campaign against Jerusalem. However, the crusaders only reached Beitnub. They had to turn back due to rumors of strong fortifications around the Holy City. In the end, they returned to their original goal and, in bad weather - through a storm and rain - moved towards Askelon. This, until recently, a flourishing and rich city, appeared before the eyes of the crusaders in the form of a deserted heap of stones. The crusaders zealously set about restoring it. Richard encouraged the workers with cash gifts and, to set a good example for everyone, he himself carried stones on his shoulders. Ramparts, towers and houses were erected with extraordinary speed from the terrible garbage. In May, Richard stormed Daruma, a strong fortress south of Askelon. After that, it was decided to move again to Jerusalem. But, like last time, the crusaders only reached Beitnub. Here the army stopped for several weeks. A heated debate ensued between the leaders of the campaign about whether it was advisable or not to start the siege of such a powerful fortress now, or whether it was better to move to Damascus or Egypt. Due to disagreements, the trip had to be postponed. The crusaders began to leave Palestine. In August news came of Saladin's attack on Joppa. With the speed of lightning, Richard gathered the remaining military forces still at hand, sailed to Joppa. In the harbor, ahead of his men, he jumped from the ship into the water 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 small detachment of the king. A battle took place near Joppa and in the city itself, the outcome of which fluctuated for a long time first in one direction, then in the other. Richard proved himself not only a brave, strong and steadfast, but also a reasonable commander, so that he not only held his positions, but also inflicted heavy losses on the enemies.
The victory made it possible to start negotiations. Bad news came from England about the autocratic deeds of the king's younger brother John (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 at the hands of Saladin, Askelon was to be torn down by workers on both sides. Such an outcome nullified all the successes of Richard, but there was nothing to be done.
The return of Richard I to England and his capture. After concluding an agreement with Saladin, Richard lived in Acre for several weeks and sailed for his homeland in early October. This journey presented him with great difficulty. 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 open enemy was the Austrian Duke Leopold. The German emperor Henry VI was an opponent of Richard 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. 
The German emperor Henry VI, who kept Richard in prison, with his son Conrad, near the coast between Aquileia and Venice, his ship ran aground. Richard left the sea with a few guides and, in disguise, rode through Friaul and Carinthia. Soon Duke Leopold became aware of his movement. Many of Richard's companions were captured, with one servant he reached the village of Erdberg near Vienna. The graceful appearance of his servant and the foreign money with which he made purchases attracted the attention of the locals. On December 21, Richard was captured and imprisoned in Dürenstein Castle.
As soon as the news of Richard's arrest reached the emperor, he immediately demanded his extradition. Leopold agreed after he was promised to pay 50 thousand marks of silver. After that, for more than a year, the English king became a prisoner of Henry VI. He bought his freedom only after he swore an oath to the emperor and promised to pay a ransom of 150 thousand marks of gold. In February 1194, Richard was released, and in mid-March he landed on the English coast. Supporters of John (John) did not dare to resist him and soon laid down their arms. London welcomed its king with magnificent celebrations. But two months later, Richard 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, he forgave him all the crimes.
War of Richard I with Philip II Augustus. In the absence of King Richard, the French King Philip II achieved some preponderance over the English on the Continent. Richard hastened to rectify the situation. He took Loches, one of the main fortresses of Touraine, took possession of Angouleme and forced the obedience of the inveterate rebel Count of Angouleme. The following year, Richard moved to Berry and was so successful there that he forced Philip to sign a peace. 
English King Richard I (Lionheart) The French had to give up eastern Normandy, but kept several important castles on the Seine. Therefore, the agreement could not be lasting. In 1198, Richard returned the Norman border possessions, and then approached the castle of Chalus-Chabrol in Limousin (Viscountry of Limoges), the owner of which (Viscount Adémar of Limoges) was exposed in a secret connection with the French king. 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 deep into the king's shoulder, near the cervical spine. Without giving the appearance that he was wounded, Richard galloped to his camp. Not a single important organ was affected, but as a result of an unsuccessful operation, blood poisoning began. After being ill for eleven days, King Richard I of England died on April 6, 1199.
Characteristics of Richard I. His heroic life is known from novels and films - the Crusades, conquests and the like. But in reality things were somewhat different. Born in a turbulent time, Richard became a cruel and intolerant person. During his reign, rebellions constantly broke out in the country, which he suppressed with incredible cruelty. In the legends, he embodies the ideal image of a medieval knight who made many well-documented valiant campaigns. 
Monument to Richard I In addition, in the Third Crusade, he established himself as one of literally several brilliant military leaders throughout the Middle Ages. But according to the chronicler, "the king as often concluded conditions as he took them back, he constantly changed decisions already made or presented new difficulties, as soon as he gave his word, he took it back, and when he demanded that the secret be kept, he himself violated it" . Saladin's Muslims were under the impression that they were dealing with a sick man. Also, the situation of Richard was aggravated by the massacre arranged by him after Saladin did not have time to fulfill the conditions set for him. It must be said that Saladin, as a civilized person, resisted the retaliatory massacre and not a single European hostage was killed. Richard was a very mediocre ruler, since he spent almost the entire reign abroad: with the crusaders (1190 - 1191), in captivity in Austria (1192 - 1194), and then he fought for a long time with the French king Philip II Augustus (1194 - 1199) , and almost the entire war was reduced exclusively to the sieges of fortresses. Richard's only major victory in this war was the capture of Gisors near Paris in 1197. Richard did not manage England at all. In the memory of the descendants, Richard remained a fearless warrior who cared about personal glory more than about the well-being of his possessions.
References. 1. Regine Pernu. Richard the Lionheart. - Moscow: Young Guard, 2000.
2. World history of wars / otv. ed. R. Ernest and Trevor N. Dupuy. - Book One - Moscow: Polygon, 3. World History. Crusaders and Mongols. - Volume 8 - Minsk, 2000.
4. All the monarchs of the world. Western Europe / under the tutelage K. Ryzhova. - Moscow: Veche, 1999.
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 of England, which he handed over to the governor. A typical medieval knight-adventurer, Richard I waged incessant wars that were alien to the interests of England and cost her huge 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. Since 1194 - in France, waged war with Philip II Augustus, who sought to recapture 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 - SLAVES. 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 form 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
Reign: 1189 - 1199
Father: Henry II
Mother: Eleanor of Aquitaine
Wife: Berengaria of Navarre
Richard was the third son Henry II and was not seen as the main heir to the English throne. In the distribution of 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, invaded Aquitaine with an army of mercenaries, but in the same year he suddenly fell ill with a fever and died. This led to contention 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 the 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 in 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 the preparation of the Third crusade , a vow to participate in which he gave in 1187. Taking into account the problems of the first campaigns, he insisted on getting to the Holy Land by sea. The campaign began in the spring of 1190, when crowds of crusaders moved across France to the Mediterranean. In Marseille, Richard's army embarked on ships and in September was already in Sicily. There, the crusaders had friction with the locals. It came to an armed clash with the citizens of Messina, which ended with the victory of Richard and the sack 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 they moved on separately. In the spring of 1191 Richard arrived in Cyprus. Some of his ships were washed ashore during a storm, and the emperor Isaac Komnenos, who ruled the island, refused to give them up in a good way. Richard had to use force, and as a result of the 25-day war, he captured the entire island. He left half of the captured property to the inhabitants, and distributed the other half to his knights, who were supposed to settle on the island to protect him. There, in Cyprus, Richard played a magnificent wedding with the Navarre princess Berengaria. On June 5, Richard sailed for 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, the construction of rams and catapults, the digging of tunnels began with renewed vigor, and a month later Akko was taken. The crusaders kept hostages from among the most noble citizens 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 the fact that Philip II and many of the French decided to go back, and Richard became 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 of powerful fortifications around the city, and turned towards Ascalon. More recently, the pilgrims found the flourishing city in ruins. It was Saladdin who ordered the destruction of Ascalon, since he did not hope to keep it. The crusaders quickly rebuilt the fortifications, and Richard himself set the example, carrying stones on his shoulders for construction. A few weeks later, a second campaign against Jerusalem was undertaken, 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 help. During the defense of Jaffa, Richard proved to be a strong, courageous and reasonable commander.
Meanwhile, news began to come from England about the excesses 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 had problems. He did not want to sail by sea around Europe, and the land route lay through the lands of Leopold of Austria, with whom Richard also quarreled during the Crusade and Emperor Henry VI, a fierce enemy of the Normans. Nevertheless, Richard decided to go north along the Adriatic Sea, and then through South Germany to get to France, but near Venice his ship ran aground, and Richard, with a few companions, disguised, began to secretly make his way through the possessions of Leopold. Nevertheless, near Vienna, he was recognized, captured and imprisoned in the Dürenstein castle. Leopold handed over the prisoner to Emperor Henry for a ransom of 50,000 marks of silver, and Henry released Richard for a promise to send a ransom of 150,000 marks. Finally, in the spring of 1194, Richard landed in England. John did not dare to fight with his brother and submitted to him. Despite his unseemly deeds, John was forgiven, and Richard left England two months later, never to return there again.
In France, Richard successfully fought against Philip II, who, in the absence of Richard, seized some of his possessions, and managed to return part of the lands in Normandy.
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 the people's memory. This is due to the fact that only rumors about the heroism of the king 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, is reflected in literature, for example, in ballads about Robin Hood and W. Scott's novel "Ivanhoe".
Used material from the site http://monarchy.nm.ru/
Richard I the Lionheart - English king of the family Plantagenets, who ruled in 1189-1199. Son of Henry II and Eleanor of Guyenne.
Wife: from 1191 Berangera, daughter of Sancho VI, King of Navarre (+ 1230). Genus. 8 September 1157
Richard was the second son of Henry Plantagenet. He was not regarded 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 older brother Henry was crowned the English crown in 1170 and declared co-emperor of Henry II, Richard was proclaimed Duke of Aquitaine in 1172 and was considered the heir of Eleanor's mother. After that, until his coronation, the future king visited England only twice - at Easter in 1176 and at Christmas in 1184. His reign in Aquitaine was held 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 a fealty oath to his elder brother Henry. Richard flatly refused to do so, citing the fact that it was an unheard-of innovation. Henry Jr. 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 reconciled, there was no trust between them. The closeness between the king and his youngest son John seemed especially suspicious. There were rumors that Henry, contrary to all customs, wants to make him his heir, removing the recalcitrant older sons from the throne. This made the relationship between father and Richard even more tense. Heinrich was a tough and despotic man, Richard could expect any trick from him. The French king was not slow to take advantage of the strife in the English royal house. In 1187, he showed Richard a secret letter from the English king, in which Henry asked Philip to give his sister Alice (already betrothed to Richard) to John and transfer the duchies of Aquitaine and Angevin to the same John. Richard felt threatened in all this. A new rupture began to brew in the Plantagenet family. But Richard spoke openly against his father only in the autumn of 1188. Against his will, he reconciled with the French king in Bonmoulin and swore an oath to him. 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 away from him, except for
Normandy. Under Lehman, Henry almost got captured by his son. In July 1189 he had to agree to humiliating conditions dictated to him by his enemies, and died shortly thereafter. Richard arrived in England in August and was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 3 September. 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 a long time. After the coronation, he lived in his country for only four months, and then again came here for two months in 1194.
Having assumed power, Richard began to fuss about organizing the Third Crusade, in which he vowed to participate as early as 1187. He took into account the sad experience of the Second Campaign and insisted that a 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 the 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 they greeted each other and continued marching south together with joyful songs.From Lyon the French turned to Genoa, and Richard moved to Marseilles. Having boarded ships here, the English sailed east and were already in Messina on September 23. Here: the king was detained by enemy actions The Sicilians were very unfriendly to 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 hurriedly armed themselves, locked the gates and took their place on the towers and walls. In response, the British, without hesitation, went on the assault. Richard, as much as he could, tried to keep his fellow tribesmen from ruining the Christian city. But the next day, during the peace negotiations, the townspeople suddenly made a bold sortie. Then the king stood at the head of his army, drove the enemies back into the city, seized the gates and executed a severe judgment on the vanquished. Until the evening, robberies, murders and violence against women raged in the city. At last Richard succeeded in restoring order.
Due to the late time, the continuation of the campaign was postponed until next year. This delay of many months had a very bad effect on the relations of the two monarchs: Every now and then there were minor clashes between them, and if in the fall of 1190 they arrived in Sicily as soulmates, then in the spring of the following year they left it almost outright enemies. Philip went straight to Syria, and Richard made another forced stop in Cyprus. It so happened that due to a storm, part of the English ships were thrown onto the coast of this island. Emperor Isaac Komnenos, 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 first stepped onto 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 on the previous day, Richard was ahead of the attackers and most distinguished by his valor. They write that he captured the banner of Isaac and even knocked the emperor himself off the horse with a spear. On May 12, in the conquered city, the wedding of the king and Berengaria was celebrated with great pomp. Isaac, meanwhile, realized his miscalculations and struck up 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 put up auxiliary troops to participate in the crusade. With all this, Richard has not yet encroached on his power - the emperor himself gave a reason for events to take the worst turn for him. After everything seemed to be settled, Isaac suddenly fled to Famagusta and accused Richard of encroaching on his life. The enraged king declared Komnenos an oathbreaker, a peacebreaker and instructed his fleet to guard the coast so that he would not run away. He himself first captured Famagusta, and then moved to Nicosia. On the way to Tremifussia, another battle took place. Having won a 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, the only daughter of Isaac was captured. Broken by all these failures, the emperor surrendered to the victors on May 31. The only condition of the deposed monarch was a request not to burden him with iron chains. But this did not make his fate any easier, because Richard ordered him to be chained in silver shackles 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 flourishing island. He left half of their property to the inhabitants, and used the other half for the formation of fiefs to that knighthood, which was supposed to take over the defense of the country. Having placed his garrisons in all cities and castles, on June 5 he sailed for Syria. Three days later he was already in the Christian camp under the walls of the besieged Akkon.
With the arrival of the British, siege work began to boil with renewed vigor. In a short time, towers, rams and catapults were built. Under protective roofs and through tunnels, the crusaders approached the very fortifications of the enemy. Soon, battle broke out everywhere near the breaches. The situation of the townspeople became hopeless, and on July 11 they entered into negotiations on the surrender of the city with the Christian kings. The 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 200,000 chervonets. The next day, the crusaders solemnly entered the city, which had been besieged for two years. The joy of victory, however, was overshadowed by strong strife, which immediately flared up between the leaders of the crusaders. The dispute arose over the candidacy of the king of Jerusalem. Richard believed that Guido Lusignan should remain. 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 August was also entirely on his side. This feud was superimposed by another high-profile 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 over his house. Seeing this flag, Richard became furious, ordered to rip it off and throw it 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 angered all the crusaders, and for a long time they could not forget about it. At the end of July, Philip, as well as many French pilgrims, left the Holy Land and set off on their return journey.
This weakened the strength 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 crusading army. However, it was not clear how this difficult role he could handle. Many considered him a wayward and unbridled man, and he himself confirmed this unfavorable opinion about himself with his very first orders. The Sultan could not, as soon as he was obliged, fulfill the conditions that the capitulation of Akkon imposed on him: release all the captured Christians and pay 200 thousand chervonets. Richard came to immeasurable anger because of this, and immediately after the deadline agreed by Saladin - August 20 - had passed, he ordered more than 2 thousand Muslim hostages to be taken out and stabbed in front of the gates of Akkon. Of course, after this, the money was not paid at all, not a single Christian prisoner received freedom, and the Life-Giving Cross remained in the hands of the Muslims: Three days after this massacre, Richard set out from Akkon at the head of a large number of crusaders. Ascalon was chosen as the purpose of the campaign this time. Saladin tried to block the road. On September 7, a fierce battle took place near Arzuf, which ended in a brilliant victory for the Christians. Richard was in the midst of the battle, and with his spear contributed much to the success. A few days later, the pilgrims arrived at the ruined 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 was involved in many skirmishes and often unnecessarily risked his life. 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 due to rumors of strong fortifications around the Holy City. In the end, they returned to their original goal and, in bad weather - through a storm and rain - moved to Ascalon. This, until recently, a flourishing and rich city, appeared before the eyes of the pilgrims in the form of a desert heap of stones. The crusaders zealously set about restoring it. Richard encouraged the workers with cash gifts and, to set a good example for everyone, he himself carried stones on his shoulders. Ramparts, towers and houses were erected with extraordinary speed from the terrible garbage. In May, Richard stormed Daruma, a strong fortress south of Ascalon. After that, it was decided to move again to Jerusalem. But, like last time, the crusaders only reached Beitnub. Here the army stopped for several weeks. A heated debate ensued between the leaders of the campaign about whether it was advisable or not to start the siege of such a powerful fortress now, or whether it was better to move to Damascus or Egypt. Due to disagreements, the trip had to be postponed. Pilgrims began to leave Palestine. In August news came of Saladin's attack on Joppa. With the speed of lightning, Richard gathered the remaining military forces still at hand, sailed to Joppa. In the harbor, ahead of his men, he jumped from the ship into the water 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 small detachment of the king. A battle took place near Joppa and in the city itself, the outcome of which fluctuated for a long time first in one direction, then in the other. Richard showed himself not only strong, brave and steadfast, but also a reasonable commander, so that he not only held his positions, but also inflicted heavy losses on the enemies. The victory made it possible to start negotiations. Bad news came from England about the autocratic deeds of the king's younger brother 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 at the hands of Saladin, Ascalon was to be torn down by workers on both sides. Such an 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 for several weeks in Akkon and sailed for his homeland in early October. This journey presented him with great difficulty. 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 open enemy was the Duke of Austria Leopolad. The German emperor Henry VI was an opponent of Richard 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 guides and, in disguise, rode through Friaul and Carinthia. Soon Duke Leopold became aware of his movement. Many of Richard's companions were captured, with one servant he reached the village of Erdberg near Vienna. The graceful appearance of his servant and the foreign money with which he made purchases attracted the attention of the locals. On December 21, Richard was captured and imprisoned in Dürenstein Castle.
As soon as the news of Richard's arrest reached the emperor, he immediately demanded his extradition. Leopold agreed after he was promised to pay 50 thousand marks of silver. After that, for more than a year, the English king became a prisoner of Henry. He bought his freedom only after he swore an 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 oppose him and soon laid down their arms. London welcomed its king with magnificent celebrations. But two months later he left England forever and sailed for 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 all his crimes.
In the absence of the king, Philip II achieved some preponderance over the English on the Continent. Richard hastened to rectify the situation. He took Loches, one of the main fortresses of Touraine, took possession of Angouleme and forced the obedience of the inveterate rebel Count of Angouleme. The following year, Richard moved to Berry and was so successful there that he forced Philip to sign a peace. The French had to give up eastern Normandy, but kept several important castles on the Seine. Therefore, the agreement could not be lasting. 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 connection with the French king. 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 deep into the king's shoulder, near the cervical spine. Without giving the appearance that he was wounded, Richard galloped to his camp. Not a single important organ was affected, but as a result of an 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 (Richard I) (1157–1199), nicknamed the Lion's Heart (English Lion "s Heart, French Coeur de Lion), king England, third son of Henry II. He was born in Oxford on September 8, 1157. In 1170 he became the Duke of Aquitaine, in 1175-1179 he brought the rebellious barons into submission and brought the duchy under his power. 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, two older brothers had already died, Richard became king of England. However, already in December 1190 he went on the 3rd crusade. After a winter spent in Sicily, Richard captured Cyprus, where he married Berengaria of Navarre. Largely due to the personal courage of Richard, shown by him during the siege of Acre, this city was taken. In 1191, Richard defeated Salah ad-Din at Arzuf and approached Jerusalem. However, he quarreled with his allies - the Duke of Austria Leopold V and the King of France Philip II Augustus (who left the Holy Land for France and began active operations against the English possessions), and his brother John revolted in England. Due to these reasons, Richard concluded a truce with Salah ad-din and went home. In Vienna, Richard was captured by Leopold (he was mortally offended by Richard, who ordered Leopold's banner to be torn down and thrown into the mud, which he had fixed on one of the towers of Acre), 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, fighting with Philip Augustus. Richard died from being wounded by an accidental arrow shot at him during the siege of the Shalu fortress undertaken for personal reasons (dividing the treasure of gold) on April 6, 1199.
Materials of the encyclopedia "The world around us" are used.
Read further:
England in the 12th century(chronological table).
Plantagenet dynasty(genealogical tree).
Historical faces of England(biographical index).
Literature on the history of Great Britain(lists).
British History Course Program(method).
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.
The image of the English king Richard I the Lionheart covered with an aura of romance and courage. His name was often mentioned in the medieval epic as the hero of legends and novels. But, if we turn to history, then everything is not so rosy. And the king received the nickname "Lionheart" not for outstanding courage, but for incredible cruelty.
Richard the Lionheart was the son of King Henry II of the Plantagenet dynasty and Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the richest and most powerful women of that period. Mother actively interfered in the politics of England and France, which is why, over time, relations between the spouses became very strained. It got to the point that Eleanor of Aquitaine rebelled against the king and returned to her castle in Poitiers (Aquitaine). Henry II was supported by his three sons, and Richard chose to take the side of his mother.
Historical chronicles have preserved a lot of information about the strong connection between Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The son was brought up under the influence of his mother and, being in adulthood, he always listened to her advice. Mother even went on a crusade with her son, although this was completely unusual for women of that time.
When Richard the Lionheart came to the English throne (by the way, he did not even know English), he spent only six months in the country itself. The king immediately began to gather in the Third Crusade, a vow to participate in which he had given long before. While Richard earned his fame in battles on foreign soil, England suffered the most, because the inhabitants were forced to pay huge taxes in order to support the army. During the reign of Richard I, the country was practically ruined.
The English king became the hero of numerous literary works. So, in the novels of the XIV-XV centuries, his image is almost perfect. Allegedly in a fight with a lion, Richard put his hand into his mouth and pulled out a pulsating heart. But in fact, "Lionheart" he was nicknamed for a completely different reason.
During the Third Crusade, Richard I captured the city of Acre and negotiated with Saladin for a prisoner exchange. When the Muslim leader never exchanged anyone, Richard the Lionheart ordered the death of 2,700 prisoners. For this, the Muslims called him the Stone Heart. A little later, when the peace treaty was signed, the English king executed another 2,000 captured Saracens because the Muslim commander was in no hurry to fulfill all the terms of the treaty.
Another nickname for the king was Richard Yes-and-No. This is a kind of mockery of his subjects for the fact that he often changed his decisions, being influenced from outside.
The English king had enough opponents not only among Muslims, but also among Christians. Intrigues and the struggle for influence in the European arena led to the fact that after returning from the Crusade, Richard was captured by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI.
According to legend, at first no one knew that Richard was languishing in prison. But one day the troubadour Blondel passed by the prison and sang a song composed by the English king. And then suddenly a voice was heard from the prison window, which sang along with him.
The emperor requested 150,000 marks for the ransom of the king. This amount was the taxes of the British for two years. The first to rush to the rescue of the king was Eleanor of Aquitaine. She ordered that a quarter of their income be collected from the people. The English medieval historian William of Newburgh wrote that after Richard's release, Emperor Henry VI lamented that he had not left "a strong tyrant who truly menaced the whole world" languishing in prison.
The king died during the next battle. It was the siege of the Châlus-Chabrol castle in Limousin. The king was wounded by a crossbow arrow. The cause of death was blood poisoning. Richard the Lionheart died in the presence of Eleanor of Aquitaine.
The mother of the king herself lived a long life.
