Lisa Casagranda and Meghan Daugherty

Richard I was born September 8, 1157, the third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Under the care and tutelage of his mother, he served as Duke of Aquitaine from 1175-1179. Richard constantly struggled against his father and brothers in order to gain power and land. After the death of his brothers Henry and Geoffrey and his father, Richard finally gained the throne in 1189.

In December of 1190, Richard, along with his sometimes lover Phillip II of France, launched the third crusade to win back the Holy Land. While on crusade, Phillip and Richard battled the famous and respected Muslim leader, Saladin. At the Siege of Acre in 1191, Saladin was defeated and forced to meet Richard’s demands. After quarreling with Phillip and his other ally, Duke Leopold of Austria, Richard realized that it would be impossible to conquer Jerusalem.

Richard’s mother Eleanor, always protective of her favorite son, sent a letter to Richard warning him that his younger brother John was trying to usurp the throne. While Richard was the rightful king, his brother, who had little land of his own, was constantly scheming to eliminate Richard. Another claimant, Arthur of Brittany, Geoffrey’s son, posed a threat to Richard. In order to cement his position, Richard needed a son. He had been long engaged to Alais of France, Phillip’s sister. This match never occurred, partially because Alais was rumored to be Henry II’s mistress and mother of his illegitimate child. Under the encouragement of his mother, Richard dissolved the match with the old maid Alais and paid Phillip money in order to discharge his responsibility. Eleanor arranged a match between Richard and Berengaria of Navarre, a wealthy and accomplished princess. The two married in 1191, but no heir was ever conceived, due in part to Richard’s travels, premature death, and homosexuality.

During Richard’s journey home from the crusade in 1192, he was seized by Duke Leopold. The queen’s emissaries, the Abbots of Boxley and Pontrobert, not Blondel, the wandering minstrel, finally found him. According to folklore, Blondel was wandering through Germany looking for his beloved king and fellow composer, when he heard Richard singing a ballad that the two had composed.

After heavy taxation and favors from friends, Eleanor was able to raise the 100,000 marks (16,000 pounds) necessary for Richard’s release. On February 4, 1194, Eleanor personally secured Richard’s release. Eleanor had once again protected and saved her beloved son’s life. But his mother could not always check Richard’s rash temper. In 1199 at the Count Aymer of Limoges’ estate, a laborer found golden treasures, probably buried by the Romans. Richard demanded these artifacts, but the Count refused. The king waged a brief siege on the estate. While leaving the battlefield, Richard was careless and was wounded by an arrow, which pierced his shoulder. Richard made no complaint of pain and returned to his camp to have the arrow removed. His companions tried to forcefully remove the shaft, which was lodged near his spine. They did not succeed and a surgeon was called to finally remove the shaft. The barbarous surgery caused irreparable damage and probably infection. With his aged mother at his side, Richard died on April 6, 1199. He was succeeded by his brother John.

Kelly, Amy. Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1950.

Owen, D.D.R. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen and Legend. Blackwell, 1993.

Sabatini, Rafael. Heroic Lives. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1934.