Richard the Lion Heart (8 September 1157 - Châlus, 6 April 1199)

As the second son of Henry II Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard was above all a Prince of Aquitaine (Duke in 1169) who was not often present in England during his reign as king. Before his accession Richard opposed his father Henry II in a power struggle in the ‘Angevin Empire’ and took part in numerous rebellions (1173, 1184, 1189) which thereby revealed the empire’s weakness, but Richard himself had to face the insubordination of his Aquitaine barons supported by the Count of Toulouse. In 1188 Richard paid homage to the King of France for all his continental inheritance and allied himself with the king in a final campaign against Henry II. As King of England and Duke of Normandy on the death of his father (1189), Richard took part with Philip Augustus in the third crusade (1190-1192). On his return he was taken prisoner by Leopold of Austria. Philip Augustus and John Lackland allied against him in his absence and the Vexin and Evreux were taken by the King of France. Having returned from captivity (1094), Richard fortified Normandy, built Château-Gaillard, reconciled himself with his brother John and beat the French at Courcelles (1198). A truce was signed at Vernon in 1199 and Philip Augustus kept Gisors. Richard died of a serious injury sustained while besieging a recalcitrant vassal at Châlus in the Limousin region (April 1199).

Bibliography :

- Jean Flori. - Richard Coeur de Lion, le roi chevalier. Paris : Payot, 1999.
- François Neveux. - La Normandie des ducs aux rois, Xe-XIIe s. - Rennes : Ouest-France, 1998.
- Jean Favier. - Dictionnaire de la France médiévale. - Paris : Fayard, 1993.
- John Baldwin. - Philippe Auguste. - Paris : Fayard, 1991.