Richard 1 the Lionheart biography. Richard I the Lionheart

“They come from the devil and will come to him.
There will be a brother in this family
to betray his brother, and the son to betray his father..."

(Bishop of Canterbury about the Plantagenet dynasty)

Statue of Richard I outside the Houses of Parliament

The Early Years of King Richard

Richard Plantagenet, who mixed Norman and Angevin, English and Provençal, Aquitaine and French blood, was a descendant of the great William the Conqueror, who captured England after the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Richard's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, a woman of "amazing beauty, but of an unknown, apparently demonic, breed," was a patron of the arts, "the queen of the troubadours."
In 1137, she became the wife of Louis VII and over 15 years bore him almost a dozen daughters.
After the divorce, sanctified by the Pope, Eleanor inflicts ex-spouse brilliant blow - marries King Henry II of England.
The English crown received as a dowry all of Western France with its numerous ports, forts and fortresses.

When Richard was 12 years old, the division of possessions in France took place: Henri the Younger became prince in Anjou and Normandy, Richard in Aquitaine, Geoffroy in Brittany.
The youngest brother, John (in the ballads about Robin Hood he was nicknamed Prince John), did not get anything. He went down in history as John the Landless.

Coronation of Richard I.

In 1186, Richard became the direct heir to the crown of England.
At this time, disturbing news comes from the east. The ruler of Egypt, Saladin, managed to unite Muslims under his rule and attacked the counties and duchies of Christians. The Muslims captured most of Palestine, Acre, Ascalon, and on October 2, 1187, Jerusalem itself.
On January 21, 1188, prompted by papal legates, many European kings, dukes and counts accepted the cross. Richard also made a vow.
After the death of his father Henry II, on September 3 of that year, Richard was crowned in London. Now nothing prevented him from devoting himself to the cause of faith.

On the way to the Holy Land

The Third Crusade (1191 - 1192) began far from Palestine.
Tens of thousands of Christian soldiers from all over Europe marched to the Holy Land.
They joined the ranks of the crusader army that began the siege of Acre. The French king gathered his troops reluctantly, remaining in his thoughts on the banks of the Seine. But the newly-crowned English monarch directed all the resources of England, without a trace, to the altar of victory in the campaign.
Richard converted everything into money. He either leased out his possessions, or mortgaged and sold them, and ordered the rights to senior government positions to be auctioned off.
He would not have hesitated, as his contemporaries said, to sell London, if only he had found a buyer for it. Thus, the king really collected enormous funds.
His army was well armed, but the national composition of the army was varied: there were far fewer Englishmen than Angevins and Bretons.

Handmade oil painting reproduction of Richard, Coeur De Lion, On His Way To Jerusalem (Richard, the Lion Heart, On His Way To Jerusalem), a painting by James William Glass.

This time the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, the French King Philip II Augustus, Duke Leopold of Austria and the King of England Richard I went on a campaign.
The combined forces of the Crusaders represented a significant force, but things did not go well from the very beginning. In June 1190, while crossing a small river in Asia Minor, Frederick Barbarossa, no longer a young man, drowned.
Richard, distinguished by extreme ambition, tried to take command himself. He was indeed a talented and experienced military leader, but he quickly quarreled with other leaders of the united army.

The crusaders stood under the walls of the fortress of Acre in Palestine for two whole years, but could not take it. Finally, the French king agreed with the commandant of the fortress that he would surrender Acre, and for this its defenders would remain alive and receive freedom.
Upon learning of this agreement, which had not been agreed upon with him, Richard became furious. And then Leopold of Austria was the first to climb the fortress wall and strengthen his banner on it. Seeing this, the English king tore the banner from the wall, thereby insulting the Austrians. Leopold has since become the blood enemy of the English king. This episode later found a continuation...
When Acre was finally taken, Richard ordered the killing of all its surviving defenders.

Philip-Augustus, under the pretext of his “ill health,” hastened to sail home to France.
He decided to seize some of the English possessions on the continent while Richard and his army were in Palestine. Philip Augustus was followed by the Duke of Austria with many noble knights, who also suddenly had a lot to do at home.

Thus the Third Crusade failed. The restless Richard remained in the Middle East for another whole year, preparing for the final push on Jerusalem, performing, as recorded in the chronicles, many feats of chivalry. Richard set out for Jerusalem a second time, and again did not reach the city.
Richard accomplished his last feat on the streets of Jaffa, when the knights he led, sweeping away everything in their path, defeated the superior forces of Saladin. When the success of the Crusaders' enterprise seemed to be close, news came from Europe that the younger brother John, who remained in London for the king, had decided to seize the English throne. Richard should have urgently returned to England. Peace had to be made with Saladin.

Sculptural composition of Saladin in Damascus.

In October 1192, Richard boarded a ship at Jaffa and left the Holy Land.
The Third Crusade is associated primarily with the names of Richard and Saladin, who “are heroes of the great epic... The first was bolder and more courageous, the second was distinguished by prudence, sedateness and ability to conduct business. Richard had more imagination, Saladin had more prudence."

Lionheart returns home

Almost two months later, a terrible storm broke out in the Adriatic Sea and Richard's ship ran aground. He, accompanied by several servants, tried to make his way through Austria and Saxony to his relatives - the German Welfs. Near Vienna, Richard was identified, captured and sent to his blood enemy Leopold of Austria, who put him in Durenstein Castle.

The long battle for ransom was resolved after the urgent demand of the Pope - the “Holy Knight” was released. His return to England was strongly opposed by the French king and his brother John. Returning to London, Richard punishes his brother and brings him into submission.
The crusader king completely ruined England: he extorted from his subjects “gifts on the occasion of the joy of the royal return” and raised taxes several times.

The Lionheart spends his last years in constant victorious wars - in Ireland, Brittany and Normandy, “not leaving alive even a dog that would bark after him.”

At the end of March 1199, the king of England besieged the castle of Chalus, which belonged to the rebel vassal - Viscount Aimard of Limoges. Richard I the Lionheart also suspected him of hiding the treasures of his father, the late Henry II of England. It was on his native land of Aquitaine that death awaited the “knight of centuries.” So many times - in England and France, in Syria and Germany, at sea and on land - he was one step away from the abyss...

The crossbowman fired a poisoned arrow from the castle walls and wounded Richard in the shoulder. The castle was taken by storm three days later, and the king ordered all the defenders to be hanged. He only left the one who wounded him alive. The agony lasted 11 days. Dying, Richard I ordered the brain, blood and entrails to be buried in Sharru, the heart in Rouen, the body in Fontevrault, “at the feet of his beloved father.”

In the 42nd year, the life of a vagabond knight, patron of troubadours and brave adventurer, was cut short...
“The ant killed the lion. Oh woe! The world dies with his burial!” - the Latin chronicler wrote in the epitaph.
The king's closest assistant, Mercadier, ordered the brave crossbowman to be recaptured: his skin was torn off.

He was sung by the troubadours of France and England. Arabic tales were written about him.
The chronicles of Byzantium and the Caucasus tell about the knight-king with the heart of a lion. Richard the Lionheart belonged to the era of the Crusades and was one of the most prominent figures in the great confrontation between West and East.

Richard's tombstone. Fontevraud Abbey

How did Richard the Lionheart die?

Richard the Lionheart died relatively young, and the circumstances of his death became one of the mysteries of the Middle Ages.

Richard I Plantagenet remained on the English throne for ten years, from 1189 to 1199. Of course, there were many English kings who reigned even less, but still a decade is usually considered too insignificant a period of time to statesman, the ruler managed to achieve something grandiose. However, Richard, nicknamed the Lionheart, managed to achieve truly immortal fame as a knight king, and his shortcomings only set off his valor.

UNSUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN

As you know, Richard the Lionheart had a difficult relationship with the French king Philip II. They were already difficult due to the complex dynastic and vassal situation in the relationship between the two kings (Richard was also the Duke of Aquitaine, and this territory was a vassal territory to France). And also made them worse bad experience joint Third crusade.

Richard and his younger brother John (John)

As a result, Philip II began to actively campaign for Richard’s younger brother, John (John), to overthrow him from the English throne, and the Lionheart, after returning from the Holy Land, began a war against France. As a result, the victory remained with Richard, and in January 1199 peace was concluded on terms favorable to him.

GOLDEN TREASURE

But Richard did not have time to return to England: a situation arose on French territory that required the presence of him and his army. His vassal, Viscount Eimard of Limoges, according to some sources, discovered a rich treasure of gold on his lands (presumably an ancient Roman pagan altar with offerings).

According to the laws of that time, certain part Richard should also receive it as a lord. However, the Viscount did not want to share the precious find, so Richard and his army had to besiege the castle of his vassal, Chalus-Chabrol.

DEATH IN FRANCE

It was here that Richard’s unexpected death overtook him. According to medieval chronicles, on March 26, 1199, the assault had not yet begun, and the king and his entourage were driving around the surroundings of the castle, choosing the most convenient place from where to attack. They were not afraid of the arrows of the besieged, since they were at a decent distance.

However, among the defenders of the castle there was a crossbowman, and a crossbow bolt fired at random by him wounded Richard (according to various sources, in the arm, shoulder or neck). The king was taken to the camp and the bolt was removed, but Lionheart died from the consequences of his wound on April 6.

POISON OR INFECTION?

Almost all sources telling about the circumstances of the death of the famous knight king focus on the point that Richard’s wound itself was not fatal, but its consequences turned out to be fatal.

In the Middle Ages, a version became widespread that the crossbow bolt fired at the king was smeared with poison - by that time European knights For about a century they had been fighting in the Middle East with the Saracens, from whom they adopted this military trick.

CAUSE OF DEATH

In 2012, a group of French scientists received permission to study the "remains of Richard the Lionheart" to accurately determine the cause of his death. More precisely, not all the remains of the king were subjected to a comprehensive analysis, but a piece of his heart kept in the Rouen Cathedral.

Since, according to the king’s will, parts of his body were buried in different places: the brain and entrails, the heart, the body. As a result, thanks to chemical tests, which required only one percent of the stored samples of the king’s heart, it was established that no poison had entered Richard’s wound.

The King Knight died from an infection resulting from blood poisoning. In fact, it was blood poisoning that was the main cause of death of wounded soldiers in the Middle Ages, when both the level of medical knowledge and the level of ideas about hygiene in Europe was not high enough.

WHO KILLED RICHARD?

And if it seems that clarity has been brought to the question of the immediate cause of the death of the Lionheart, then the problem of the identity of his killer and the fate of this man remains in the fog. The following is more or less certain: the castle of Chalus-Chabrol was poorly adapted to warfare, so that at the beginning of the siege there were only two knights in it (the rest of the garrison were simple warriors).

Remains of Chalus-Chabrol Castle

The English knew the two knights well by sight, since they led the defense directly on the fortress walls. The besiegers especially noted one of them, as they mocked the homemade armor of this knight, whose shield was made from a frying pan.

BLOOD REVENGE

However, it was this knight who fired the fatal crossbow shot for Richard, so that the entire English camp knew who exactly wounded the king. The castle was captured even before the death of the Lionheart, who allegedly ordered the knight who wounded him to be brought to him.

Having learned that the knight shot at him because the king had once killed his relatives, Richard ordered not to punish him, but to release him and even give him a monetary reward for marksmanship. But, as most sources report, after the death of the king, the knight was not released, but was executed by a painful death - he was skinned alive and then hanged.

AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY

However, many questions still remain: they are called various options The name of this knight is Pierre Basil, Bertrand de Gudrun, John Sebroz. But the fact is that the knights Pierre Basil and Bertrand de Gudrun are mentioned years and even decades after the death of Richard: the first appeared in documents on the transfer of property to the heirs, the second participated in the Albigensian Wars. So who exactly became the killer of one of the most famous kings of the Middle Ages and what the fate of this man was is still unclear.

September 8, 1157, in the family Henry II of England And Alienora of Aquitaine was born strange creature. "A knight with the heart of a lion and the head of a donkey." That's right Karl Marx, a prominent publicist of his time, many years later would characterize the figure of the King of England: Richard the Lionheart.

The definition is biting. And the image of Richard that has developed in popular culture does not correspond one bit. In fact: what is this man famous for? The first associative series is simple. First of all, he is one of the most prominent heroes of the Crusades era. Then the King of England. And not just a king, but one who left the most rosy memories among the people: fair, and honest, and an intercessor for you. Finally, the friend and patron of the famous “noble robber”, an unsurpassed archer Robin Hood.

However, mass culture is only mass culture because 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 the death of Richard. 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 revenge. By that time, the main thing was why it was started global project“Let us return the Holy Sepulcher to the hands of Christians” was lost. Muslims occupied Jerusalem and had no intention of leaving. Looking ahead, let's say that they never left, despite all the heroism of Richard and his comrades. The king-knight himself felt guilty to death for the fact that he could not “snatch 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. I can imagine romantic feats where our hero alone fights a hundred Muslims and wins. Something similar actually happened. This is how the Chronicle of Ambroise describes the fighting king: “Richard gave spurs to his horse and rushed as quickly as he could to support the front ranks. Flying faster than arrows on his horse Fauvel, which has no equal in the world, he attacked the mass of enemies with such force that they were completely knocked down, and our riders threw them from the saddle. The brave king, prickly like a hedgehog from the arrows that pierced his shell, pursued them, and around him, in front and behind, a wide path opened, covered with dead Saracens. The Turks fled like a herd of cattle."

Beautiful. But “Lionheart” is not at all about such stories, of which there were indeed plenty. He received his 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 enemy, Sultan Salah ad-Din, sent the keys to the fortress. Everything is as it should be. After this, there was also an exchange of prisoners. When, already on the fortieth day after the surrender of the city, Richard realized that he would not receive captured Christians, the following was done: 2,700 Muslims were taken outside the walls of Acre. And in full view of the Sultan’s troops, they were cut down in cold blood. For this act, Muslims first nicknamed the king “Heart of Stone.” Then, however, they learned the details: “carriage servants, the poor, Kurds, and in general all insignificant people, including women and children” were released by Richard without ransom. Then the nickname was changed to one that is familiar to us. What is fair: a lion can sometimes be cruel beyond measure, but one cannot expect meanness from him.

Victorious Saladin. reproduction/ Gustave Dore

That campaign is generally remembered for some incredible number of legends associated with a chivalrous attitude towards the enemy. Let's say, in the Battle of Jaffa, which the crusaders won, Richard's horse was killed. His opponent, brother of Sultan Saladin Malik al-Adil, sent a horse to the king: “My enemy of such a high kind should not fight on foot!”

For his part, Richard did not shy away from Muslims. He received the same al-Adil in his camp: “The King of England met him in his tent in the most honorable manner, after which he took him to his place and ordered him to be served those dishes that are considered especially pleasant and desirable among this people. Al-Adil ate these dishes, and the king and his companions ate the dishes offered by al-Adil. Their conversation lasted well into the afternoon, 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 sensible and original thought in his entire life. He even developed a project that could solve the problem of Jerusalem and Christian shrines in general with peace. And this world could suit everyone. The idea is simple. The king has a sister Zhanna the Beautiful, former Queen of Sicily. Sultan Saladin has a brother Malik, with whom Richard already feasted. What if they got married? They could jointly rule the entire Palestinian coastline. And they would live in Jerusalem, ruling over the resulting Christian-Muslim dominion, and such a tandem would allow the Latin clergy to freely perform divine 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 Jeanne the Beautiful herself was horrified by marriage to a Muslim. The matter never worked out.

Things did not work out for the English king and in England. Which is not surprising. English language he didn't know. In England, during the 10 years of formal rule, he spent at most six months. He was not interested in English affairs, although he took an oath upon ascending the throne: “To carry out righteous justice to the people entrusted to me, to destroy bad laws and perverted customs, should such be found in my kingdom, and to protect the good ones.”

But he demanded money. And considerable ones. Exploits in the Holy Land were very, very expensive. Another thing is that the collection of the so-called “Saladin tithe” was led by the king’s brother, John, famous in folk songs as "Greedy John". Richard himself, concerned not with the prosperity of England, but with the war in Syria, remained in memory as the “good” king. And not only in folk. The official chronicler left the following note 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 dispossessed, the son restored to their former rights. The exiles were returned from exile. The son, chained in iron by his father, released them unharmed. Those to whom the father determined various punishments in the name of justice, the son pardoned in the name of piety.”

Richard I the Lionheart(1157-1199) - English king from the Plantagenet family, who reigned in 1189-1199. Son of Henry II and Eleanor of Guyenne. Wife: since 1191 Beranger, daughter of Sancho VI, King of Navarre.

Richard was the second son of Henry Plantagenet. 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 by the English crown in 1170 and declared co-regent with Henry II, Richard was proclaimed Duke of Aquitaine in 1172 and was considered the heir of his mother Eleanor. After this, 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, he ordered Richard to take the feal oath to his elder brother Henry. Richard flatly refused to do this, citing the fact that it was an unheard of innovation. Henry the Younger 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. Little brothers Godfrey and John attacked Poitou. Richard responded by invading Brittany. Seeing that nothing could be achieved by force, the king ordered the disputed dukedom to be transferred to his mother. This time Richard complied. But although father and son made peace, there was no trust between them. Particularly suspicious was the closeness established between the king and his youngest son John. There were rumors that Henry, contrary to all customs, wanted to make him his heir, removing his rebellious older sons from the throne. This made the relationship between his father and Richard even more tense. Henry was a tough and despotic man, Richard could expect any dirty trick from him. The French king was not slow to take advantage of the discord in English royal house. In 1187, he showed Richard a secret letter from the English king, in which Henry asked Philip to marry his sister Alice (already betrothed to Richard) to John and to transfer the duchies of Aquitaine and Anjou to the same John. Richard felt threatened by all this. A new rift began to brew in the Plantagenet family. But Richard openly opposed his father only in the fall of 1188. Against his will, he made peace with the French king at Bonmoulin and took him the oath of feud. The following year, the two of them captured Maine and Touraine. Henry waged war against Richard and Philip, but without much success. Within a few months, all continental possessions fell away from him, except Normandy. At Lehman, Henry almost was captured by his son. In July 1189 he had to agree to humiliating terms dictated to him by his enemies, and died soon after. In August, Richard arrived in England and was crowned in Westminster Abbey on September 3. 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 long. After his coronation, he lived in his country for only four months, and then visited again for two months in 1194.

Having assumed power, Richard began to work on organizing the Third Crusade, which he vowed to participate in back in 1187. He took into account the sad experience of the Second Campaign and insisted that the 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 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 greeted each other and continued their march to the south together with joyful songs. From Lyon the French turned to Genoa, and Richard moved to Marseille. Having boarded ships here, the British sailed east and on September 23 were already in Messina. Here the king was detained by hostile actions of the local population. The Sicilians were very unfriendly towards the English crusaders, among whom there were many Normans. They not only showered them with ridicule and abuse, but at every opportunity they tried to kill unarmed pilgrims. On October 3, a real war began because of an insignificant clash in the city market. The townspeople hastily armed themselves, locked the gates and took up positions on the towers and walls. In response, the British, without hesitation, launched an assault. Richard, as much as he could, tried to keep his fellow tribesmen from ruining the Christian city. But the next day, during peace negotiations, the townspeople suddenly made a bold foray. Then the king stood at the head of his army, drove the enemies back into the city, captured the gates and carried out harsh judgment on the vanquished. Until the evening, robberies, murders and violence against women were rampant in the city. Finally, Richard managed to restore order.

Due to the late time, the continuation of the campaign was postponed until next year. This months-long delay had a very bad effect on the relations between the two monarchs. Every now and then minor clashes occurred between them, and if in the fall of 1190 they arrived in Sicily as intimate friends, then in the spring of the next year they left it as almost outright enemies. Philip went straight to Syria, and Richard made a forced stop in Cyprus. It so happened that due to a storm, some of the English ships were washed ashore on 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 was the first to enter 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 the day before, Richard was ahead of the attackers and most distinguished himself by his valor. They write that he captured the banner of Isaac and even knocked the emperor himself off his horse with a spear. On May 12, the king’s wedding to Berengaria was celebrated with great pomp in the conquered city. Isaac, meanwhile, realized his mistakes and began 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 send auxiliary troops to participate in the crusade. With all this, Richard has not yet encroached on his power - the emperor himself gave the reason for events to take a worse turn for him. After all matters seemed settled, Isaac suddenly fled to Famagusta and accused Richard of encroaching on his life. The angry king declared Komnenos an oathbreaker, a violator of the peace, and instructed his fleet to guard the shores so that he would not escape. He himself first of all captured Famagusta, and then moved to Nicosia. On the way to Tremifussia, another battle took place. Having won his 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, Isaac's only daughter was captured. Broken by all these failures, the emperor surrendered to the victors on May 31. The only condition of the deposed monarch was the request not to burden him with iron chains. But this did not make his fate any easier, because Richard ordered him to be shackled in silver 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 prosperous island. He left half of their property to the inhabitants, and used the other half to form fiefs for the knighthood, which was supposed to take upon itself the defense of the country. Having placed his garrisons in all cities and castles, he sailed to Syria on June 5. Three days later he was already in the Christian camp under the walls of besieged Akkon.

With the arrival of the British, siege work began to boil with renewed vigor. IN short term towers, rams and catapults were built. Under protective roofs and through tunnels, the crusaders approached the enemy’s very fortifications. Soon battle broke out everywhere around the breaches. The position of the townspeople became hopeless, and on July 11 they entered into negotiations with the Christian kings for the surrender of the city. 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 ducats. The next day, the crusaders solemnly entered the city, which they had been besieging for two years. The joy of victory, however, was overshadowed by strong discord that immediately broke out between the leaders of the crusaders. The dispute arose over the candidacy of the king of Jerusalem. Richard believed that he should remain Guido Lusignan. 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 Augustus was also entirely on his side. This discord was superimposed by another loud 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 above his house. Seeing this flag, Richard became furious and ordered it to be torn off and thrown 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 outraged all the crusaders, and they could not forget about it for a long time. At the end of July, Philip, as well as many French pilgrims, left the Holy Land and began their return journey.

This weakened the forces 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 crusader army. However, it was not clear how up to this difficult role he was. Many considered him a capricious and unbridled man, and he himself, with his first orders, confirmed this unfavorable opinion of himself. The Sultan could not fulfill the conditions imposed on him by Akkon’s capitulation as quickly as he was obliged to: release all captured Christians and pay 200 thousand ducats. Because of this, Richard became immensely angry and immediately, after the deadline agreed upon by Saladin - August 20 - had passed, he ordered more than 2 thousand Muslim hostages to be taken out and slaughtered in front of the gates of Akkon. Of course, after this the money was not paid at all, not a single captured Christian received freedom, and Life-giving Cross remained in Muslim hands. Three days after this massacre, Richard set out from Accon at the head of a large number of crusaders. Ascalon was chosen as the goal of the campaign this time. Saladin tried to block the road. On September 7, a fierce battle took place near Arzuf, ending in a brilliant victory for the Christians. Richard was in the thick of the battle and contributed greatly to the success with his spear. A few days later, the pilgrims arrived in the destroyed 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 participated in many skirmishes and often risked his life unnecessarily. 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 because of rumors of strong fortifications around the Holy City. In the end, they returned to their original goal and, in severe bad weather - through storm and rain - moved towards Ascalon. This, until recently flourishing and rich city, appeared before the eyes of the pilgrims in the form of a deserted heap of stones. The Crusaders zealously began to restore it. Richard encouraged the workers with cash gifts and to show everyone good example, he himself carried stones on his shoulders. Ramparts, towers and houses were erected from terrible debris with extraordinary speed. In May, Richard took Daruma, a strong fortress south of Ascalon, by storm. After this, it was decided to move on to Jerusalem again. But, like last time, the crusaders only reached Beitnub. Here the army stopped for several weeks. Heated debates ensued between the leaders of the campaign about whether it was advisable or not to now begin the siege of such a powerful fortress, or whether it was better to move to Damascus or Egypt. Due to disagreements, the campaign had to be postponed. Pilgrims began to leave Palestine. In August, news arrived of Saladin's attack on Joppe. With the speed of lightning, Richard gathered the remaining military forces at hand and sailed to Joppe. In the harbor, ahead of his men, he jumped from the ship into the water in order 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 king’s small detachment. A battle took place near Joppe and in the city itself, the outcome of which fluctuated for a long time in one direction or the other. Richard showed himself not only strong, brave and persistent, but also a reasonable commander, so that he not only held his positions, but also inflicted big losses. The victory allowed negotiations to begin. Bad news came from England about the autocratic actions of the younger brother of King 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 in the hands of Saladin, Ascalon was to be razed by workers on both sides. This 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 in Akko for several weeks and sailed home at the beginning of October. This journey presented great difficulty for him. 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 outspoken enemy was Duke Leopold of Austria. The German emperor Henry VI was Richard's opponent 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 escorts and, in disguise, rode through Friaul and Carinthia. Duke Leopold soon became aware of his movement. Many of Richard's companions were captured, and with one servant he reached the village of Erdberg near Vienna. The elegant appearance of his servant and the foreign money with which he made purchases attracted the attention of the local residents. On December 21, Richard was captured and imprisoned in Dürenstein Castle.

As soon as news of Richard's arrest reached the emperor, he immediately demanded his extradition. Leopold agreed after they promised to pay him 50 thousand marks of silver. After this, the English king became Henry's prisoner for more than a year. He bought his freedom only after he took the feal 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 confront him and soon laid down their arms. London greeted its king with magnificent celebrations. But after two months he 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, forgave him for all his crimes.

In Richard's absence, Philip II achieved some dominance over the English on the continent. English king hastened to correct the situation. He took Loches, one of the main fortresses of Touraine, captured Angoulême and forced the submission of the inveterate rebel Count of Angoulême. The following year Richard marched to Berry and was so successful there that he forced Philip to sign a peace. The French had to give up eastern Normandy, but retained several important castles on the Seine. Therefore, the agreement could not be durable. In 1198, Richard returned the border Norman possessions, and then approached the castle of Chalus-Chabrol in Limousin, the owner of which was exposed in a secret relationship with the French king. On 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 the king deeply into the shoulder, near the cervical spine. Without showing that he was wounded, Richard galloped to his camp. Not a single important organ was affected, but as a result unsuccessful operation blood poisoning began. After being ill for eleven days, the king died.

K. Ryzhov. "All the monarchs of the world. Western Europe" - M.: Veche, 1999.

1. Richard is the third son of King Henry II Plantagenet of England and his wife, Duchess Alienora of Aquitaine. Richard had very little chance of becoming king, but early death older brothers (William (1152-1156), Henry died of dysentery at the age of 28 (1155-1183), as well as the younger Geoffrey (1158-1186), simplified his rise to power after the death of his father.

2. Perhaps it was precisely the fact that he was the youngest and was not intended to be an heir that strengthened Richard’s knightly upbringing - he turned out to be a useless king, but a famous knight.

3. He also had another nickname (not as famous as Lionheart) - Richard Yes-e-No (Oc. N Oc-e-No), which meant that he was easily swayed in one direction or another.

4. Richard was well educated (he wrote poetry in French and Occitan) and very attractive - estimated to be 1 meter 93 centimeters tall, with blue eyes and blond hair.

5. Most of all, he loved to fight - from childhood he showed remarkable political and military abilities, was famous for his courage, and knew how to prevail over aristocrats in his lands.

6. During his lifetime he was compared (and continues to be compared) with Achilles. And the comparison is justified in one thing the most important point- glory. Fame attracted him. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard's mother, wrote to the Pope: “While my son, like Achilles, fought under the walls of Accra...” This is where this comparison comes from!

7. The marriage with Berengaria of Navarre was fruitless; he had many extramarital affairs with women. Illegitimate son - Philip de Falconbridge (1175-1204), lord of Cognac from a relationship with NN. Richard the Lionheart followed his fate and blessed his union illegitimate son Philip de Falconbridge with Amelia de Cognac in 1190.

8. Received the nickname Lionheart during the Third Crusade in 1190. Cyprus, captured by Richard in 1191, was needed to maintain Frankish possessions in Palestine for another century.

9. Some of Richard's military exploits made him one of the most prominent figures in medieval history and literature along with Roland and King Arthur. Contemporaries, however, even suspected him of treason and betrayal; Muslims reproached him for excessive cruelty.

10. Didn't speak English. During the 10 years of his reign, he spent less than six months in England and treated the army as a source of income. Managing the country was reduced to extracting taxes, trading in state lands, posts and other “preparations” for the Crusade.

11. Had many enemies. While returning to Europe, Richard was recognized, captured and imprisoned, where he remained for about two years. He was ransomed for a lot of money; his mother took an active part in the release of her son.

12. During the siege of the Chalus-Chabrol castle in Limousin on March 26, 1199, a crossbow bolt pierced his shoulder near the neck. The operation was unsuccessful, gangrene and sepsis developed. Eleven days later, on April 6, Richard died in the arms of his mother and wife - in full accordance with the heroism of his life.

13. The wounded Richard ordered the French knight Pierre Basil, who mortally wounded the king, not to be executed and even to pay him 100 shillings. After the death of the king and the capture of Chalus Castle, Basil was flayed and then hanged.

Registration number 0107054 issued for the work:

1. Richard is the third son of King Henry II Plantagenet of England and his wife, Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine. Richard had very little chance of becoming king, but the early deaths of his older brothers (William (1152-1156), Henry died of dysentery at the age of 28 (1155-1183), as well as the younger Geoffrey (1158-1186), simplified his rise to the throne power after the death of his father.
2. Perhaps it was precisely the fact that he was the youngest and was not intended to be an heir that strengthened Richard’s knightly upbringing - he turned out to be a useless king, but a famous knight.
3. He also had another nickname (not as famous as Lionheart) - Richard Yes-e-No (Oc. N Oc-e-No), which meant that he was easily swayed in one direction or another.
4. Richard was well educated (he wrote poetry in French and Occitan) and very attractive - estimated to be 1 meter 93 centimeters tall, with blue eyes and blond hair.
5. Most of all, he loved to fight - from childhood he showed remarkable political and military abilities, was famous for his courage, and knew how to prevail over aristocrats in his lands.
6. During his lifetime he was compared (and continues to be compared) with Achilles. And the comparison is justified in one most important point - fame. Fame attracted him. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard's mother, wrote to the Pope: “While my son, like Achilles, fought under the walls of Accra...” This is where this comparison comes from!
7. The marriage with Berengaria of Navarre was fruitless; he had many extramarital affairs with women. Illegitimate son - Philip de Falconbridge (1175-1204), lord of Cognac from a relationship with NN. Richard the Lionheart followed his fortunes and blessed the union of his illegitimate son Philip de Falconbridge with Amelia de Cognac in 1190.
8. He received the nickname Lionheart during the Third Crusade in 1190. Cyprus, captured by Richard in 1191, was needed to maintain Frankish possessions in Palestine for another century.
9. Some of Richard's military exploits made him one of the most prominent figures in medieval history and literature, along with Roland and King Arthur. Contemporaries, however, even suspected him of treason and betrayal; Muslims reproached him for excessive cruelty.
10. Didn't speak English. During the 10 years of his reign, he spent less than six months in England and treated the army as a source of income. Managing the country was reduced to extracting taxes, trading in state lands, posts and other “preparations” for the Crusade.
11. Had many enemies. While returning to Europe, Richard was recognized, captured and imprisoned, where he remained for about two years. He was ransomed for a lot of money; his mother took an active part in the release of her son.
12. During the siege of the Chalus-Chabrol castle in Limousin on March 26, 1199, a crossbow bolt pierced his shoulder near the neck. The operation was unsuccessful, gangrene and sepsis developed. Eleven days later, on April 6, Richard died in the arms of his mother and wife - in full accordance with the heroism of his life.
13. The wounded Richard ordered the French knight Pierre Basil, who mortally wounded the king, not to be executed and even to pay him 100 shillings. After the death of the king and the capture of the castle of Chalu, Basil was flayed and then hanged.