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Tuesday, 4 January 2011
King Richard the Lionhearted (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199)
Did you know that England's King Richard the Lionhearted was French and didn't speak English at all? King Richard spoke the French dialect Langue d'oc, also known as Occitan.
His mother was Eleanor of Aquitaine, a Provence in the south of France. She became ruler of Aquitaine at the age of 13, shortly thereafter Queen of France, and then Queen of England through her second marriage. She had received an excellent education and made strong political and military choices throughout her entire life.
His father was French and the great grandson of William the Conqueor. He was a fiery character with a lust for blood, vengeance, and women.
King Richard was very attractive like his mother: copper blond hair, blue eyes and a light complexion. He was over six feet tall and had a way with the ladies, as any rough, stalwart soldier might.
Richard the Lionhearted won his moniker through his ability to conquer castles and win battles despite incredible odds.
Contrary to common Robin Hood themes, Richard was not a very nice guy. According to English historian William Stubbs:
"He was a bad king: his great exploits, his military skill, his splendour and extravagance, his poetical tastes, his adventurous spirit, do not serve to cloak his entire want of sympathy, or even consideration, for his people. He was no Englishman, but it does not follow that he gave to Normandy, Anjou, or Aquitaine the love or care that he denied to his kingdom. His ambition was that of a mere warrior: he would fight for anything whatever, but he would sell everything that was worth fighting for. The glory that he sought was that of victory rather than conquest."
To be fair, he was raised in pool of vicious and oftentimes deathly family backstabbing and deep psychological trauma as fights broke out to claim land and titles.
Shakespeare wrote the play The Life and Death of King John after the family.
His parents, King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, had participated in the 2nd Crusade and King Henry II had lost due to bad strategic choices, his wife had advised him otherwise. Had he followed her advice, things might have turned out victorious, thus began a battle of hate and wits between them which led to Henry II imprisoning his wife for 16 years in various castles around England and France.
Katherine Hepburn received an academy award for portraying Eleanor of Aquitaine against Peter O'Tooles' King Henry II in The Lion In Winter. An absolute brilliant film. Watch the trailer to get a little idea of the family dynamics.
Richard spent many years fighting battles against his own father in an attempt to overthrow him and rule England. Finally his father died in 1189 and Richard became King of England.
He immediately freed his mother, set her up as regent to rule England in his stead, raised as much cash as possible, and set out for the Holy Land on a Crusade.
There he fought along the Knights Templar and Hospitaller, where he earned their respect and aide.
In the ten years of his reign as King of England, he was present in that country for roughly six months. Most of that time, he was in the Holy Land. His youngest brother, Prince John, did indeed-as told in the tale of Robin Hood-attempt to rise up against him and take over England.
See Ridley Scott's latest film Robin Hood with Russell Crow; a surprisingly good film and a decent, if not light, depiction of King Richard, Prince John, and the political times and involvements of the late 12th century.
The Frenchman, King Richard the Lionhearted, died coming back from the Crusade. His brother, Prince John, became King of England.
Eleanor of Aquitaine became known as "The Grandmother of Europe" as she was regent Queen to two countries, had sired two Kings and her daughters had married kings and rulers of important European provinces. She was definitely the most powerful woman of the 12th century. She outlived all but two of her children, gave counsel and solved political problems until the ripe age of 82.
Voila! Gros bisous de l'histoire et l'intrigue et a demain!
Love, Charley
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