Who Was Richard the Lionheart?
Arguably the most famous Medieval English King.
Arguably England’s most famous Medieval King, Richard the Lionheart was a real larger-than-life figure both during his life and in the imagination of the public ever since
The modern-day reputation of the Lionheart is mixed. On the one hand, many historians regard him as a medieval military genius, a brave soldier, and an able King who succeeded in keeping intact the divided Angevin Empire he inherited from his father.
On the other hand, some are more critical of him and regard Richard as an overly militaristic blockhead, that rare breed of man in the vein of Alexander the Great who only felt in his element during war.
But who was King Richard the Lionheart? And why has he become such a divisive figure?
The son of a mighty father and formidable mother
Born in 1157, Richard was the third son of Henry II of England and Eleonor of Aquitaine.
Through luck and clever dynastic policies, Richard’s father gathered an enormous empire that consisted of the Duchies of Normandy, Anjou, Brittany, and Aquitaine and the Kingdom of England.
Though Henry II was nominally the vassal of the King of France, in reality Henry…
