Richard I

Introduction & Top Questions
Early life
King of England
Sicily
The holy land
Imprisonment
Return to England
Legacy

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Engraving of Richard I, wearing armor and raising an axe, leading knights as they land by ship at Jaffa during the Third Crusade, with soldiers gathering on shore.

Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard I, and Henry II

At a Glance

Richard I summary

Quizzes

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II smiles to the crowd from Buckingham Palace (London, England) balcony at the end of the Platinum Pageant in London on June 5, 2022 as part of Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee celebrations. The curtain comes down on four days of momentous nationwide celebrations to honor Queen Elizabeth II's historic Platinum Jubilee with a day-long pageant lauding the 96 year old monarch's record seven decades on the throne. (British royalty)

Fit for a King (or Queen): the British Royalty Quiz

Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon in Coronation Robes or Napoleon I Emperor of France, 1804 by Baron Francois Gerard or Baron Francois-Pascal-Simon Gerard, from the Musee National, Chateau de Versailles.

Kings and Emperors (Part III) Quiz

Flag of England. English flags blow in wind. White flag with red cross the Cross of St. George. heraldry, St. George flag

Medieval History Quiz: Part Two

Related Questions

How did Cyprus help the Crusaders during the Third Crusade?
How did Henry II’s death lead to Richard I becoming king of England?
How did Richard I become duke of Aquitaine as a child?
How did Richard I defeat Saladin at the Battle of Arsūf?
How did Richard I gain control over the nobles of Poitou and Gascony?
How did Richard I work with Philip II of France against Henry II?
How did Richard I’s arrival affect the siege of Acre?
How did Saladin respond after Richard I executed the prisoners at Acre?
How did the 1192 peace treaty help Christian pilgrims visit holy places?
How long did Richard I spend in England during his reign?
How much ransom was demanded for Richard I’s release?
What chivalrous act did Saladin’s brother Saphadin perform during the Battle of Jaffa?
What did the Treaty of Messina accomplish for Richard I and Joan of England?
What happened to Richard I while he was sailing home from the Crusade?
What terms did Saladin accept when Acre surrendered to the Crusaders?
When did Richard I arrive at the siege of Acre?
When did Richard I rule as king of England?
When was Richard I released from captivity?
When was the Battle of Arsūf fought?
Where was Richard I born?
Where was Richard I buried after his death?
Which coastal lands remained under Christian control after Richard I’s treaty with Saladin?
Who did Richard I marry in Cyprus?
Who were Richard I’s parents?
Why did Leopold V of Austria capture Richard I?
Why did Philip II leave the Third Crusade after Acre fell?
Why did Richard I advance toward Jerusalem twice without attacking the city?
Why did Richard I fight Philip II of France after returning from captivity?
Why did Richard I offend Leopold V of Austria at Acre?
Why did Richard I rebel against his father, Henry II?
Why did Saladin avoid another open battle with Richard I after Arsūf?
Why did many Crusaders oppose Richard I’s plan to attack Egypt?
Why did the Hospitallers break ranks during the Battle of Arsūf?
Why did the Third Crusade fail to recapture Jerusalem?
Why was Richard I crowned a second time in 1194?
Why would Richard I have struggled to hold Jerusalem after capturing it?
How did Richard I become king of England?
What was Richard I like as a king?
What happened to Richard I on his way back to England from the Crusade?
What is William I remembered for?
Who were William I’s parents?
How did William I die?
What were Oliver Cromwell’s beliefs?
What was Oliver Cromwell’s family like?
What did Oliver Cromwell accomplish?
How did Oliver Cromwell influence others?

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External Websites

History Today - Birth of Richard the Lionheart
World History Encyclopedia - Biography of Richard I
Potters Wax Museum - Richard I
PDXScholar - The Importance of Richard Lionheart in the Third Crusade (PDF)
Historic UK - Richard Lionheart

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Richard I - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Richard I - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Richard I

king of England

Also known as: Richard Coeur de Lion, Richard IV of Normandy, Richard the Lionheart, Richard the Lionhearted(Show More)

Written by

Geoffrey Wallis Steuart Barrow

Sir William Fraser Professor Emeritus of Scottish History and Palaeography, University of Edinburgh. Author of Feudal Britain and others.

Geoffrey Wallis Steuart Barrow

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

History

Richard I (born September 8, 1157, Oxford, England—died April 6, 1199, Châlus, duchy of Aquitaine) was the duke of Aquitaine (from 1168) and of Poitiers (from 1172) and king of England, duke of Normandy, and count of Anjou (1189–99). His knightly manner and his prowess in the Third Crusade (1189–92) made him a popular king in his own time as well as the hero of countless romantic legends. He has been viewed less kindly by...

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