English Monarchs

Richard I (Richard Lionheart)

Born in 1157 
Ascended in 1189
Died 1199, aged 42 
Reigned for 10 years
Married to Berengaria of Navarre.

Richard I was born in Oxford in 1157 and died at Chalus-Chabrol in 1199. He was also known as the Lionheart or Coeur-de-Lion for his courageous activities in war. He had the qualities of a leader: tall, powerful and well educated. He spent very little time in England as he was always away fighting in the crusades. His foreign wife never even set foot on English soil.

The wars against the Saracens were costly and Richard left his chancellor, William de Longchamp, in charge of England to bring in extra taxes. In an effort to raise money for his crusades, Richard was reputed to have said, I would have sold London itself if I could have found a rich enough buyer. Longchamp did however begin to form a kind of bureaucracy in England, which was the distant forerunner of the modern government.