Richard I of England, also known as Richard the Lionheart (Cœur de Lion), reigned as king of England from 1189 to 1199 CE. The son of Henry II of England (r. 1154-1189 CE) and Eleanor of Aquitaine (c. 1122-1204 CE), Richard was known for his courage and successes in warfare, but he became so busy with the Third Crusade (1189–1192 CE) and then the defence of English-held territory in France, that he would only spend six months of his reign in England. A legend in his own lifetime, famed both for his military leadership and utterly ruthless approach to warfare, Richard the Lionheart has become one of the greatest figures in European history, and his arms of three lions are still used by the British royal family today. Following his death in battle at Chalus in France, Richard was succeeded by his younger brother King John of England (r. 1199-1216 CE).
More about: Richard I of EnglandDefinition
Timeline
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8 Sep 1157Birth of Richard I of England, son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine
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1173Future Richard I of England, his brother Henry and Geoffrey, the Count of Brittany engage the support of Louis VII, king of France, and rebel against the Henry II of England
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19 Aug 1186Geoffrey, Count of Brittany and son of Henry II of England, dies in an accident at a medieval tournament.
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1188 - 1189Future Richard I of England, his brother future King John of England and Philip II of France rebel against Henry II of England
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1189 - 1199Reign of Richard I (The Lionheart), king of England.
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1189Richard I of England, with Frederick I Barbarossa and Philip II of France, leads the Third Crusade.
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1189Henry II of England is obliged to declare his son Richard as his heir.
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1189 - 1192The Third Crusade is formed with the aim of recapturing Jerusalem for Christendom. Although some cities were recaptured, Jerusalem was not one of them.
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2 Sep 1189Richard I of England is crowned in Westminster Abbey.
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5 Dec 1189The quitclaim of Canterbury is signed between Richard I of England and William I of Scotland returning to Scotland its independence from the English crown.
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1190Richard I of England captures Messina on Sicily during the Third Crusade.
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May 1191Richard I of England captures Cyprus during the Third Crusade.
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Jun 1191The Crusader armies of Philip II of France and Richard I of England arrive at the siege of Acre.
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12 Jul 1191Richard I of England captures Acre during the Third Crusade.
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20 Aug 1191Richard I of England orders the execution of 2,500 Muslim prisoners after the siege of Acre during the Third Crusade.
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7 Sep 1191Richard I of England defeats Saladin's army at Arsuf during the Third Crusade.
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Jan 1192The Crusader army led by Richard I of England arrives within sight of Jerusalem but decides not to attack for fear of a counter-attack by Saladin.
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Aug 1192Richard I of England retakes Jaffa from Saladin during the Third Crusade.
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Oct 1192Richard I of England, returning home from the Third Crusade is shipwrecked and eventually imprisoned by the German emperor Henry VI.
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1194Richard I of England, on payment of a ransom, is freed from imprisonment by the German emperor Henry VI.
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1194 - 1199Richard I of England campaigns in France against the French king Philip II.
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Apr 1194Richard I of England returns to England and nominates his brother John as his official successor.
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1198Chateau Gaillard in Normandy, France is built by Richard I of England.
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6 Apr 1199Richard I of England is killed while besieging the castle of Châlus in France.
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27 May 1199King John of England is crowned in Westminster Abbey.
