Richard I

Richard I (1189-1199), commonly known as Richard the Lionheart to Europeans and Melich Rich to Arabs, was a medieval King of England and Duke of Aquitaine at the height of the Plantagenets power in England. He assumed the throne in 1189 and reigned until he died, although he spent only six months of his ten year long reign in England, which is a mere 5% of his rule. His interests were not in England however, but in Aquitaine, where he finally died when a commoner shot him in the chest with an arrow. Richards legacy of chivalry is largely defined from this moment, as he pardoned the young man before he died. He is perhaps best known for his foray into the Holy Land and being the ultimate leader of the Third Crusade. His struggle with Saladin has been long regarded to be a romantic conflict, one which clearly demonstrated the virtues of chivalry. Upon investigation, however, it is obvious that atrocities were committed on both sides, and neither men can claim ultimate virtousness.

Richard died in 1199, and he passed the throne on to his brother, John I.

Popular Culture

Richard has been used as a character in fictional literature in works such as Robin Hood and Ivanhoe.