Although due to the special naming methods of European countries, many monarchs have only been able to distinguish between them in the Middle Ages due to the special naming methods of European countries, but when it comes to King Richard of England, I am afraid that all English people will first think of Richard I, who has the nickname of King Lionheart. The monarch, who was later known as the Knight King, was beloved by the British. In particular, his rivalry with The Egyptian Mahatma Saladin during the Crusades was talked about by future generations.
However, if we leave the aura given by history and look at the king of England again, we will find that under the glory of the knight king, there is a soul that is not very perfect. Some people say that he is neither a good king nor a good courtier or a good son. But even so, he is still missed by England, why is this? Today we will interpret the contradictory story of the legendary king.
I. Richard the Lionheart's original sin
From the royal genealogy of the Plantagenet dynasty in England, we can clearly see that Richard the Lionheart was not actually the first heir to the throne of his father Henry II, and it can even be said that in Henry II's later years, although two of his four sons had died young, he preferred his youngest son John, who was also the landless king John who later succeeded Charles I.
Richard the Lionheart was able to ascend to the throne because he rebelled in the later years of Henry II and eventually defeated his father, Henry II, who was also severely hit by this defeat. The pain of being betrayed by his loved ones and the defeat of the war caused the founding emperor, who was famous in The history of England, to die of grief.
It is also for this reason that Richard the Lionheart has been condemned by his conscience since he ascended the throne. Before his death, he made a will to divide his body into three parts, in which the body was buried forever at the foot of Henry II's tomb, and used it to express his repentance.
And his path to rule is even more peculiar. According to historical records, as king of England, Richard I did not know English at all. And his English level is also very supportive. What is even more frightening is that Richard the Lionheart has only visited England twice in his life, and these two times have been in England for less than half a year. Instead, he spent most of his time on the European continent, far from Britain. In terms of the level of traffic at that time, the English Channel was not a natural barrier, and the reason why he was so can no longer be explained by the long distance. In order to raise the military expenses for his crusades, he collected a one-time tax equivalent to two years' income in England, which was a catastrophic plunder for the medieval state at that time.
It was also for this reason that during his reign in England, there were constant rebellions in England, and there were also reasons why his brother John was seduced by King Philip II of France with the intention of overthrowing himself as king.
So, why is such a king remembered?
2. Richard, Banner of the Crusades
In fact, for Richard the Lionheart, his real rise to fame on the continent came after the start of his tit-for-tat war with saladin, the Egyptian military god. At that time, the Crusades were already in their third place. At this stage, the kingdom of Jerusalem, which had been established in Jerusalem, was already in jeopardy under the attack of Egypt, and in this case, the Pope began to call for a third crusade.
However, the well-prepared crusade was unfavorable from the start. At that time, the three most powerful countries on the European continent were England, France, and the Holy Roman Empire. After the first two countries began in The Orthodox Period, there were serious conflicts over territorial issues, and they almost fell into a fire. Frederick, the king of the Holy Roman Empire with a red beard, accidentally fell off his horse and drowned while crossing the river. The leaderless Shenluo army of the dragons also stopped at this. For a time, the entire European world was almost disappointed in this crusade.
At this time, Richard I made a name for himself with an almost miraculous record. On the one hand, he captured the Byzantine rebel territory of Cyprus with a thousand men as a forward base during the Crusades, and on the other hand, he commanded the attacking Coalition forces in the Battle of Arsu to defeat the Saxon cavalry, leaving Saradin helpless in Europe.
In the years that followed, the battle between him and Saladin became the only bright spot in the entire Crusades. At that time, the scramble for Jerusalem was almost the common wish of the entire Christian world, and it was from this moment that Richard I became the king of England who was revered by the English people. After this, even when King Henry VI of Shenluo took him as a hostage and demanded huge compensation from England, there was no longer any objection from all over England. The local people did almost everything in order to welcome back the king of the knights.
Third, the charisma of Richard I's personality
Of course, if it is only the merits of the Crusade, then we have no way of explaining how the Lionheart king was fanatically sought after by future Generations of English. In fact, his own charisma is the reason why he will be remembered by future generations.
Unlike other sages in English history, Richard I was more of an imperfect ordinary man, with an impulsive and irritable personality and lustful habits that did not alienate everyone. On the contrary, against the background of these shortcomings, his advantages are more and more tall.
The death of the monarch was also dramatic. After his return from the Crusades, he decided to continue his expedition to France in retaliation for King Philip II's instigation of the rebellion of his brother John during his departure. In order to raise military funds, he once again began to plunder, during which time he coveted the rumored treasures in the shalu fort of Limozan, his vassal. So he personally led the siege of the city but was shot in the shoulder blade by a crossbow arrow. He eventually died of mishandling. Before his death, he pardoned the crossbowman who had shot him because he was "avenging his father and brother who had been killed by him." He believes that his death was an accident of the battlefield conquest, and he cannot blame anyone, and this clear-cut personality is also his most commendable point.
In fact, some argue that the most important reason why he wanted to pass the throne to John, who was at odds with him, was to fulfill his father's last wishes, other than that he had no heirs. From this point of view, the king who almost killed his father was not as cold-blooded as people thought.
This can be seen from one of his knights. William Marshall was the most trusted knight of his father Henry II, known as the chief knight of England, and his private virtues were equally respected. After henry II's death, he threw himself into the lionheart and remained loyal to his death. If Richard the Lionheart was indeed a tyrannical and unscrupulous man, I am afraid that the chief knight would not swear allegiance to him.
epilogue
Today, at the entrance of the Palace of Westminster, the British Parliament Building, there is still a bronze statue of King Richard I of England, the king of knights riding a horse and a sword, who is still the protector of the English people.
It can be said that this lionheart king, whose life is full of contradictions and betrayals, is still essentially a pure general. He ruled England with a slightly paranoid attitude, while also bringing immense pride and pride to the country.
bibliography:
1. The Legend of heroes and knights - The Lionheart and Saladin
2. "Gentleman's Culture and Chivalry"
3. General History of Europe