RICHARD THE LIONHEART
“Once crowned, Richard swiftly renounced his past cruelty and misdeeds to take the cross”
The adult life of Richard I of England – aka Richard Coeur de Lion, aka Richard the Lionheart – can be divided into two clear halves. First, there’s the lengthy struggle for power waged against his father, Henry II. Then, once he ascended the English throne, there’s his ten-year reign, during which time Richard was almost exclusively overseas, either engaged in the bloody Third Crusade (1189-92) or imprisoned during his journey back through Europe; accordingly, during his reign Richard spent no more than
