How long did richard the lionheart reign for

Legend has it that Robin Hood was an outlaw living in Sherwood Forest with his 'Merry Men' - but did he really exist and if so, how much of the legend is true?

But was he really one of the greatest kings of England — or one of the worst? Published: November 5, Related articles. The History of the Magna Carta. The importance of Magna Carta and the signing by King John in The Longbow. Next article. Robin Hood History of England Legend has it that Robin Hood was an outlaw living in Sherwood Forest with his 'Merry Men' - but did he really exist and if so, how much of the legend is true?

With the death of Henry the Young King, Richard was now the eldest son and heir to the English crown, but still he continued to fight his father.

Roger of Hoveden wrote: " The King of England was struck with great astonishment, and wondered what [this alliance] could mean, and, taking precautions for the future, frequently sent messengers into France for the purpose of recalling his son Richard; who, pretending that he was peaceably inclined and ready to come to his father, made his way to Chinon, and, in spite of the person who had the custody thereof, carried off the greater part of his father's treasures, and fortified his castles in Poitou with the same, refusing to go to his father.

There are allusions to the book of Samuel's depiction of Jonathan and David in this passage, but the politics of the relationship are Hoveden's chief concern. In exchange for Philip's help against his father, Richard promised to concede to him his rights to both Normandy and Anjou. Richard did homage to Philip in November of the same year. With news arriving of the battle of Hattin, he took the cross at Tours, in the company of a number of other French nobles.

The following year, Richard attempted to take the throne of England for himself by joining Philip's expedition against his father. Henry, with John's consent, agreed to name Richard his heir. Roger of Hoveden claimed that Henry's corpse bled from the nose in Richard's presence, which was taken as a sign that Richard had caused his death.

He was officially crowned duke on 20 July and king in Westminster on 3 September. Anti-Semitic violence When Richard I was crowned King of England, he barred all Jews and women from the ceremony apparently a concession to the fact that his coronation was not merely one of a king but of a crusader , but some Jewish leaders arrived to present gifts for the new king.

According to Ralph of Diceto, Richard's courtiers stripped and flogged the Jews, then flung them out of court. When a rumour spread that Richard had ordered all Jews to be killed, the people of London began a massacre. Many Jews were beaten to death, robbed, and burnt alive.

Many Jewish homes were burned down and several Jews were forcibly baptised. Some sought sanctuary in the Tower of London , and others managed to escape. Roger of Howeden, in his Gesta Regis Ricardi , claimed that the rioting was started by the jealous and bigoted citizens, and that Richard punished the perpetrators, allowing a forcibly converted Jew to return to Judaism. Archbishop of Canterbury Baldwin of Exeter reacted by remarking, "If the King is not God's man, he had better be the devil's," a reference to the supposedly infernal blood in the Angevin line.

Realising that the assaults could destabilize his realm on the eve of his departure on crusade, Richard ordered the execution of those responsible for the most egregious murders and persecutions. Most of those hanged were rioters who had accidentally burnt down Christian homes. He distributed a royal writ demanding that the Jews be left alone. However, the edict was loosely enforced, as the following March there was further violence, including a massacre at York.

Crusade plans Richard had already taken the cross as Count of Poitou in Having become king, Richard and Philip agreed to go on the Third Crusade together, since each feared that, during his absence, the other might usurp his territories. Richard swore an oath to renounce his past wickedness in order to show himself worthy to take the cross.

He started to raise and equip a new crusader army. He spent most of his father's treasury filled with money raised by the Saladin tithe , raised taxes, and even agreed to free King William I of Scotland from his oath of subservience to Richard in exchange for 10, marks.

To raise even more money he sold official positions, rights, and lands to those interested in them. Son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine , Richard was born in England but spent the majority of his life either fighting abroad or living in the duchy of Aquitaine.

In , he joined his brothers and mother in a rebellion against his father, and in they defeated a fatally ill Henry, just days before his death. Barely able to stay on his horse, Henry reluctantly named Richard as his heir. Within a year of his coronation, Richard had left for the Third Crusade — intended to recapture Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land from the Muslim sultan Saladin.

He had to return to England as his brother, John, was plotting against him by stirring up rebellion and forming an alliance with Philip II of France. Remarkably, the enormous ransom of , marks — roughly three times the income the English Crown — was raised, and Richard was released in