English monarch King Richard I, also known as Richard Lionheart, was BOTD in 1157. Born in Oxford, he was the third son of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. His mother’s favourite, he was given her inheritance, the duchy of Aquitaine when he was 11. In 1873, he and his brothers spent led an unsuccessful rebellion against Henry, who invaded Aquitaine twice before Richard conceded defeat. On the deaths of his elder brothers, Richard became heir to the English throne in 1189. Henry demanded that Richard yield Aquitaine to his youngest brother John. Richard refused, asking for help from King Philip II of France to drive Henry’s troops out of Aquitaine. Humiliated by his defeat, Henry died soon after, and Richard returned to England to be crowned king. He showed little interest in ruling, departing England soon after his coronation to fight in the Third Crusade, spending much of Henry’s fortune and selling sheriffdoms to fund an army. En route, he made military conquests in Sicily and Cyprus, and married French princess Berengaria, a strategic alliance to annex the kingdom of Navarre. After successful campaigns in ʿAkkā, Arsūf and Joppa (in modern-day Israel), giving Christians free access to the Holy Land, Richard was captured on his return to England and imprisoned by the Holy Roman Emperor. Massive taxes were raised in England and France to pay his ransom, and he was released in 1194. He spent the remainder of his reign defending his French territories against his former ally Philip of France, leaving England in the hands of Hubert Walter, the Archbishop of Canterbury. After laying seige to the vicomte of Limoges, he was wounded in battle, dying in 1199 aged 41. Richard and Berengaria had no children, and he was succeeded by his younger brother John. Despite, or possibly because of his absence from England, Richard was widely admired by his subjects, named “Lionheart” as a tribute to his bravery, and became the subject of ballads and myths, notably the story of Robin Hood. 20th century historians have been more critical of Richard’s reign, citing his poor governance, brutality in battle and bankrupting of the country to fund his wars. His possible bisexuality has been extensively debated, as have rumours of a possible romance with his frenemy Philip of France.