The
Plantagenet, King Richard I, was born in Oxford (Beaumont Palace) in 1157. His
father Henry II, had been born in Le Mans, France. His mother, was Eleanor of
Aquitaine.
There
is a hidden plaque commemorating this event to be found on the corner of Walton
and Beaumont Street in Oxford. It is opposite Worcester College and close to
the Ashmolean Museum and the Randolph Hotel. I believe it was erected by Alan
Brown, a former Vice-Provost of Worcester College. The plaque was hit by a
vehicle in 2003.
Richard
ruled England as King for ten years but was hardly ever in England. The
Lionheart is criticized for showing a lack of interest in England during his
reign. He spent much of his time fighting crusades in the Holy Lands or in
France. When he was absent from England, his mother generally ran the
administration with her counsel.
They
say Richard spoke no English but French and Occitan, a language very similar that
spoken in Catalonia. He's reputed to have said that he didn't like living in
England because it was cold and always raining, but England was just one of
many territories under his thumb. His wife and Queen, Berengaria of Navarre,
never set foot on English soil during her marriage even though she was the
Queen of England. He spent a year in captivity in Austria being held for
ransom. He died after being shot with a crossbow bolt in his left shoulder in
March 1199 while he was attacking a castle in France. The wound wasn't
considered fatal but gangrene set in and he died aged 41.
The
lad that shot King Richard, was a Limousin boy referred to as Pierre Basile.
They say that before he died, Richard ordered that Basile suffer no punishment,
but his orders were ignored and Basil was flayed alive and then hanged. The lad
had claimed that he shot King Richard in revenge for him killing his father and
two brothers.
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