With the knowledge that his end was near, Richard summoned his mother, and nominated his brother John as heir to the throne of England and all of his other lands. On Thursday, April 9, 1199, awaiting the arrival of Eleanor, he died. Hailed in his own lifetime as the greatest crusader of his age, the man who devoted his life to deeds of knightly prowess met his end in a relatively trivial conflict over a mere bauble. Smith, Goldwin. A History of England. New York: Scribners, 1966. Appleby, John. England Without Richard: 1189-1199. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1965. In his examination of available and reliable manuscripts from the era, Gillingham explores the notion that Richard's motivation for the siege of Chalus-Chabrol was not the trivial errand of retrieving treasure but rather the aversion of a potentially dangerous revolt. The Viscount of Limousin had been holding castles against Richard. Richard had begun a tour of the renegade castles, attacking each one individually and then moving on to the next. Few doubted that his military measures would be anything but successful, with grave consequences for the rebels. Richard's actions were, therefore, the perfectly appropriate response of a monarch deeply attentive to the concerns of his realm. Upon his release, Richard made his second and final visit to England. During the two months of his stay, Richard was re-coronated by the new Archbishop of Canterbury. He also learned of the conspiracy between his brother John and his fellow crusader, Philip Augustus, to capture his Kingdom. Richard began to plan for the repair of his damaged empire, reconquer lost territory and plot the punishment of Philip. He would pursue these ends for the next five years. Brooke, Christopher. From Alfred to Henry III: 871-1272. New York: Norton, 1961. |
