Sons of the Lion - A Richard I Timeline

Sons of the Lion - A Richard I Timeline


Richard I


Richard I of England (1157 – 1199) was the king of England from 1189 to 1199. He is sometimes called Richard the Lionheart. Richard was the son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. As the third son and not expected to inherit the throne, he was a replacement child.In 1168 he became Duke of Aquitaine.


Richard was one of the leaders of the Third Crusade against Saladin, which never actually succeeded. During his journey, he conquered Sicily and Cyprus. He fought in the Battle of Acre and the Battle of Arsuf. In the end, as he was unable to win back Jerusalem from the Muslims, he decided to return back home to England. On his way back from the Crusade, Richard was captured by the Germans and the English people had to pay a huge ransom to set him free. He was considered a very brave and noble king, but he did not spend a lot of time in England - only six months of his eleven year reign were spent in his country.


Ida of Boulogne, his wife gave birth to a four sons, (Henry(1192), Geoffrey(1194) and William(1196)) and Stephen the Posthumous(1199) and two daughters, (Alix(1189) and Matilda(1193)), he married Ida of Boulogne instead of his betrothed Alix of France on 1188.


On 1195 he had an arranges for an alliance of England and Aragon against France, on 1196, marrying his niece Berengaria of Castile to Peter II of Aragon, her suitors, Alfonso IX and Conrad of Swabia were compensated, Alfonso IX married Matilda of Brittany(1185) and Conrad of Swabia married Eleanor of Brittany(1184), daughters of his deceased brother Geoffrey of Brittany, this would lead to the Aragonese to acquire Castile on the death of Berengaria’s two brothers.


He died on March of 1199 after being shot with a crossbow during a siege on a castle. His remains were buried at different places. His body was buried at Fontevraud Abbey near Saumur in France, as are his father and mother. His internal organs were buried at Chalus, near Limoges in central France. His heart was buried in the Notre Dame Cathedral at Rouen.


His children would remain on Normandy, Philip would recognize the rights of the children to the lands in France and crown of England, however, John would usurp the Kingdom of England.
 
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I'm not sure an earlier marriage, with children and away from Alais of France (and so in contravention of Angevin - French treaty) creates so few changes in the life of the Lionheart. It certainly seriously changes the politics of France and the Vexin.
 
Berengaria of Castile

Berengaria's first engagement was agreed in 1187 when her hand was sought by Conrad, Duke of Rothenburg and fifth child of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. The next year, the marriage contract was signed in Seligenstadt, including a dowry of 42000 Maravedí. Conrad then marched to Castile, where in Carrión the engagement was celebrated and Conrad was knighted. Berengaria's status as heir of Castile when she inherited the throne was based in part on documentation in the treaty and marriage contract, which specified that she would inherit the kingdom after her father or any childless brothers who may come along. Conrad would only be allowed to co-rule as her spouse, and Castile would not become part of the Empire. The treaty also documented traditional rights and obligations between the future sovereign and the nobility.


The marriage was not consummated, due to Berengaria's young age, as she was less than 10 years old. Conrad and Berengaria never saw each other again. By 1191, Berengaria requested an annulment of the engagement from the Pope, influenced, no doubt, by third parties such as her grandmother Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was not interested in having a Hohenstaufen as a neighbor to her French fiefdoms.


On 1194, Richard requested a release for Berengaria of Castile and offered Eleanor of Brittany as the replacement bride for Conrad, Conrad would marry Eleanor of Brittany on 1195.


A Marriage between Peter III of Aragon and Berengaria of Castile on 1195 is arranged and an allegiance between England and Aragon was made, making Berengaria unavailable to marry Alfonso XI who was seeking her as his second wife after his divorce.


On 1198, the recently divorced Alfonso XI would marry Matilda(Mafalda) of Brittany as his second wife.


Berengaria and Peter II had 6 Children

Eleanor(1196)

Constance(1198)

Alfonso III(1200)

Peter(1202)

Berengaria(1203)

James(1210)


In 1214, on the death of her father, Alfonso VIII of Castile, the crown passed to his only surviving son, Berengaria's 10-year-old brother, Henry I. Their mother Eleanor assumed the regency, but died 24 days after her husband. Berengaria, now heir presumptive again, replaced her as regent. At this point internal strife began, instigated by the nobility, primarily the House of Lara. They forced Berengaria to cede regency and guardianship of her brother to Count Álvaro Núñez de Lara.


In 1216, an extraordinary parliamentary session was held in Valladolid, attended by such Castilian magnates as Lope Díaz II de Haro, Gonzalo Rodríguez Girón, Álvaro Díaz de Cameros, Alfonso Téllez de Meneses and others, who agreed, with the support of Berengaria, to make common cause against Álvaro Núñez de Lara. At the end of May the situation in Castile had grown perilous for Berengaria, so she decided to take refuge in the castle of Autillo de Campos, which was held by Gonzalo Rodríguez Girón (one of her allies) and sent her son Ferdinand to the court of his father. On 15 August 1216, an assembly of all the magnates of Castile was held to attempt to reach an accord that would prevent civil war, but disagreements led the families of Girón, Téllez de Meneses, and Haro to break definitively with Álvaro de Lara.


On 1217, she would abdicate the throne of Castile to her son, Alfonso IX of Castile, later who would also inherit Aragon as Alfonso III.


She would remain the regent and advisor of her son till her death on 1246.
 
I'm not sure an earlier marriage, with children and away from Alais of France (and so in contravention of Angevin - French treaty) creates so few changes in the life of the Lionheart. It certainly seriously changes the politics of France and the Vexin.
That is my plan for his life to go like in OTL but with Children and a few arranged marriages the major butterflies would happen after 1200..
 
Alys of France, Countess of Pointheu

Alys was the half-sister of Marie and Alix of France, Louis's children by Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the younger sister of Margaret of France. Just five weeks after Constance died giving birth to Alys, Louis married Adèle of Champagne, by whom he had two further children, including the future Philip II of France.


In January 1169, Louis and Henry II of England signed a contract for the marriage between Alys and Henry's son Richard the Lionheart. The 8-year-old Alys was then sent to England as Henry's ward.


In 1177, Cardinal Peter of Saint Chrysogonus, on behalf of Pope Alexander III, threatened to place England's continental possessions under an interdict if Henry did not proceed with the marriage. There were widespread rumors that Henry had not only made Alys his mistress, but that she had borne him a child. Henry died in 1189. King Richard married Ida of Boulougne on 1188, while still officially engaged to Alys.


Alys would have a known surviving son with Henry II of England named Henry on 1189, dashing any possible marriage with Prince John.


Alys married William IV Talvas, Count of Ponthieu, on 20 August 1195, and had two daughters: Marie, Countess of Ponthieu, and Isabelle and a stillborn son: Jean.
 
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