The King of England and Cyprus?

Hey Guys,

After looking over my notes on the Crusades I read over about how Richard I of England captured Cyprus from the Byzantine dissenter there. But he sold it to the Knights Templar, who then sold it to the King of Jerusalem.

But in this thread I want to ask the question, what if Richard hadn't sold it to the Knights Templar? What if he didn't sell it to anyone? And thus when it became another Crusader State he was made the 'King of Cyprus'. How would this affect him on the 3rd Crusade with his army? And if he stayed as the King of Cyprus who would be his heir etc. if no one (i.e. Byzantine Empire) attacks the island.
 
Hey Guys,

After looking over my notes on the Crusades I read over about how Richard I of England captured Cyprus from the Byzantine dissenter there. But he sold it to the Knights Templar, who then sold it to the King of Jerusalem.

But in this thread I want to ask the question, what if Richard hadn't sold it to the Knights Templar? What if he didn't sell it to anyone? And thus when it became another Crusader State he was made the 'King of Cyprus'. How would this affect him on the 3rd Crusade with his army? And if he stayed as the King of Cyprus who would be his heir etc. if no one (i.e. Byzantine Empire) attacks the island.

And do what with it??? Cyprus was far from England... Besides Cyprus was right next door to Byzantine Empire and Richard would risk war or rebellion if an Emperor decided to reclaim the island...
 
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And do it what??? Cyprus was far from England... Besides Cyprus was right next door to Byzantine Empire and Richard would risk war or rebellion if an Emperor decided to reclaim the island...
Well I was thinking that Richard could use it as a base of operations due to its proximity with the Crusader States. Due to Richard being away from England for most of his reign anyway.
 
Well I was thinking that Richard could use it as a base of operations due to its proximity with the Crusader States. Due to Richard being away from England for most of his reign anyway.

True... But he risks rebellions from local people which would disrupt any military expedition in th Holy Lands and a possible invasion by any strong Byzantine Emperor who wishes to restore the island (and its resources) to the Empire...
 
It would be bad for solid government in both England and in the sprawling Angevin lands in France - I'd maybe expect the French Crown's recovery of those lands to be accelerated compared with OTL.

Cyprus with Richard in residence, though - he was a brilliant and somewhat restless commander, so I can imagine him leading a number of successful campaigns in the eastern Mediterranean.
 
Well I was thinking that Richard could use it as a base of operations due to its proximity with the Crusader States. Due to Richard being away from England for most of his reign anyway.

Richard wasn't fighting a perpetual crusade his entire reign. He went on crusade, got captured during his return, and spent the rest of his life fighting in france.

I don't think that a western European state can hold Cyprus in the long term unless they have a long-term vested interest in doing so, and even then it probably isn't worth it. Sooner or later, it probably gets sold to the Byzantines, or Jerusalem, or maybe the venetians or somebody else. Or it rebels. A western bastion on cyprus would be intersting, but I don't think the english have any real reason or ability to do so. Venice might take over ahead of schedule, I suppose. France, Aragon, or Sicily might have the capability, if they get more involved in the Crusades.
 
Richard wasn't fighting a perpetual crusade his entire reign. He went on crusade, got captured during his return, and spent the rest of his life fighting in france.

I don't think that a western European state can hold Cyprus in the long term unless they have a long-term vested interest in doing so, and even then it probably isn't worth it. Sooner or later, it probably gets sold to the Byzantines, or Jerusalem, or maybe the venetians or somebody else. Or it rebels. A western bastion on cyprus would be intersting, but I don't think the english have any real reason or ability to do so. Venice might take over ahead of schedule, I suppose. France, Aragon, or Sicily might have the capability, if they get more involved in the Crusades.

The nature of things in the late 12th century meant that if Richard held on to Cyprus, he would be governing it as a separate realm, not as an add-on to the Kingdom of England. It's possible he would draw English or French settlers to Cyprus, but it would really be unlikely to become a colony in the post-1500 sense of the word.
 

terence

Banned
Richard got hold of Cyprus by accident.
He was an enthusistic homosexual, but when his bride-to-be Berengaria of Navarre was shipwrecked on Cyprus and she and her entourage were poorly treated, Richard, true to the Medieval traditions of chivalry, purity and truth went totally ape-shit, smashed Komnenos's army, laid waste to and looted the Island, sold the Island's elite into slavery and generally acted like any Crusader would.
As he was always short of cash, flogging the stinking dump ( yes, I have been there) to the 11th C equivalent of the Bank of Scotland made sense.
 
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