WI: Fleeing Richard I, Philip Augustus of France died when the bridge over the River Epte collapsed?

In OTL, Philip II of France was fleeing Richard the Lionheart when the bridge over the River Epte collapsed. He didn’t drown, but he could have. Instead, the peace process between Richard and Philip dragged out and Richard eventually went to put down a rebellion that ultimately led to his death.

What if instead, Philip had drowned when the bridge collapsed?
 
One thing to consider is that France is left with a 12 year old Louis VIII as it’s king now in the middle of a war that England has been winning. Assuming Richard doesn’t get himself killed by accident as in OTL, how does the war play out between Richard and Louis VIII?
 

trajen777

Banned
As a great positive spin i would suggest this:
1. He would have bee 36 years old
2. After the death of Phillip he drives on Paris. His allies in Germany, Navarre, and Flanders also drive in a concentrated force over their respective French provinces.
3. Richard takes Paris and is made the protector and guardian of France for Louis VII.
4. Richard calls for the 4th Crusade and brings Louis VII with him as a grand united front to celebrate the united allied country a call for 1197 (2.5 years forward).
5. Using the Pope and the priests they call forward the GREAT CRUSADE.
6. Under this great banner money is raised, ships prepared, armies trained
7. Using Richards plan they land in Egypt and capture it utilize the great force and tactics which Richard had used to defeat Saladin in the past. This is Discipline, crossbow, longbow, knights, and trained infantry.
8. The crusade attacks the un united arabs and takes Damascus, Jers., and Aleppo. Creating the new KOJ. However this time they have the finances of Egypt behind them.
9. The wealth of Egypt (Richards share), the Aura of rebuilding the KOJ, and the "unfortunate: death of the Louis (dies in a charge in the front of the line next to Richard), has Richard on his return combining England with France.
10 At 40 he has his first child. Richard Dies at 63 with his son marring into the major house of France.
 
OK I think Trajen's idea is wildly optimistic and involves literally EVERYTHING going Richard's way. Not entirely ASB but would be next to impossible to get to. So let's just sidestep most of it for the time being. At the very least Philippe II's death means a regency and all the instability that comes with it. So for the next decade (at the very least) the Angevin realms are secure from French aggression. The question now is what does this mean for the Angevin realms. Would Richard be able to rule well in peacetime or would he try for another Crusade? If the Crusade then that in itself is highly significant, as Richard would automatically be the Leader of the 4th Crusade and block the Venetian usurpation. So this means no Sack of Constantinople and a better organized army for the war. Whether or not that makes a real difference in the Levant/Egypt is anyone's guess (personally I don't have a lot of confidence in any plan to conquer Egypt), so I will leave that part to those with more knowledge of the region than I.
 
Richard was in love with the idea of Crusading and I feel like once he had dealt with France and with his brother John and his bastard half brothers, he would have gone on another Crusade.

I see him dragging John and his bastard siblings on this Crusade though instead of leaving them in England where they started trouble during Richard’s first Crusade.
 
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