Richard Coeur de Lion Trivia Quiz

Answer: Eleanor of Aquitaine

Answer: Henry

Richard's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, in her second marriage, had given two heirs to the throne of England, with Henry (the Young), Richard's elder brother, and Richard himself. She would have two others sons, Geoffrey, and the last, John, born in 1167.

Answer: Thomas Becket was murdered

Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury, was killed, by order of Henry II, King of England, in his Cathedral.

Answer: False

Henry the Young rebelled against his father's authority. He was joined by his brothers Richard and Geoffrey at Paris, at the Court of Louis VII. The three brothers prompted the Barons of Poitou and Aquitaine to take up arms against their king. (And we think the Simpsons are a dysfunctional family!).

Answer: Aquitaine

Richard refused. He had spent the formative years of his life in Aquitaine, bending the recalcitrant province to his will, and was not going to give it up. Richard kept his Duchy and John remained 'John Lackland'.

Answer: Sicily

The two kings decided to winter in Sicily. The time passed quietly and pleasantly enough. But on February 2, 1191, the two kings had a violent quarrel.

Answer: Berengaria of Navarre

In April, Richard sailed, with Berengaria, for Cyprus. On May 12th, three days after they arrived, Richard and Berengaria were married in the Chapel of St Georges at Limassol.

It seems that Berengaria never set foot in England!

Answer: Battle of Arsuf

Answer: Leopold, Duke of Austria

After a difficult voyage brought him back from Marseille to Corfu, and then to Ragusa, he landed with just a handful of fellows in arms. Alas, he was in the estates of his mortal enemy, Leopold, Duke of Austria. Shortly before Christmas 1192, Richard fell into the hands of Leopold who had been warned that the English king was back. Richard was thrown into a dungeon.

A few months after, Leopold sent Richard to a strong castle built high on a mountain-slope overlooking the Danube. This was the castle of Durnstein, at Trifels, in the estates of the Emperor Henry VI.

The whole of Europe knew about his capture. But nothing helped and the European sovereigns as a whole made no secret of their contentment, for Richard was neutralized at last. Alone, Eleanor negotiated her son's ransom and brought it to the Emperor in Cologne. On February 2, 1194, Richard was set free.

Answer: Gangrene

Richard was attacking the fortress at Chalus. A guard saw a small squadron of horsemen below the castle. He fired and his crossbow bolt struck one of the horsemen in the left shoulder. The wounded knight stood up on his stirrups and congratulated the soldier on his dexterity. Richard was the wounded 'knight'.

He dismounted, sat on a rock, to have himself examinated by the doctor. Richard rode back to his quarters, making light of his wound. But it proved difficult to remove the iron arrow-head. Gangrene set in and after a few days Richard knew that he was dying.

He forgave the defenders and Pierre Basile in particular, who had shot him. Thus, the Coeur de Lion died.