Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) is King of England from July 6, 1189 until his death.
He also rules as Duke of Normandy (as Richard IV), Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period.
He is known as Richard Cœur de Lion, or Richard the Lionheart, even before his accession, because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior.
The Saracens call him Melek-Ric or Malek al-Inkitar – King of England.
By the age of sixteen, Richard has taken command of his own army, putting down rebellions in Poitou against his father, King Henry II.
Richard is a central Christian commander during the Third Crusade, leading the campaign after the departure of Philip II of France and scoring considerable victories against his Muslim counterpart, Saladin, although he does not reconquer Jerusalem.
Richard speaks the langue d'oïl and the langue d'oc and spends very little time in England (he lives in his Duchy of Aquitaine in the southwest of France, preferring to use his kingdom as a source of revenue to support his armies).
He is seen as a pious hero by his subjects.
He remains one of the few kings of England remembered by his epithet, rather than regnal number, and is an enduring iconic figure in England and France.
