Why Did Richard the Lionheart Go on Crusade?
Richard I of England took the cross and led the English army in the Third Crusade for a complex mixture of personal, political, and religious reasons. The best modern biographies are John Gillingham’s Richard the Lionheart (1978) and Jonathan Phillips’s The Life and Legend of Richard the Lionheart (2015); both are good on the question of motivation. The king’s decision was made in 1187, in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin, and it was influenced by the crusading spirit of the age, by his rivalry with Philip II of France, and by his genuine religious devotion. The decision had enormous consequences for Richard personally: he was absent from his kingdom for almost four years, and he spent the rest of his reign fighting to recover the territories he had lost during his absence.
For the broader context, see the main article on Richard the Lionheart and the main article on the Third Crusade.
The Religious Factor
The most important reason for Richard’s decision was religious. The fall of Jerusalem to Saladin in October 1187 was a profound shock to the Latin West, and the response was immediate. The bull Audita tremendi of Pope Gregory VIII, calling for the Third Crusade, was widely circulated, and the preaching of the Crusade produced an enormous response across Europe. Richard, who had been raised in the cult of chivalry and who was deeply religious, was moved by the call to arms.
The religious dimension of Richard’s decision is also evident in his personal conduct during the Crusade. He is reported to have attended mass daily, and he showed great reverence for the Holy Places. His famous song “Ja nus hons pris,” written during his captivity in Austria, includes lines that reflect his deep religious devotion: “I am not angry with anyone, lord, if I am held captive, for whoever has no mercy deserves no mercy.”
The Political Factor
The political dimension of Richard’s decision was also important. His rivalry with Philip II of France, which had been developing for years, was a major factor. Both kings had taken the cross in 1188, and the question of who would lead the Crusade was a matter of intense competition. Richard, who had the resources of England and his duchy of Aquitaine, was determined to take the leading role.
The political dimension was also important for Richard’s relations with his father, Henry II. Richard had taken the cross in opposition to his father’s wishes, and the relationship between them was already difficult. Henry feared that Richard’s absence would undermine royal authority in England and would give Philip the opportunity to expand French power. Richard, for his part, was determined to prove himself as a soldier and as a king.
The Personal Factor
The personal factor was also important. Richard was raised in the court of his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, which was a center of chivalric culture. He had been duke of Aquitaine since 1168, and he had spent much of his career fighting the rebellious barons of the south. He was, in short, a hardened soldier who wanted to prove himself in the greatest military enterprise of the age.
The personal factor is also evident in the stories that circulated about Richard. He was a man of great courage, and he was eager to test himself against the Muslim enemy. The famous incident in which Richard refused to acknowledge the surrender of Saladin’s brother al-Adil at the siege of Acre, reportedly saying “I would have him hanged first, and his head sent to Saladin,” is characteristic of the king’s combative personality.
The Legacy of Richard’s Decision
Richard’s decision to go on Crusade had enormous consequences for his reign. He was absent from England from 1190 to 1194, and his absence gave Philip II the opportunity to take advantage of the situation. The French king attacked Richard’s continental territories, and by 1194, when Richard returned to England, the duchy of Normandy was under serious threat.
The decision also had consequences for Richard’s finances. He raised the enormous sum of 100,000 marks to pay his ransom after his capture in Austria, more than twice the annual revenue of the English crown. The money was raised by a combination of taxation, the sale of offices, and the seizure of church property. The Saladin Tithe of 1190, which Richard imposed before his departure, was a significant innovation in royal taxation.
The decision also had consequences for Richard’s reputation. He became one of the most famous figures in medieval history, celebrated for his military skill and his personal courage. The legend of Richard the Lionheart, the ideal of Christian chivalry, became a powerful image in Western culture. The historical Richard was more complex, but the legend has been remarkably durable.
Richard’s decision to go on Crusade was a complex combination of religious devotion, political calculation, and personal ambition. The fall of Jerusalem, the rivalry with Philip, and his own chivalric ideals all contributed. The consequences of the decision were enormous, both for Richard personally and for European history more broadly. Richard’s Crusade remains a powerful reminder of the complexity of the Crusading movement.