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Richard the Lionheart, the third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, was born in Oxford in 1157. While still a child, he was granted the duchy of Aquitaine. Encouraged by his mother, in 1173 Richard joined his brothers Henry and Geoffrey in the rebellion against their father.

When Henry II died in 1189, Richard was the eldest surviving son and therefore became king of England, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou. Soon afterwards, Richard took part in the Third Crusade. Considered to be the best military commander in the Christian world, his army managed to defeat Saladin, the Muslim leader, at Arsuf in 1191.

On his way home Richard was captured by Duke Leopold of Austria. While his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was busy raising the £70,000 ransom money, Richard's younger brother John tried to seize the throne. Richard was released in 1194 and he spent the next couple of years winning back the territory he had lost while he had been away.

In 1199, while carrying out a siege on a castle, Richard was killed by a crossbow bolt. Richard did not have any children and before he died he arranged for his younger brother John to inherit the throne.