“God in Heaven, who is responsible for this?” — King Richard
King Richard the Lionheart is the English king who led his men during the Third Crusade.
Background
Prior to the siege of Acre, he kept 3,000 Muslim prisoners, both military and civilian, hostage as a way to negotiate with Saladin. But Dante, in his fanatic-driven bloodlust, slaughters them all by the time King Richard returned to be horrified at the aftermath of the massacre which Francesco took the blame for on Dante's behalf. Enraged, the King ordered Beatrice's brother to be executed.
Trivia
- Richard is considered one of the greatest military tacticians, and at the time of the Crusades was matched only by his adversary, Saladin. Unlike most leaders of the time (including Saladin), Richard led from the front.
- King Richard I of England was a member of the House of Plantagenet, a family whose noble heritage originated in France.
- Despite being crowned King of England and Duke of Normandy, among other titles, many historians now believe that King Richard the Lionheart never learned to speak a word of English.
- Despite being enemies, Richard had an immense amount of respect for Saladin, and vice versa. Even though they fought several battles against each other, the two men never met face-to-face, a fact they both regretted to their dying days.
- He is voiced by H. Richard Greene in the animated film.