Richard 1 (1157-1199)

Most families have family stories but, bewa they not always true! Most people have heard of Richard the Lionheart who met Robin Hood, the outlaw, in Sherwood Forest but is there any truth to this? In fact Richard 1, known as Richard the Lionheart, reigned over England for ten years (1189-1199), but spent less that 6 months in England! He barely spoke a single word of English and hated the English weather. He once said he would sell London, if only he could find someone to buy it!

The story of Richard meeting Robin Hood was created by Sir Walter Scott in his novel Ivanhoe, first published in three volumes in 1820. It was a romantic adventure story, with Saxon knights struggling to live alongside their Norman conquerors under King John. Scott inadvertantly invented the Christian name Cedric when he misspelled the original Saxon name Cerdic in his novel Ivanhoe!




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