Think of Richard I and several images are perhaps conjured up: a medieval military hero, the hard-hearted and wayward son portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in The Lion in Winter (1968), or the namesake lion at the end of Disney’s animated film Robin Hood (1973).

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Richard’s personal and political lives have captivated the public since his own time, when rumours abounded about his behaviour and his rule (1189–99) and have served to create a legendary status around him. But behind the legend lies someone much forgotten: his wife, Berengaria of Navarre, who was queen of England from 1191–99. How did the wife of someone as famous as the Lionheart fade into obscurity?

Authors

Gabrielle Storey is a historian, writer, and consultant specialising in medieval and public history. She is the editor of Memorialising Premodern Monarchs: Medias of Commemoration and Remembrance and the author of a forthcoming biography of Berengaria of Navarre, queen of England. She has also written several public and open access academic pieces related to Angevin queenship and gender and sexuality.

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