Richard the Lionheart and King John were the two youngest sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, both coming to the throne due to having outlived their elder male siblings. Popular perceptions of the two brothers have been shaped by the dramatic events of their reigns, the in-part mythologised accounts of contemporary chroniclers and by historians’ interpretations of these.
Typically, Richard’s exploits as a crusader king have been seen as heroic and successful, whereas John has been criticised as a tyrannical and ineffective monarch, who provoked a disastrous baronial rebellion. In some instances, the claims of Richard’s heroism and John’s tyranny are at odds with the available facts, and in others, there seems to be abundant evidence. This article compares the two kings and how they have been perceived.
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