British History Coin Pack 

Richard I and Richard III

Product History

Richard I (1189-99) - Richard "The Lion Heart" spent only five months of his ten year reign on English soil. The rest of his time was spent in baronial wars in Normandy and Anjou in France, at that time part of his kingdom as well as England, or crusading in the Holy Land. He was imprisoned in Germany for more that a year and released after payment of 100,000 marks. Richard had no successor and so the crown of England passed to his brother John after Richard died of war wounds.

Richard III (1483-85) - Edward V was 12 when he came to the throne in 1483. His brother Richard was 9. Their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, won the Regency over their mother Queen Elizabeth, and induced her to surrender her sons to him and promptly imprisoned them in the Tower of London. Shortly afterwards the princes were murdered. Richard took the throne amidst a cloud of suspicion, and treachery was rife among his own followers. Richard was a great soldier and led his troops from the front during the War of the Roses. He died battle axe in hand at the Battle of Bosworth.

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