Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall
| Richard | |
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Seal of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, recto. On his shield he displays the Royal arms of England
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| King of the Romans | |
| Reign | 13 January 1257 – 2 April 1272 |
| Coronation | 27 May 1257 |
| Predecessor | William II of Holland |
| Successor | Rudolph I of Germany |
| Earl of Cornwall | |
| Successor | Edmund, 2nd Earl |
| Born |
5 January 1209 Winchester Castle, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 2 April 1272 (aged 63) Berkhamsted Castle, Hertfordshire, England |
| Burial | Hailes Abbey, Gloucestershire |
| Spouse |
Isabel Marshal Sanchia of Provence Beatrice of Falkenburg |
| Issue See details |
Henry of Almain Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall Sir Richard of Cornwall |
| House | Plantagenet |
| Father | John, King of England |
| Mother | Isabella of Angoulême |
Richard (5 January 1209 – 2 April 1272), second son of John, King of England, was the nominal Count of Poitou (1225-1243),Earl of Cornwall (from 1225) and King of Germany (from 1257). He was one of the wealthiest men in Europe and joined the Barons' Crusade, where he achieved success as a negotiator for the release of prisoners and assisted with the building of the citadel in Ascalon.
He was born 5 January 1209 at Winchester Castle, the second son of John, King of England and Isabella of Angoulême. He was made High Sheriff of Berkshire at the age of only eight, was styled Count of Poitou from 1225 and in the same year, at the age of sixteen, his brother King Henry III gave him Cornwall as a birthday present, making him High Sheriff of Cornwall. Richard's revenues from Cornwall helped make him one of the wealthiest men in Europe. Though he campaigned on King Henry's behalf in Poitou and Brittany, and served as regent three times, relations were often strained between the brothers in the early years of Henry's reign. Richard rebelled against him three times, and had to be bought off with lavish gifts.
In 1225 Richard traded with Gervase de Tintagel, swapping the land of Merthen (originally part of the manor of Winnianton) for Tintagel Castle. It has been suggested that a castle was built on the site by Richard in 1233 to establish a connection with the Arthurian legends that were associated by Geoffrey of Monmouth with the area. The castle was built in a more old-fashioned style for the time to make it appear more ancient. Richard hoped that, in this way, he could gain the Cornish people's trust, since they were suspicious of outsiders. The castle itself held no real strategic value.
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