Eleanor of Aquitaine
Third Crusade and journey to Italy (1189–1191)

On 13 August 1189, Richard sailed from Barfleur to Portsmouth and was received with enthusiasm, proceeding from there to Winchester to meet Eleanor. At this time, Eleanor's two surviving sons were unmarried, raising questions about succession. However, on 29 August, Prince John carried out his father's wishes, marrying his cousin Isabella, to whom he had been betrothed in 1176. On 3 September Richard was crowned at Westminster Abbey, with Eleanor and John in attendance. Following the coronation, Richard was preoccupied with a long planned participation in the Third Crusade, and on his first absence from the kingdom in November on a pilgrimage, appointed Eleanor regent. On his return he made more formal arrangements, prior to his more prolonged departure for the crusade on 12 December, appointing as custodians his justiciar Hugh de Puiset together with William de Longchamp as summi justifiarii. Although Eleanor had no formal appointment in England during this time, they deferred to her authority. On 2 February 1190, Eleanor joined Richard at the Chateau of Bures, Normandy, where he continued to make preparations, and a family conclave was held at Nonancourt with John in attendance at which arrangements for the administration of England in the King's absence were finalised.

Meanwhile, although John had married, the question of succession still remained, and in particular the problem of Alys to whom Richard was betrothed yet had been in a relationship with his father, but was also King Philip's half-sister. It was during the spring of 1190 that negotiations began with the Navarrese House of Jiménez regarding Berengaria, daughter of Sancho VI of Navarre, though such an alliance would require the approval of Philip in breaking Richard's betrothal. Such an alliance would serve the purpose of stabilising matters in Gascony. However, Richard and Philip finally departed on their crusade on 4 July 1190. Once Richard had set off, Eleanor sent Prince John to England while she travelled to Navarre, meeting the twenty-five-year-old Berengaria and her father at Pamplona. From there, she escorted Berengaria to Sicily, where Richard had arrived at Messina. In Messina, Richard found that his sister Joanna, widowed since November 1189, was being held prisoner. He was also in conflict with Philip, partly over the matter of Alys, as a result of which Eleanor's ship was refused landing at Messina and had to proceed to Brindisi. By March 1191, Richard had secured Joanna's release, and joined Eleanor and Berengaria at Reggio, from where the latter was placed in Joanna's care. Richard then confronted Philip with the matter of Alys' relationship with Henry II as the reason for breaking the betrothal, and Philip promptly departed for the Holy Land prior to the arrival of Eleanor in Messina.

By the time Eleanor had reached Sicily, stories of misrule and conflict in England between Longchamp and Prince John had emerged. Walter de Coutances, Archbishop of Rouen, was appointed to reestablish royal authority in England, and he and Eleanor began their return journey after only four days, departing on 2 April 1191 for Salerno. From there they travelled to Rome, arriving on the 14th to meet with the new Pope, Celestine III, to obtain his approval of appointing Walter de Coutances over William de Longchamp, who also served as a papal legate.

On 10 April 1191, Richard and Berengaria together with Joanna left Sicily, with the women on a separate ship, bound for Outremer, but storms diverted them to Cyprus where Richard and Berengaria were married on 12 May at Limasol, and Berengaria was crowned. They then sailed to the Holy land on 5 June, arriving at Acre on the 8th, which Richard captured. King Philip abandoned the Crusade on 2 July and returned to France, but in the meantime Richard had found himself in conflict with Duke Leopold of Austria, an event which would have serious consequences for him later.
combination:two_responses, oulipo:avoid_letter[a], punctuation:no_comma