Naus, JamesJanish, Tessa AlexandriaWenz, Andrea2026-07-172026-07-172026-01-01https://hdl.handle.net/10323/22126The character of Richard the Lionheart (r. 1189-1199) remains prevalent in the national legend of medieval England. Images of the king as a valiant knight have bled into the popular perception of the country’s past, prompted by legendary literature such as Richard Coeur de Lyon. In part, these legends find their origins in the narrative chronicles contemporary to Richard, many favoring his kingship over that of his peers. Previous scholarship, analyzing these sources for their adherence to truth, argues for and against Richard’s capabilities as king. This thesis, instead, examines narrative sources as cultural artifacts to explain why Richard was distinguished from his contemporaries, despite his questionable kingship. In analyzing the Estoire de la Guerre Sainte and the Itinerarium Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis Recardi, this thesis argues that crusade chroniclers idealized Richard to bolster Angevin kingship amid power struggles with the French at the turn of the twelfth century.ChroniclesCrusade narrativesEstoire de la Guerre SainteItinerarium Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis RicardiRichard IThird Crusade