Was KIng Richard French?

Question

I have done some family research an aparantly my family descends from king richard the lion heart. But as I took a deeper look into the history of king richard it said he was french. Is that true?
P.S. for the love of god i hope its not true, because then that means i have some french in me.

Answer 1

Richard was Norman ,which means he was descended from Viking stock.He only visited England rarely.Spent many years abroad.If you have to have some French in you ,that's the best kind.Plus Normandy is a gourgeous place.

Answer 2

Richard the Lionheart was the son of Henry II Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Henry II was descended from William the Conqueror. William was Duke of Normandy (a region of France) before he became king of England.

Eleanor was Duchess of Aquitaine (another French region). Before Henry, she was married to the Dauphin (crown prince) of France.... I can't remember whether she was still married to him when the Dauphin became king. Eleanor left the French guy (Phillipe something, if I'm not mistaken), for Henry II. By all accounts they were very much in love, despite the fact that Eleanor was 10 years older than Henry.

A footnote: After the Norman conquest, not only was the royal house of French descent (diluted through the a couple of generations on English soil), but all the nobles were too. The latter were William's cohorts who travelled with him to England, and were rewarded with English lands and titles for their troubles.

These many generations later, the French in YOU would be very, very diluted. As compensation, I'd think it would be grand to be descended from Eleanor. She is one of the most extraordinary historical figures. Amongst other things, she went on crusade with Henry, and she raised a huge ransom to free Richard the Lionheart when he was kidnapped on his way back from yet another crusade. I don't recall anything about Richard's progeny. All I recall is that he was engaged to the King of France's daughter for eons!!

Answer 3

He is the son of one of the most powerful women in French history, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Before Eleanor was Queen of England, she was Queen of France.
So yes, it looks like you have French in you, but this is centuries ago, and the French blood would be so diluted, it wouldn't be enough to consider yourself part French (unless you have a more recent French relative). Besides, to be a descendant of Eleanor of Aquitaine is quite an honour. She was a remarkable, intelligent and courageous woman.

Answer 4

Richard I was the son of Henry II, who was born at Le Mans, France, and was also Duke of Normandy. Richard was born in England of French parents, and was himself Duke of Aquitaine and Poitiers (both French regions) before becoming king of England.

Answer 5

Yes he was, Although born in England , he lived most of his life in France. He lived more years away from his kingdom than he was in it. In that time The English Crown had lots of territories in France, Normandy, Anjou, Aquitaine, Poitiers, Touraine and Gascony. His mother Eleanor of Aquitaine was French ( in fact a former Queen of France) and His father Henry II is the first of the Plantaguenet Kings and was raised in Anjou

Answer 6

Yes all the kings of England were french at that time. He only spent about six months in England in his whole life.
He is buried in his homeland of France.

Answer 7

Yes. Both of his parents were French but his father inherited the English throne.

Answer 8

Lol...He was the King of England, there may have been some French blood, but he (I believe)was mainly English

Answer 9

he was born in england, but has french blood in him,