Richard Plantagenet, King of the Romans; second son of John, King of England; born Jan. 5, 1209. For some years he acted with the English barons, to many of whom he was closely related by his marriage with Isabel, Countess of Gloucester, daughter of the Earl of Pembroke. In 1240-1241 Richard was away on a crusade, and the next year he was with his brother in Gascony; and in 1244 he marred Sanchia of Provence, sister of Queen Eleanor, and this second marriage drew him away from the baronage. In 1257 he was elected by a majority titular king of the Romans, and was soon afterward crowned at Aix-la-Chapelle. In the great struggle which took place between Henry III. and his nobles Richard at first acted as a peacemaker. Subsequently, however, he sided with his brother against Simon de Montfort; and he was taken prisoner at Lewes, and imprisoned for a year, till the battle of Evesham (1265) set him free. In 1267 he was a third time married, to Beatrice, niece of the Elector of Cologne. Richard died at Kirkham, Dec. 12, 1271.
Entry from Everybody's Cyclopedia,
1912. | 
