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Richard's subsequent behaviour leaves open the possibility of all kinds of interpretations.19
TWO DOVES IN A CAGE
In any case, Berengaria and Joanna struck up an immediate friendship "like two doves in a cage". The princess was committed to the chaperonage of Joanna, and an exemption was made - at Eleanor's insistence - for the two women to accompany the men on Crusade until a suitable time and place could be arranged for the marriage.
Not wasting time, Eleanor set sail once more on April 2, intending to pass through Rome in order to confirm Geoffrey as archbishop of Canterbury. Geoffrey and John had been causing further trouble in England, of which Richard was well aware. A dispute between John and the chancellor at this time led Richard to dispatch William Marshal and a number of his other senior nobles back to England, where they were to try to resolve the jostling for power.20
Eleanor arrived in Rome at the moment when a new pope was being consecrated as Celestine III. She knew everybody in Europe who counted, and Celestine was one of those who did count for much. Celestine had previously been well treated by her husband Henry, something of which she no doubt reminded him. She also carried with her the double persuasion of her assistant the archbishop of Rouen, sent by Richard to accompany her, and letters authorising her to act on his behalf.
The pope did as she wished: he confirmed Geoffrey as archbishop, thus permanently removing him from the contest for the crown, and he also gave a secret legateship to the archbishop of Rouen, which placed him above Ely.21
Eleanor was herself in danger during her stay in Rome, for Richard's new great enemy, the Emperor Henry, arrived at the moment she was leaving. But she managed to evade him, or perhaps, given the lack of communications in that era, their entourages never encountered each other.
Her business well in hand, the queen returned with the coming Spring across the Alps to Rouen, a vantage point from which she could watch developments in the realm where she was now empress in all but title.
Meanwhile, the king's fleet, the greatest ever seen in Sicily, sailed towards destiny.
Over 180 ships of all sizes, festooned with flags and streamers, left Messina on April 10, 1191, laden with the treasures of Joanna seized back from the usurper by Richard. Richard had received nearly 40,000 pieces of gold in return for Joanna giving up her claim to Sicily. Alas, Joanna never saw much of the money: her brother spent most of it adding to his fleet and fighting his wars. Berengaria, on the other hand, was greatly enriched as a result of her betrothal. A new custom had arisen whereby women were entitled to one third of their husband's property as a dower: she had settled on her while at Messina vast areas of land in the heartland of the Angevin kingdom, that is all the land beyond the Garonne in Gascony. As well, she was to inherit domains in England, Normandy, Touraine, the Maine and Poitou on the death of her mother - in - law.22
Thus, Richard paid great tribute to Berengaria. As well, in honour of his fiancee, Richard had created a new order of knighthood, of which 24 members were instituted: the Knights of the Blue Thong, so named for a strip of blue leather tied to their left legs. Such an order would have been one of the very earliest special orders of knights, of which there were to be many more, and better known, in subsequent centuries. And in a martial acknowledgment of Berengaria's presence, the decks of all the ships were crowded with men at arms, in bright surcoats and shining armour, their spears glinting above their heads, one of those instants of pure chivalry for which the Middle Ages had a special genius.
Here was the army of the glorious king who took his name from the lord of beasts, come to rescue Christendom.
Richard's passion for his bride did not, however, extend to sailing in the same ship as her. Berengaria and Joanna went towards the East together in another ship, the Buza de Liuna, a type of vessel known as a dromond. Oddly, Richard of Devizes uses the peculiar formular to describe Berengaria during this voyage: "...the young damsel of Navarre, probably still a virgin..."23
As if in keeping with the majesty of the fleet's awesome progress, one of the greatest tempests ever seen in the Mediterranean struck the fleet, scattering it like children's toys around the sea. The Liuna was driven to take refuge off the coast of Cyprus, a fluke that was to change the whole course of the Crusades.
Cyprus, a rich and verdant island, was at that time occupied by the usurper Isaac Comnenus, claimant to the throne of Constantinople. None of his actions ever show him as being other than blessed with the cunning of the pig, rather than the fox.
When some survivors of the storm struggled ashore on his domain, he had them mistreated and imprisoned. And when Joanna, in the last extremities of the seasickness to which she was naturally prone, an illness accentuated by the storm, begged for water, he dismissed her request. Instead, the emperor invited her to come ashore to "share some wine".
That was Isaac's greatest and fatal error.
The women's ship remained anchored off the island, with the express purpose of alerting Richard when he came by "...to report the misfortune to the King, lest haply, being ignorant of the loss and disgrace, he should pass the place unrevenged."24
Isaac was to learn that the Plantagenet women were no more forgiving of an insult than were their menfolk.
When Richard came up with the dromond on May 6, he flew into the fury that had given him his reputation, immediately rowing ashore armed with a battle axe to begin the wasting of Cyprus.
His revenge was blindingly fast, but thorough and all encompassing. It was all over by May 31, including a dawn attack on the emperor's army, when Richard caught the Greek soldiers sleeping in their beds, and the emperor had to flee naked into the mountains, leaving behind his treasure and his army.
The emperor, his subjects melting from his cause like snow in summer, was forced to
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