I protested to Richard that these acts could undermine his future as King. He had begun so well by releasing the people from prisons. He reminded me that that was my act. I said I had done it for him and he had seen how it had enhanced his popularity. The people had been ready to welcome him when he came home; but there were murmurings now. If there was one thing calculated to alienate the people, it was excessive taxation.
His reply alarmed me. He said: “I would sell London itself if I could find a buyer.”
It might be that the people were more disillusioned because they had expected so much. They had believed they were getting a more benign sovereign than Henry; now they were beginning to see that what they had thought of as Henry’s harsh rule was for the good of the country, whereas everything Richard wanted was for the good of his crusade.
Preparations went on with speed. Richard’s methods were bringing in the money. There was talk of little else but what military equipment would be needed. The fleet was being assembled.
I could not help comparing this with the crusade in which I had joined. Whenever I was with Richard, he would insist that I talk to him of my adventures. He was determined that the Third Crusade should be the one to bring final victory. He did not want to return until Jerusalem was in Christian hands. I was anxious about him, for, in spite of his magnificent looks, he was not as strong as might be expected. He had suffered from that distressing ague for a long time. He had tried to hide it but it was not always possible to do so; and I remembered the hardships I had suffered during my adventures in that inhospitable land.
I had always loved him so entirely—from the moment he first lay in my arms, a beautiful child even on the day of his birth—that it was hard for me to see faults in him.
I did find myself constantly comparing him with Henry. I had to admit that Henry had had very special qualities. He had been bedeviled by his need for women. I had often noticed how preoccupation with sex can impair people’s careers. Not that Henry allowed it to interfere disastrously with his; but if it had been less important to him and had allowed him to remain faithful to me, our partnership could have brought us both much good, I was sure.
Henry had made those two vital mistakes in his life, of course—the bestowing of an archbishopric on Becket and a crown on his son Henry. Even so, he would never have made the mistakes Richard was making now.
I saw them clearly and I wanted to stop him; but I knew Richard’s obstinacy. He had one thought now and that was to go on a crusade. I must not try to impede him. Let him go; and when he returned he would be a good King. Meanwhile I must hold the kingdom for him.
I was very worried about John. Rumors were circulating, and I guessed John was at the source of them. It was being said that Richard wanted to be King of Jerusalem ... and in that event John would be King of England.
How I wished that Richard had never taken the cross, that he had been content to rule over his possessions at home!
He was ready to sail by spring. He left the country in the charge of Longchamp as Chancellor and Hugh Puiset, Bishop of Durham, both of whom had paid highly for their appointments. I, of course, was to be at the head of affairs.
But I did not intend to remain in England. I had been captive so long and I was finding freedom sweet. Uppermost in my mind was the need to see Richard married. I was anxious about the succession. I knew John had his greedy eyes on the crown; but there was one who came before him, and that was my grandson Arthur, Duke of Brittany, the son of Geoffrey who had been born after his death; as Geoffrey had been older than John, his son came before John.
I thought Henry’s illegitimate son Geoffrey might have had pretensions too. Henry had made so much of him and on his deathbed, when this Geoffrey was the only son who remained faithful to him, he had said something about his being his only true son.
A country without an heir is in danger. Richard was now thirty-three years old, an age when a King should be married and have produced several heirs. Of course, the circumstances of Alais’s connection with Henry had been the cause of the present position, but I believed it should be remedied without delay.
I tried to get Richard to pay some attention to this all-important matter, but it was quite difficult to draw his attention from the crusade.
“Richard,” I said firmly, “you must marry.”
He looked absent-minded. “Oh, that can wait until I return.”
“It cannot wait,” I said. “It is imperative that you produce an heir.”
He looked at me steadily for a few moments, then he said: “Dear Mother, I have no desire for marriage.”
“You ... a King ... can say that?”
“It is true.”
I had heard rumors. There was the passionate friendship with the King of France. “The King likes better to toy with his own sex than with women.” That had been said. I had refused to accept it then. He was so good-looking, so essentially masculine.
He read my thoughts. He said: “It is so. You see, women have little attraction for me.”
I said: “Your friendship with Philip Augustus ... you were lovers?”
“You could say that.”
“I see,” I said slowly. “But that does not prevent your marrying and having a child. There have been other cases ...”
“I suppose it will have to be done.”
“Of course it will have to be done. There is a crown to think of. Imagine what would happen if you did not have an heir. Think of John on the throne of England!”
“Arthur is the heir to the throne.”
“A young boy. Do you think the people will want him! He is a foreigner. You know how the English hate foreigners.”
“They could call me that.”
“No. Not with your fair looks. They say you are the perfect Englishman.”
“Who has lived so little in England.”
“You must remedy that, Richard. When this crusade is over ... Oh, I wish to God it had not been necessary to do it so soon.”
“It was when the call came.”
“But your marriage. What of this Berengaria of Navarre? You mentioned her once. I thought you had taken a fancy to her.”
“I did. I do not want marriage ... but if it were necessary ...”
“It is necessary. We must approach Sancho for Berengaria.”
“What of Alais?”
“She shall go back to France. Philip Augustus must understand that in view of what has happened you can not make her your Queen.”
“He will expect it.”
“Then he must needs do so. I must arrange this marriage with Berengaria.”
Richard did not answer. I guessed his thoughts were elsewhere. But I began to plan vigorously.
I was a little taken aback by what he had admitted. True, it was not exactly a surprise to me. It was something which had been in my mind for some time, and because I had not wanted to admit it, I had allowed it to remain a vague suspicion.
Men had such leanings but they did not prevent their begetting a family, which they must do if they were kings. I could see that Richard was going to be very lackadaisical about marriage, and it was my duty to see that it took place as soon as possible. I was certainly not going to wait until his return from the crusade.
There was only one course open to me. I must go to Navarre. I must bring Berengaria out with me, and we must meet up with Richard somewhere and get them married.
For a woman of my age this was an undertaking which might prove a little daunting. But I was no stranger to the hardship of crusading, and though at the time when I suffered from this I had said I never wanted to do it again, this was my duty. Richard must be married with as little delay as possible. And as Berengaria was the only marriageable woman for whom I had heard him express a liking, Berengaria it must be.