Berengaria of Navarre | |
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Queen consort of England | |
Tenure | 12 May 1191 – 6 April 1199 |
Coronation | 12 May 1191 |
Born | c. 1165–1170 |
Died | 23 December 1230 (aged 59–65) |
Spouse | |
House | Jiménez |
Father | Sancho VI of Navarre |
Mother | Sancha of Castile |
Berengaria of Navarre (Basque: Berengela, Spanish: Berenguela, French: Bérengère; c. 1165–1170 – 23 December 1230) was Queen of England as the wife of Richard I of England. She was the eldest daughter of Sancho VI of Navarre and Sancha of Castile. As is the case with many of the medieval English queens, little is known of her life.
Traditionally known as "the only English queen never to set foot in the country", she may in fact have visited England after her husband's death, but did not do so before, nor did she see much of Richard during her marriage, which was childless. She did (unusually for the wife of a crusader) accompany him on the start of the Third Crusade, but mostly lived in his French possessions, where she gave generously to the church, despite difficulties in collecting the pension she was due from Richard's brother and successor John after she became a widow.