Berengaria of Navarre

Berengaria of Navarre
Effigy of Berengaria in the chapter house of L'Épau Abbey, Le Mans, which she founded
Queen consort of England
Tenure12 May 1191 – 6 April 1199
Coronation12 May 1191
Bornc. 1165–1170
Died(1230-12-23)23 December 1230 (aged 59–65)
Spouse
(m. 1191; died 1199)
HouseJiménez
FatherSancho VI of Navarre
MotherSancha 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.