The book recounts Richard I inspecting a siege without full armor and mocking a defender who used a frying pan as a shield. A different crossbowman then struck the king near the shoulder, and a surgeon worsened the injury while removing the bolt. Richard learned that the shooter was a boy seeking revenge for relatives the king had killed, forgave him, and ordered his release with money. After Richard died in Eleanor of Aquitaine's arms, the boy was nevertheless flayed and hanged. The contrast separates Richard's final act of mercy from Eleanor's retribution. A closing legend says Henry II's corpse bled when his hostile son approached.
Notable Point · 6:39-7:48
Richard I's death, mercy, and revenge
Richard I's fatal siege wound becomes a story about royal clemency, Eleanor of Aquitaine's harsher enforcement, and hostile memory within the Angevin family.