he sole heir to the Angevin Empire which reached from the Scottish border to the Pyrenees Mountains.
The political volatility of the middle ages required that all monarchs had to be prepared at all times to defend their territories. Because of this reality, Henry II was constantly traveling throughout his empire in order to crush rebellions, battle ambitious, neighboring kings, and attend to the tasks of governing. As a result, throughout his adolescence, Richard rarely saw his father. Richard was raised under his mother's care.
Few specifics are known about his formal education. It is evident, however, that he was an apt pupil. He was comfortable enough in Latin to be able to crack jokes at the expense of the Archbishop of Canterbury. He wrote poetry in both French and Provencal, composed songs and even gave instructions to the choir at the royal chapel (Gillingham 33). He quickly mastered the art of horsemanship, an essential part of his education as a member of a high social class. He excelled, and even sought recreation, in sports and such military arts as fencing, wrestling, running, javelin throwing and fighting on horseback.
Richard gained his political and moral education through the chivalrous tales sung by the minstrels. Their Chansons de geste t
...