Page "Richard I of England" Paragraph 76

Richard died on 6 April 1199 in the arms of his mother ; it was later said that " As the day was closing, he ended his earthly day.

" Due to the nature of Richard's death, he was later referred to as ' the Lion ( that ) by the Ant was slain '.

According to one chronicler, Richard's last act of chivalry proved fruitless ; in an orgy of medieval brutality, the infamous mercenary captain Mercadier had the crossbowman flayed alive and hanged as soon as Richard died.