Richard, Earl of Cornwall

Richard (5 January 1209 - 2 April 1272) was Count of Poitou (bef. 1225), Earl of Cornwall (from 1227) and King of Germany (formally "King of the Romans") (from 1257).

He was the second son of King John "Lackland" and Isabella of Angouleme, and thus, the younger brother of King Henry III; although all other mediaeval lords of Cornwall have been known as "Earl" (or, later, "Duke"), as he is most known to history through continental accounts his version of that title has come down to us in a French-derived rendering ("Count," as opposed to Earl).

In 1257, he was elected by three German Electoral Princes known as the "English party" (Cologne, Mainz and Palatinate) as King of Germany.

He was buried at Hayles Abbey , which he had founded.

Marriages

He married three times:

• On 30 March 1231 to Isabel Marshal , widow of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Hertford , and daughter of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke. She died in childbed 17 January 1240.

• On 23 November 1243 to Sanchia of Provence , daughter of Raymond Berenger IV, count of Provence. She died 9 November 1261.

• On 16 June 1269 to Beatrice de Falconburg, daughter of Dirk II, Count of Falconburg . There were no children.

Issue

Isabel bore him four children, all of whom died in the cradle, except Henry of Almain (1235-1271), Richard's heir apparent. Henry was the victim of the famous murder at Viterbo, when he was cut down while praying in a church by his cousins, Simon the younger de Montfort and Guy de Montfort, Count of Nola.

Richard's successor was his son by Sanchia, Edmund, Earl of Cornwall (1249-1300) but he too died childless. Thusly Richard's only descendants are via his illegitimate son (Richard de Cornwall) by Joan de Vautort (or Valletort).