Richard I acquired Cyprus in 1191 during the Third Crusade — not by strategic design but by accident. A storm drove several of his ships, including one carrying his betrothed Berengaria of Navarre, onto the island's coast, whereupon the island's ruler Isaac Komnenos seized the survivors and their cargo. Richard responded by conquering the entire island in under three weeks. He sold it first to the Knights Templar, then to Guy de Lusignan when the Templars found it ungovernable. The Denier attributable to Richard's brief Cypriot lordship falls within the narrowest possible window of legitimate authority before the Lusignan dynasty took hold.
Richard I acquired Cyprus in 1191 during the Third Crusade — not by strategic design but by accident. A storm drove several of his ships, including one carrying his betrothed Berengaria of Navarre, onto the island's coast, whereupon the island's ruler Isaac Komnenos seized the survivors and their cargo. Richard responded by conquering the entire island in under three weeks. He sold it first to the Knights Templar, then to Guy de Lusignan when the Templars found it ungovernable. The Denier attributable to Richard's brief Cypriot lordship falls within the narrowest possible window of legitimate authority before the Lusignan dynasty took hold.