Richard I, king of England from 1189, also ruled as Duke of Normandy. He was known as Richard the Lionheart* because of his reputation as a military leader and warrior.
In 1193, Richard was sitting at dinner in his palace at Westminster when he received tidings that King Philip of France had entered Normandy, and was besieging his town of Vernoil. He protested in these words: "I will never turn my back until I have confronted him and fought with him." For performance of his princely word, he caused an opening to be made in the wall directly towards the south, made his way through it immediately, and proceeded to Portsmouth. The report of his sudden arrival in Normandy so terrified the French that they raised the siege and retired.
理查一世一一八九年登上英格蘭王位，並以公爵身分，統治諾曼第，由於善用兵，而且作戰英勇，世稱「獅心王理查」。
一一九三年，理查在威斯敏斯特王宮進餐，手下來報說，法國國王菲力浦已率軍入諾曼第，並圍攻理查的韋爾努瓦城。理查誓言：「我和菲力浦對壘交鋒之前，絕對不會轉過身去。」為履行這王者之言，他下令在朝南的牆上開一個洞，立刻從洞中走過，逕赴樸次茅斯港。法軍驟聞理查來到諾曼第，大驚失色，解圍而去。
*Richard the Lionheart的Lionheart，改為形容詞Lionhearted也可以。