Caïd Richard
Encyclopedia
Richard was a kaid
of the curia regis
or diwan of Palermo
during the latter years of the reign of William I of Sicily
and during the regency
of his wife, Margaret of Navarre, for their son William II
. He was already the Great Chamberlain
, or magister camerarius, when William I died in 1166.
Richard was a powerful opponent of the chancellor
s Peter
and Stephen du Perche
during the regency. He represented the palatine officials and the eunuchs, neither of whom Margaret trusted. After Stephen's fall in 1168, a privy council
was formed to advise the regent and Richard was a member and familiaris. In 1169, his complex title was magister regie duane de sectretis qui est super omnes secretos: "master of the royal diwan of secretaries, who is above all secretaries". He was also the treasurer at that time and may have been acting as a sort of ammiratus ammiratorum
.
Richard was sent by the privy council in 1171 to investigate royal property in Messina. He continued to hold his high post in the palace after the regency ended (1172) and until his death, though he took no more part in conspiracy.
Kaid
A kaid or caïd was a title in the Norman kingdom of Sicily. It applied to palatine officials and members of the curia, usually to those who were Muslims or converts from Islam, often eunuchs, but sometimes to others...
of the curia regis
Curia Regis
Curia regis is a Latin term meaning "royal council" or "king's court."- England :The Curia Regis, in the Kingdom of England, was a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics that advised the king of England on legislative matters...
or diwan of Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
during the latter years of the reign of William I of Sicily
William I of Sicily
William I , called the Bad or the Wicked, was the second king of Sicily, ruling from his father's death in 1154 to his own...
and during the regency
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of his wife, Margaret of Navarre, for their son William II
William II of Sicily
William II , called the Good, was king of Sicily from 1166 to 1189. William's character is very indistinct. Lacking in military enterprise, secluded and pleasure-loving, he seldom emerged from his palace life at Palermo. Yet his reign is marked by an ambitious foreign policy and a vigorous diplomacy...
. He was already the Great Chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
, or magister camerarius, when William I died in 1166.
Richard was a powerful opponent of the chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
s Peter
Ahmed es-Sikeli
Ahmed es-Sikeli , baptised a Christian under the name Peter, was a eunuch and kaid of the Diwan of the Kingdom of Sicily during the reign of William I. His story was recorded by his Christian contemporaries Romuald Guarna and Hugo Falcandus from Sicily and the Muslim historian Ibn Khaldun.Peter...
and Stephen du Perche
Stephen du Perche
Stephen du Perche was the chancellor of the Kingdom of Sicily and Archbishop of Palermo during the early regency of his cousin, Queen Margaret of Navarre ....
during the regency. He represented the palatine officials and the eunuchs, neither of whom Margaret trusted. After Stephen's fall in 1168, a privy council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
was formed to advise the regent and Richard was a member and familiaris. In 1169, his complex title was magister regie duane de sectretis qui est super omnes secretos: "master of the royal diwan of secretaries, who is above all secretaries". He was also the treasurer at that time and may have been acting as a sort of ammiratus ammiratorum
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
.
Richard was sent by the privy council in 1171 to investigate royal property in Messina. He continued to hold his high post in the palace after the regency ended (1172) and until his death, though he took no more part in conspiracy.
Sources
- Norwich, John JuliusJohn Julius NorwichJohn Julius Cooper, 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO — known as John Julius Norwich — is an English historian, travel writer and television personality.-Early life:...
. The Kingdom in the Sun 1130-1194. Longman: London, 1970. - Matthew, Donald. The Norman Kingdom of Sicily. Cambridge University Press, 1992.