Philip of Cognac
Encyclopedia
Philip of Cognac was an illegitimate son of Richard I of England
by an unidentified mother.
Philip had reached adulthood by the end of the 1190s. His father married him to his ward, Amelia, the heiress of Cognac
in Charente
. However, when she died without issue, Richard kept the castle, and handed it over to his seneschal
, Robert of Thornham
.
The king was mortally wounded during the suppression of a revolt by Viscount Aimar V of Limoges
in 1199, and died without legitimate heirs. The chronicler Roger of Howden claimed that later that same year,
No other source corroborates this, or explicitly indicates that Aimar of Limoges's death was a violent one. However, Guiraut de Bornelh's planh
(lament) for him, Planc e sospir, does suggest his death was unexpected.
A further reference to Philip is found in the Pipe Rolls
for 1201 of his uncle, John of England
: "Et Philippo f. R. Ricardi 1 m. de dono R." ("And to Philip, son of King Richard, one mark as a gift"), but nothing later. It seems likely that he died early in the 13th century.
depicted him as Philip the Bastard in his play, The Life and Death of King John. In this, he is the son of Lady Faulconbridge, widow of Sir Robert Faulconbridge, and learns of his true paternity in the first scene:
However, as mentioned above, nothing is known of the real Philip's mother. Shakespeare's character is essentially a fictional creation, who shares a name and a father with his historical counterpart.
Another highly fictionalised version of Philip, played by Stephen Moyer
, figures as the romantic hero of Princess of Thieves
(2001), a made-for-TV Disney
adventure for young viewers, in which Keira Knightley
plays Gwyn, the daughter of Robin Hood
. This follows the tradition, begun by John Mair
and popularised by Walter Scott
, of assigning the Hood legends to Richard's reign. In this, Robin Hood, his daughter and the outlaws help Philip win the throne from his uncle John, and Philip and Gwyn fall in love.
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
by an unidentified mother.
Philip had reached adulthood by the end of the 1190s. His father married him to his ward, Amelia, the heiress of Cognac
Cognac
Cognac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right...
in Charente
Charente
Charente is a department in southwestern France, in the Poitou-Charentes region, named after the Charente River, the most important river in the department, and also the river beside which the department's two largest towns, Angoulême and Cognac, are sited.-History:Charente is one of the original...
. However, when she died without issue, Richard kept the castle, and handed it over to his seneschal
Seneschal
A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
, Robert of Thornham
Robert of Thornham
Robert of Thornham was an English soldier and administrator. The namesake of his landowner father, he was the younger brother of Stephen of Thornham. Robert made his reputation in connection with the conquest of Cyprus in 1191 during the Third Crusade. On order of King Richard I, he led half the...
.
The king was mortally wounded during the suppression of a revolt by Viscount Aimar V of Limoges
Aimar V of Limoges
Aimar V Boso was the Viscount of Limoges, a petty nobleman in the Loire valley in the Duchy of Aquitaine.Born in Limoges, Aimar was orphaned at a young age and raised by his relatives among the southern French aristocracy...
in 1199, and died without legitimate heirs. The chronicler Roger of Howden claimed that later that same year,
- "Philip, illegitimate son of King Richard of England, to whom the aforesaid king his father had granted the castle and honour of Cognac, slew the previously mentioned Viscount of Limoges in vengeance for his father."
No other source corroborates this, or explicitly indicates that Aimar of Limoges's death was a violent one. However, Guiraut de Bornelh's planh
Planh
The planh or plaing is a funeral lament used by the troubadours, modeled on the medieval Latin planctus. It differed from the planctus in that it was intended for a secular audience...
(lament) for him, Planc e sospir, does suggest his death was unexpected.
A further reference to Philip is found in the Pipe Rolls
Pipe Rolls
The Pipe rolls, sometimes called the Great rolls, are a collection of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, or Treasury. The earliest date from the 12th century, and the series extends, mostly complete, from then until 1833. They form the oldest continuous series of records kept by...
for 1201 of his uncle, John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
: "Et Philippo f. R. Ricardi 1 m. de dono R." ("And to Philip, son of King Richard, one mark as a gift"), but nothing later. It seems likely that he died early in the 13th century.
Philip in fiction, drama and film
The sparsely-documented historical Philip of Cognac has been developed in literature. William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
depicted him as Philip the Bastard in his play, The Life and Death of King John. In this, he is the son of Lady Faulconbridge, widow of Sir Robert Faulconbridge, and learns of his true paternity in the first scene:
- Madam, I would not wish a better father.
- He that perforce robs lions of their hearts
- May easily win a woman's.
However, as mentioned above, nothing is known of the real Philip's mother. Shakespeare's character is essentially a fictional creation, who shares a name and a father with his historical counterpart.
Another highly fictionalised version of Philip, played by Stephen Moyer
Stephen Moyer
Stephen Moyer is an English actor who has starred as vampire Bill Compton in the HBO series True Blood since 2008.-Early life and career:Moyer was born in Brentwood, Essex...
, figures as the romantic hero of Princess of Thieves
Princess of Thieves
Princess of Thieves is a romantic action-adventure TV movie starring Keira Knightley, produced by Granada Productions in 2001 and first broadcast on The Wonderful World of Disney on ABC in the United States that same year...
(2001), a made-for-TV Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
adventure for young viewers, in which Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Knightley born 26 March 1985) is an English actress and model. She began acting as a child and came to international notice in 2002 after co-starring in the film Bend It Like Beckham...
plays Gwyn, the daughter of Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
. This follows the tradition, begun by John Mair
John Mair
John Mair was a Scottish philosopher, much admired in his day and an acknowledged influence on all the great thinkers of the time. He was a very renowned teacher and his works much collected and frequently republished across Europe...
and popularised by Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
, of assigning the Hood legends to Richard's reign. In this, Robin Hood, his daughter and the outlaws help Philip win the throne from his uncle John, and Philip and Gwyn fall in love.
Sources
- "Comptes d'Alfonse de Poitiers" in Archives historiques du Poitou, vol. 4 (Poitiers, 1872) (available via external link to Gallica).
- John Gillingham, Richard Cœur de Lion: Kingship, Chivalry and War in the Twelfth Century (London, 1994).
- John Gillingham, Richard I (Yale, 1999).
- Oliver de Laborderie, "L'image de Richard Cœur de Lion dans La Vie et la Mort du roi Jean de William Shakespeare", in Janet L. Nelson (ed.) Richard Cœur de Lion in History and Myth (London, 1992).
- Pipe Roll for the Third Year of the Reign of King John.
- Roger of HowdenRoger of HovedenRoger of Hoveden, or Howden , was a 12th-century English chronicler.From Hoveden's name and the internal evidence of his work, he is believed to have been a native of Howden in East Yorkshire. Nothing is known of him before the year 1174. He was then in attendance upon Henry II, by whom he was sent...
(ed. William StubbsWilliam StubbsWilliam Stubbs was an English historian and Bishop of Oxford.The son of William Morley Stubbs, a solicitor, he was born at Knaresborough, Yorkshire, and was educated at Ripon Grammar School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated in 1848, obtaining a first-class in classics and a third in...
), Chronica, 4 vols. (London, 1868-71) (available via external link to Gallica).