Richard, Duke of Bernay

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Richard
Duke of Bernay
House	Norman dynasty
Father	William I the Conqueror, King of the English
Mother	Matilda of Flanders
Born	c.1054 Normandy, France
Died	c.1081 (aged c. 27) New Forest, England
Burial	Winchester Cathedral

Richard, Duke of Bernay was the second son of William the Conqueror, and a potential heir to the English throne. However, Richard predeceased his father, and the throne was eventually inherited by his brother William II "Rufus".

Richard was born in 1054 in Normandy, France, a son of William (at that time merely Duke of Normandy) and Matilda of Flanders. He is often referred to as the Duke of Bernay, part of his father's continental possessions, but this is a mistake based on the interpretation of an inscription on his tomb which was also intended for the Earl Beorn.^[1] His older brother, Robert Curthose, was effectively exiled after rebellion, leaving Richard as the leading claimant to the English throne.

However, Richard was never to be King. In 1081, on a trip over the channel to his father's Kingdom, the young Duke went hunting in the New Forest. The exact nature of the accident is unknown, but Richard was mauled and killed by a stag, leaving his younger brother William Rufus as claimant. He was taken from the forest and buried at Winchester Cathedral. In a twist of fate, William was himself killed in the New Forest nearly twenty years later.

Richard's brother, Henry is suspected of having something malicious to do with the accident, in an effort to keep the throne for himself.^[2]

[edit] Sources

Richard, Duke of Bernay House of Normandy Born: 1054 Died: 1081
English royalty
Preceded by Robert Curthose	Heir to the English Throne as heir apparent 1077 - 1081	Succeeded by William Rufus

[edit] References

• Online Peerage