Queen Berengaria: The Queen Who Never Set Foot in England
Berengaria of Navarre holds a unique place in British history—she was the only Queen of England who never actually visited England.
Berengaria married King Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) in 1191 while he was on crusade in Cyprus. Their marriage was strategic and politically motivated, but it was far from traditional. After their wedding, Berengaria accompanied Richard for part of his Crusade but never returned with him to England—in fact, she never even saw the country she was queen of.
Richard spent very little time in England himself, and after his death in 1199, Berengaria lived out her days in France. She is remembered as a devout and charitable woman, but her reign was marked more by absence than influence.
Her story is a fascinating reminder that even queens could be outsiders to the realm they were meant to represent.
