Even in his own time, King Richard personified all the ideals of knighthood. His legend is intertwined with that of King Arthur, whose sword Excalibur he wore. King of England, warrior, ruler and violent killer; six feet tall, with flaming red hair and beard – and a passion for poetry, he was also a master strategist at a time when Europe's dynasties were engaged in a vicious struggle for power. But his heroic life took a fateful turn when – at age 35 – he wore the wrong clothes in the wrong place at the wrong time...