Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke

Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare , called Strongbow (* 1130 in Tonbridge , Kent , England , † April 20, 1176 in Dublin , Ireland ), was 2nd Earl of Pembroke , Lord of Striguil , Lord of Leinster and Marshal of England. He became known as a military leader on the campaign to Eastern Ireland from 1169 to 1171 under King Henry II of England .

origin

Richard came from the Norman noble family Clare , who came to England with William the Conqueror . He was the son of Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke (also called Gilbert FitzGilbert de Clare ), and his wife Isabel de Beaumont. His uncle was Richard FitzGilbert de Clare .

Life

After the death of his father in 1148 he inherited his title and the possessions in Wales , which he lost again in 1168. However, he was appointed by King Henry II to prepare a campaign to Ireland. He was supposed to support Dermot MacMurrough , the king of the Irish sub-kingdom of Leinster , in regaining his rule against Irish rebels. In 1170 he crossed from England to Ireland and conquered Waterford and Dublin . Richard married Aoife , daughter Dermot MacMurroughs, that same year .

The Marriage of Aoife and Strongbow (1854) by Daniel Maclise , romanticizing depiction of the marriage between Aoife MacMurrough and Strongbow

But Strongbow had become too powerful for Henry II of England. He therefore called back his troops. When Dermot MacMurrough died without a male heir, Richard, called Strongbow, was his successor from the right of his wife ( iure uxoris ). This began the rule of the Anglo-Normans in Ireland. But an uprising broke out immediately, which Richard was only able to suppress with great difficulty. He had to seek the help of Henry II, who stripped him of all offices in 1171 and who himself carried out a campaign to Ireland in 1172.

In 1173, however, the king was again dependent on Strongbow's help when his sons Heinrich the Younger , Richard the Lionheart and Gottfried rebelled against their father. Strongbow was reinstated and defended his holdings against the Irish insurgents.

When Strongbow died in 1176, the title passed to his underage son Gilbert , who died in 1185 at the age of 12. The title was later reassigned to his daughter Isabel's husband , Sir William Marshal , who founded the second line of the Earls of Pembroke .

Web links

• Richard de Clare "Strongbow" at fmg.ac (English)
• Richard FitzGilbert de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke on thepeerage.com

predecessor	Office	successor
Gilbert de Clare	Earl of Pembroke 1148-1176	Gilbert de Striguil
New title created	Earl of Buckingham 1164-1176	Title expired
Gilbert de Clare	Marshal of England 1148-1176	John Marshal