Philip of Cognac (early 1180s – after 1201) was an

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as '' ...

son of King

Richard I of England Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was overl ...

, 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, France, in Charente. However, when she died without issue, Richard kept the castle, and handed it over to his seneschal,

Robert of Thornham Robert of Thornham (or Robert de Turnham) (died 1211) 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 o ...

. The king was mortally wounded during the suppression of a revolt by Viscount

Aimar V of Limoges Aimar V,(c. 1135 – c. 1199), was a Viscount of Limoges, a nobleman in the Duchy of Aquitaine. Life Born in Limoges around 1135, his family named him Boson, he later adopted the traditional name for the previous viscounts, Aimar. He was orpha ...

in 1199, and died without legitimate heirs. The chronicler

Roger of Howden Roger of Howden or Hoveden (died 1202) was a 12th-century English chronicler, diplomat and head of the minster of Howden in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Roger and Howden minster Roger was born to a clerical family linked to the ancient minste ...

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 Giraut de Bornelh (; c. 1138 – 1215), whose first name is also spelled Guiraut and whose toponym is de Borneil or de Borneyll, was a troubadour connected to the castle of the viscount of Limoges. He is credited with the formalisation, if not the ...

's ''

planh A genre of the troubadours, the or (; "lament") is a funeral lament for "a great personage, a protector, a friend or relative, or a lady."Elisabeth Schulze-Busacker, "Topoi", in F. R. P. Akehurst and Judith M. Davis, eds., ''A Handbook of the T ...

'' (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, King 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.

In fiction

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

depicted Philip of Cognac as "Philip the Bastard" in his play, ''

The Life and Death of King John ''The Life and Death of King John'', a history play by William Shakespeare, dramatises the reign of John, King of England (ruled 1199–1216), the son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine and the father of Henry III of En ...

'' (mid-1590s). 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. In reality, Philip's mother is not known. Another highly fictionalised version of Philip, played by Stephen Moyer, figures as the

romantic hero The Romantic hero is a literary archetype referring to a character that rejects established norms and conventions, has been rejected by society, and has themselves at the center of their own existence. The Romantic hero is often the protagonist in ...

of '' Princess of Thieves'' (2001), a made-for-TV

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

adventure for young viewers, in which

Keira Knightley Keira Christina Righton (; née Knightley, born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for ...

plays Gwyn, the daughter of

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is dep ...

. This follows the tradition, begun by

John Mair John Mair may refer to: *John Major (philosopher) John Major (or Mair; also known in Latin as ''Joannes Majoris'' and ''Haddingtonus Scotus''; 1467–1550) was a Scottish philosopher, theologian, and historian who was much admired in his day ...

and popularised by

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

, 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, Prince John, and Philip and Gwyn fall in love.

Notes

Sources

*"Comptes d'Alfonse de Poitiers" in ''Archives historiques du Poitou'', vol. 4 (Poitiers, 1872) (available via external link t
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. *

(ed.

William Stubbs William Stubbs (21 June 182522 April 1901) was an English historian and Anglican bishop. He was Regius Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford between 1866 and 1884. He was Bishop of Chester from 1884 to 1889 and Bishop of O ...

), ''Chronica'', 4 vols. (London, 1868–71) (available via external link t
Gallica
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cognac, Philip of Philip of Cognac Philip of Cognac Philip of Cognac Illegitimate children of English monarchs Cognac, Philip of Richard I of England Male Shakespearean characters 12th-century English people 13th-century English people 12th-century French people 13th-century French people Sons of kings