A stray crossbow bolt in 1199 ended the reign of Richard the Lionheart
The legendary King Richard the Lionheart survived years of crusades and battles, only to be fatally wounded by a lone kitchen boy firing a crossbow during a minor siege.
In 1199, King Richard I of England was inspecting his troops during a siege in France when a stray crossbow bolt struck him in the shoulder. The king had famously refused to wear his chainmail that evening, making him an easy target for a lone defender on the castle walls.
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