The story of Berengaria's life ends here, but the few facts known about her raise more questions than answers. One unanswered question concerns her marriage, which does not prove that her husband ever had any deeper attachment to her than total indifference. The simple fact is that Berengaria was chosen by Eleanor of Aquitaine to be the wife of her son Richard the Lionheart. Bérengère married Richard in 1191, when he was 36 and she was between 22 and 25. Judged contrary to the custom of the time, their marriage came surprisingly late in their lives. Early royal and noble marriages typically took place in the mid-adolescence to ensure the production of multiple heirs (preferably male warriors), who would ensure the continuity of dynastic domains. Richard and Berengaria's marriage lasted eight years until Richard's death in 1199. Although she had many potential childbearing years remaining, Berengaria did not remarry and she did not have children. nor stillbirths recorded, Bérengère may have been sterile, or her marriage to Richard may never have been consummated. As incredible as it may seem, the latter possibility could be true. At no time in Richard's life did he show anything other than selfless indifference to Bérengère before and during their marriage. Many historians conclude that Richard's indifference towards his wife means that Lionheart had a deviant sexual orientation. Documented records of Richard's infatuation and adolescent behavior also suggest an underlying homosexual attraction to the young Prince Philip Augustus of France, when the two princes were teenage friends at the French court in Paris. A similar insinuation is offered for the adult King Richard's very close bond of friendship during the Third Crusade with his...... middle of paper ...... and it was all a romantic fantasy. Loretta Young, a breathtaking statuesque blonde. , has always been proud to be remembered for his role as Bérengère. One wonders, “Why shouldn’t the simple little brunette Berengaria have the privilege of being remembered as being like Loretta Young?” » This probably makes no difference and does no harm (except as a violation of history) to so-called theatrical historical fantasies, played purely for fun without regard for factual accuracy. It is well known that audiences prefer history to be presented the way it should be presented, rather than the way crummy events usually unfold in reality. For my part, even though I know better, I still consider Berengaria to be a majestic and flawless Nordic princess, which makes it difficult for me to understand why Richard was not pierced by Cupid's arrow and therefore much more attentive to his female..