Frankish kingdom
The Frankish Empire was ruled by Charlemagne, also known as Charles I of France, for 46 years until his death in 814, uniting Western and Central Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire. His reign saw a renaissance in European culture: architecture, art, literature and music all flourished, while Medieval Latin developed as Europe's first common language. (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Loading...["The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)"])
During the Third Crusade, King Richard I of England promised Prince Saphadin his own kingdom as well as the Frankish kingdom in return for marrying his sister, Princess Joanna. However, Joanna refused to marry the Prince, telling Richard that the Pope would never permit her marriage to "that infidel". (TV: The Crusade)
