Richard I and Saladin jousting - Bike Odyssey Cycle Tours

Plantagenets – Flowers, Lionheart and Royal Houses

Tour History and after our newsletter, a few people understandably asked what colour is Plantagenet! Disclaimer: If you are watching that series Vikings on TV at the moment there are spoilers in this blog!

So firstly who are the Plantagenets? The House of Plantagenet, King Richard the Lionheart’s House (he was the 2nd generation to be called this), was a royal house from Anjou in France who held the English throne from 1154, with the accession of Henry II, until 1485, when Richard III died.

The name started with Geoffrey, Richard’s grandfather and also William the Conqueror’s grandson (The William – first Norman king of England after the battle of Hastings 1066, also called Willian the Bastard, great, great grandson of the Viking Rollo, made so famous by the TV show!).  William the C or B incestuously married the Empress Matilda who was the daughter of Henry I of England and also a granddaughter of William the Conqueror! This is why these royal lines are so complicated when you look at their family tree….

According to legend, Geoffrey would disguise himself in battle, dressing like a common soldier, probably to save being picked out and attacked. However, supposedly to make himself known to his troops he would put a sprig of ‘plante de genet,’ the common broom corn, in his helmet!

So the colour of Plantagenet is yellow and I think a yellow wolf on our bike kit would look quite good!