<P> Whether the marriage was ever even consummated is a matter for conjecture . In any case, Richard certainly took his new wife with him for the first part of the Third Crusade . This was unusual, although Richard's mother and Berengaria's predecessor, Eleanor of Aquitaine, had, when Queen of France, been with her husband throughout the Second Crusade, though the stresses and disputes of the unsuccessful campaign did serious damage to their relationship . Berengaria returned well before Richard left the Holy Land; on his return to Europe he was captured and imprisoned . Berengaria remained in Europe, based at Beaufort - en - Vallée, attempting to raise money for his ransom . After his release, Richard returned to England and was not joined by his wife . </P> <P> When Richard returned to England, he had to regain all the territory that had either been lost by his brother John or taken by King Philip of France . His focus was on his kingdom, not his queen . King Richard was ordered by Pope Celestine III to reunite with Queen Berengaria and to show fidelity to her in the future . Richard, now mostly spending his time in France, obeyed and took Berengaria to church every week thereafter . When he died in 1199, she was greatly distressed, perhaps more so at being deliberately overlooked as Queen of England and Cyprus . Some historians believe that Berengaria honestly loved her husband, while Richard's feelings for her were merely formal, as the marriage was a political rather than a romantic union . </P> <P> Berengaria never visited England during King Richard's lifetime; during the entirety of their marriage, Richard spent less than six months in England . There is evidence, however, that she may have done so in the years following his death . The traditional description of her as "the only English queen never to set foot in the country" would still be literally true, as she did not visit England during the time she was Richard's consort . She certainly sent envoys to England several times, mainly to inquire about the pension she was due as dowager queen and Richard's widow, which King John failed to pay . Although Queen Eleanor intervened and Pope Innocent III threatened him with an interdict if he did not pay Berengaria what was due, King John still owed her more than £ 4000 when he died . During the reign of his son Henry III of England, however, her payments were made as they were supposed to be . </P> <P> Berengaria eventually settled in Le Mans, one of her dower properties . She was a benefactress of L'Épau Abbey in Le Mans, entered the conventual life, and was buried in the abbey . In 1240, Archbishop Rodrigo Jimenez de Rada of Toledo wrote of Berengaria that she lived, "as a most praiseworthy widow and stayed for the most part in the city of Le Mans, which she held as part of her marriage dower, devoting herself to almsgiving, prayer and good works, witnessing as an example to all women of chastity and religion and in the same city she came to the end of her days with a happy death ." A skeleton thought to be hers was rediscovered in 1960 during the restoration of the abbey . These remains are preserved beneath the stone effigy of the queen, which is now to be found in the chapter house of the abbey . </P>

English queen who never set foot in england