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15 Famous Knights Who Were More Than Just Warriors

The knight title often triggers imagery of armored warriors in the center of battlefields. Yet beyond the clashing of swords and shields are charismatic, diplomatic, patriotic, and great leaders in their different capacities.

Moreover, our interest in this article is the famous knights who went on record for being more than just warriors. Acclaimed knights like William Marshal who served as an excellent administrator.

Another prominent knight was Sir Thomas More, a famed knight executed for defending the truth. While Sir Francis Drake is respected for his exploration and maritime prowess. They all stood out as more than just warriors. Take a look at more names below.

Here are the 15 Famous Knights Who Were More Than Just Warriors.

1. William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke

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Marshal is famed as one of the greatest English knights. According to the words of Stephen Langton who was the Catholic Church Archbishop of Canterbury during Marshal’s death, he eulogized the hero as the “best knight that ever lived.”

Better still, he was knighted in 1166 and served as a soldier and statesman under the regimes of five English kings including Henry II. Also during Henry II‘s sons’ regimes Henry the Young King, Richard I, and John. Marshal was also a trusted advisor to John’s son Henry III.

This knight knew no defeat in fights and defended the life of his masters at all costs. Thus he earned the title of marshal to the king and later earl marshal (protector of the kingdom).

Besides his fighting skills, he was a respected administrator setting the standard of being more than just a warrior. He lived from 1146 or 1147 up to 14 May 1219 aged 72 years.

2. Sir Thomas More

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He was a famous knight during the reign of Henry VIII. Besides More’s knighthood, he served as a lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, cum statesman. He was the Lord High Chancellor of England from 1529 to 1532 under the regime of Henry VIII.

Furthermore, he is celebrated for his fiction book, Utopia which was published in 1516. He is also known for opposing the Protestant Reformation which was propagated by leaders such as Martin Luther.

Thomas was more than a warrior because he opted to be executed rather than accept to acknowledge the supremacy of King Henry VIII in the Church of England. This warrior also refused to consent to the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. He lived from 7 February 1478 up to  6 July 1535, at 57 years.

Sir Thomas More’s last words during his execution were, “I die the King’s good servant and God’s first”.

Get more insights into the life of  Sir Thomas More.

3. El Cid or Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar

The medieval Spanish knight is famous for winning both Christian and Muslim fights that were rampant during his era. This earned him the honorific Spanish title, El Campeador meaning the Champion which led to the name El Cid.

Rodrigo was beyond a warrior and was considered a leader in his community. Thus his leadership qualities helped him rule the eastern area of Iberia.

What’s more, he reclaimed the medieval kingdom, Taifa of Valencia which was under Muslim control. He became its prince from 1094 until his death as the Muslim-Christian wars waged. He lived from 1043 up to 10 July 1099 when he was 56 years old.

4. Sir Walter Raleigh

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Raleigh was a renowned knight who earned his knighthood in 1585 from Queen Elizabeth I. Other than his knighthood he was considered to be more than a warrior because he led most of the Queen’s explorations.

Additionally, as a statesman, he helped England get colonies like North America. He also suppressed the rebellion in Ireland and defended England against the Spanish Armada. He lived from 22 January 1552 through 29 October 1618  at 65 years old.

5. Sir Thomas Malory

He earned knighthood around 1445 and is remembered for writing Le Morte d’Arthur. This was a 15th-century classic English-language prose. It detailed the association of Great Britain’s legendary kings, especially King Arthur.

Therefore, his authoring ability made him a prominent knight confirming him as one of the knights that were more than just warriors. He lived from 1393 or 1425 until about 1470.

6. Hugues de Payens

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This French knight is celebrated for leaving a legacy beyond the sword. He was more than just a warrior because he co-founded the Knights Templar alongside Bernard of Clairvaux. The Knights Templar was the military order for the Catholic faith.

Moreover, the duo also came up with the Latin Rule document. This writing defined clearly the code of conduct for the Templar Order. The document was sometimes referred to as “Specific Behavior for the Templar Order”. He lived from 9 February 1070 up to 24 May 1136 at 66 years.

7. Sir Philip Sidney

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This prominent knight received his knighthood in 1583 for his political and military contribution during Queen Elizabeth I’s era. He earned respect as more than a warrior because of his writing.

Sidney’s celebrated works include Astrophel and Stella which was a sonnet sequence. The Defence of Poesy was his other famed work and it was a literary critic.  The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia was a display of his pastoral romance creativity.

He was born in England on 30 November 1554. He passed on in the Netherlands aged 31 years on 17 October 1586.

8. Sir William Wallace

An acclaimed Scottish knight who took part in leading Scottish rebellions against English rule. Hence he was at the forefront of battle in the First War of Scottish Independence.

One of Wallace’s most significant wins was the Battle of Stirling Bridge which took place in September 1297. The Scott had a triumphant win against the English troops. Together with Andrew Moray, this battle made them heroes in Scotland but enemies of England.

Subsequently, Wallace was captured by King Edward I of England and convicted of treason in 1305. Thus he was executed through hanging.

His bravery and patriotism make him more than a warrior and a center of popular culture including literature and film. Such as the 1995 Oscar-winning film, Braveheart.  He lived from 1270 up to 23 August 1305, when he was 35 years old.

Step into the life of this knight with intriguing facts about Sir William Wallace.

9. Guy of Lusignan

He was a well-known French knight who rose to power as King of Jerusalem. His administration skills were evident and that made him more than just a warrior.

Guy visited the Holy Land where his brother was and by his marriage to Sibylla of Jerusalem, he became King of Jerusalem (1186 to 1192). He also mastered his technique to rise to power as King of Cyprus from 1192 to 1194. He lived from 1150 up to 18 July 1194 aged 43 or 44 years old.

10. Sir Francis Drake

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A famous English knight remembered for his excellence in maritime warfare. He is celebrated for being more than just a warrior because he served as an explorer. Thus setting a record as the first to circumnavigate the world within a single expedition that ran from 1577 to 1580.

He received his knighthood status in 1581 from Elizabeth I. During his explorations, he plundered treasure and supplies from coastal towns and ships for the English Kingdom. Drake was also crucial to the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

He also served in a political capacity as the Member of Parliament (MP) in three different English constituencies. He lived from 1540 up to 28 January 1596 at the age of 56 years.

11. Joan of Arc

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She was an acknowledged female knight who became a national heroine of France. She was more than just a warrior because she claimed to be guided by divine power.

Arc became the savior of France during the Hundred Years’ War by leading the military to a victorious conquest in 1429 at Orléans. As the war went on, she insisted on the crowning of Charles VII of France. Both of these strategies repelled English troops from invading France. She lived from 1412 up to 30 May 1431.

12. Sir Francis Bacon

He was knighted in 1603, by James I of England. This English knight was more than a warrior and served as a legal advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. He was also a philosopher cum statesman.

To boot, Bacon is honored for his contribution to natural philosophy with an indirect suggestion to the plate tectonic theory. He also advanced the scientific method (Bacon Method) ideology in the science space. He lived from 22 January 1561 up to 9 April 1626.

13. Geoffroi de Charny

A highly regarded French knight whose fighting strength was proven during tournaments but also during the early years of the Hundred Years’ War. Besides battles, he is recognized as more than just a warrior because of his book titled A Knight’s Own Book of Chivalry.

This book was meant to guide aspiring knights during the 14^th century. It described the ins and outs of knighthood like what they needed to do during battle, their conduct with fellow knights, and so on. The book is still a relevant militant reference in the modern day. Geoffroi lived from 1306 up to 19 September 1356.

14. Robert the Bruce

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This Scottish knight is a national hero in Scotland and beyond. He was firm in leading Scotland to independence from English rule. He was part of the leaders of the First War of Scottish Independence which earned him acclaim throughout the kingdom.

Furthermore, he was considered to be more than just a warrior because of his charismatic character. Thus he rose to the position of King of Scotland in 1306. He was at the helm of power until his death on 7 June 1329 at 54 years. He was born on 11 July 1274.

Delve more into the life and achievements of Robert the Bruce.

15. Godfrey of Bouillon

This knight was a French nobleman acclaimed for his bravery in battle. He played a crucial role in bringing the First Crusade to an end after he participated in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. Since he was more than just a warrior in his community and had great leadership qualities, he became the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Bouillon was King of Jerusalem starting in 1099 until 1100. His brother Baldwin took over leadership after his death on 18 July 1100 aged 39 or 40 years. He was born around 1060.

These famous knights were more than just warriors. Beyond the battlefield valor were their wisdom, creativity, knowledge, innovation, and leadership qualities. They are heroes and heroines in their different capacities and their heroic deeds transcend through generations.