Richard was accused of procuring the assassination of Leopold of Austria’s cousin Conrad of Montferrat, whom Richard had grudgingly recognised as King of Jerusalem a short time before. In addition, he disappointed Philip II of France by marrying Berengaria of Navarre rather than Philip’s sister Alys, though Alys had been a ward of Richard’s father Henry II for twenty years and Richard was officially betrothed to her. He angered Leopold by deposing his relative Isaac Komnenos, ruler of Cyprus, and by throwing Leopold’s banner at the Battle of Acre into the moat on the grounds that Leopold was an inferior. And he annoyed them both by selling Cyprus to his friend Guy of Lusignan, rather than sharing it with his allies.

Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, was in need of funds to help him advance his claims over southern Italy, and was angry with Richard for recognising King Tancred in Sicily. He was also annoyed at Richard’s support for Henry the Lion, Henry VI’s cousin and Richard’s brother-in-law, who had refused to support his campaigns in Lombardy. The ransom price was 150,000 marks (100,000 pounds of silver), more than twice the Crown’s annual income.

Eleanor of Aquitaine, widow of King Henry II of England, and the mother of both Richard and John.