On his way back from the Third Crusade, King Richard the Lionheart was kidnapped by a former ally, Leopold of Austria, and ransomed back to the people of England. When he was released King Philip II of France wrote urgently to Richard’s brother John, who had been conspiring to steal Richard’s crown, to warn him.

To scramble back into Richard’s favour, his brother John contrived to double-cross his co-conspirator Philip of France by murdering several of his noblemen and capturing a castle from him. Not for this, but out of respect for their mother Eleanor, Richard pardoned John, harbouring very little expectation that John would remember his good fortune for long.

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