King Richard the Lionheart is captured in Austria on December 20, 1192 while returning from the Third Crusade, by Duke Leopold V. Richard was then sold to Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI and held for a massive ransom.
The ransom demanded was about 100,000 pounds of silver) equivalent to a king's fortune and twice England's annual income and it took over a year and heavy English taxation to pay before his release in 1194. Richard was finally freed after about 15 months of captivity in February 1194. He dad been captured near Vienna, Austria, after his ship was wrecked and he was forced to travel overland, highlighting the dangerous journey home for crusaders and the political rivalries of the time.
