When something is worth a King's ransom, it is worth much money, that is easily understood, and the expression has been used in that way in English since about 1525. But who is the king for whom there was a paid a ransom so high?

There are two high profile cases in history which can be the origin of this concept. One is Richard Coeur de Lion of England and the other is King John II of France.

Richard Coeur de Lion (Richard I of England)

Richard Coeur the Lion (1157-1199) was king from 1189, but he spent almost no time in England as king. Already in 1190, he left for the Third Crusade, in which he would engage in warfare against the famous Sultan Saladin, an encounter that has been idealised as the pinnacle of chivalry honour from both sides.

After a truce with Saladin in 1192, Richard was ill and decided to return to England to protect his interests there. On the long and roundabout way home, however, he was taken prisoner by Leopold of Austria in December 1192. He spent his time as Leopold's prisoner in Dürnstein Castle. But in March 1193, Leopold transferred him to Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, who kept the prisoner at Triefels Castle until his release in February 1194.

Henry V demanded 100.000 pounds silver in exchange for Richard, whose mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, raised the sum. It was 200-300% of England's yearly national income at the time, in truth a large sum of money; indeed a king's ransom. It was paid and Richard was set free.

King John II of France

King John II was a man of books and arts more than a warrior. Still he had to lead the French during the so-called Hundred Years War against the English. In the battle of Poitiers in 1365, a catastrophe for France, he was taken prisoner. The situation was very complex, but let's not care for details not directly related to the main subject.

In 1360 John signed a treaty, by which he would handle over a third of west France plus a ransom on the amount of 3-4 million crowns. A huge sum. However, John did not pay immediately; the agreement stipulated that he should do so within 6 months of his release. Instead he had to provide 83 hostages as a guarantee for his payment. Among the hostages was his son, Prince Louis.

After six months, John could still not pay, the finances of France was in ruins after the loss at Poitiers and subsequent internal conflicts. Prince Louis, however, managed to escape. When John heard this, he returned to his captivity in England by his own choice; he claimed that was "good faith and honour". He died there in April 1364, supposedly by natural reasons.

The consequences of the ransom negatively affected France for years to come. The payments to England were a heavy financial burden and the political unrest that followed John's captivity and the loss at Poitiers weakened France for the rest of that era.

Copyright © 2020 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved.

(Lead image is a detail from "(King John at the) Battle of Poitiers", a painting by Eugène Delacroix from 1830. Public Domain.)

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