Henry VI vs William of Holland

Henry VI was elected King of Germany in 1190 following the death of his father Frederick Barbarossa. He succeeded without opposition, inheriting a powerful Hohenstaufen realm.

Pope Celestine III crowned Henry VI Holy Roman Emperor in Rome on April 15, 1191. The coronation was delayed due to tensions with the Papacy over Henry's claims in Sicily.

Henry VI captured King Richard I of England in December 1192 near Vienna and held him for ransom. Richard was released in 1194 after payment of a huge ransom, which Henry used to fund his Sicilian campaign.

Henry VI conquered the Kingdom of Sicily in 1194 after the death of King Tancred. He was crowned King of Sicily in Palermo on December 25, 1194, uniting the island with the Empire and creating a vast Mediterranean domain.

Henry VI proposed a plan to make the Empire hereditary and to launch a crusade to conquer the Byzantine Empire. The plan failed due to opposition from German princes and Henry's sudden death in 1197.

William of Holland was elected anti-king of Germany by the papal faction opposing Conrad IV. This election was part of the conflict between the Hohenstaufen dynasty and the Papacy, with William serving as a rival claimant to the German throne.

William of Holland was crowned King of Germany in Aachen by the Archbishop of Cologne. This coronation solidified his position as the papal-backed rival to Conrad IV, though his authority was limited to parts of western Germany.

William of Holland drowned after falling through ice on a frozen lake near Hoogwoud in the Netherlands. His death ended his reign as anti-king and contributed to the ongoing instability of the Great Interregnum.