Most upvoted comment
What is your favorite “history is stranger than fiction” fact?(r/AskReddit)
During the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart proposed that his sister Joan marry Saladin’s brother in order to bring an end to hostilities; Jerusalem would have been their wedding gift.
If this fanciful Montague and Capulet scheme had come off – and it almost did – the relationship between Christianity and Islam (and thus the whole political complexion modern world) would likely have been completely different.
edit – I could be mistaken, but I’m reaonably certain that the principals ultimately couldn’t be convinced to marry outside of their respective religions. Warriors of God – Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade by James Reston Jr. is a great book that’s absolutely full of stories just as outrageous (and just as true) as this one.