Isabella of Antioch
Encyclopedia
Isabella of Cyprus, also known as Isabelle de Lusignan (born before March, 1216 or after 1216 – 1264), was the Princess of Antioch
by her marriage. She was also Regent
of the Kingdom of Jerusalem
.
and Hugh I of Cyprus
, and the sister-in-law of Plaisance of Antioch
, queen of Cyprus who married her brother. Her maternal grandparents were Isabella I of Jerusalem and her third husband Henry II, Count of Champagne. Henry was son of Count Henry I of Champagne
and Marie of France, Countess of Champagne, daughter of Louis VII of France
and Eleanor of Aquitaine
Isabella's paternal grandparents were Amalric II of Jerusalem
and his first wife Éschive d'Ibelin
. Amalric was son of Hugh VIII of Lusignan
. Eschive was daughter of Baldwin of Ibelin
.
, brother of Bohemund V of Antioch
and of Plaisance, with whom she had Hugh I of Jerusalem (Hugh III of Cyprus). Henry drowned at sea
on June 18, 27 or 28, 1276. He was the son of Bohemund IV of Antioch
and his first wife Plaisance Embriaco de Giblet.
Their descendants took the surname De Lusignan. They had two children:
She was appointed de facto regent of Jerusalem at Acre in 1263 and in turn she appointed Henry bailli
of the kingdom. She returned to Cyprus
after her son was appointed bailli of Jerusalem in 1264.
Isabella died in 1264, sometimes after the February, she was buried at Nicosia
Isabella's husband, Henry drowned at sea off Tyre in June, 1276 while sailing to Tripoli
in a German ship. His body was recovered and, after the death of their son Hugh, both were returned to Nicosia for burial.
Principality of Antioch
The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade.-Foundation:...
by her marriage. She was also Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
.
Family
She was the daughter of Alice of ChampagneAlice of Champagne
Alice of Champagne was the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem and her third husband Henry II, Count of Champagne. Alice and her sister Philippa spent part of their life fighting for their father's homeland of Champagne, over another branch of their family...
and Hugh I of Cyprus
Hugh I of Cyprus
Hugh I of Cyprus succeeded to the throne of Cyprus on April 1, 1205 underage upon the death of his elderly father Amalric of Lusignan, King of Cyprus and Jerusalem...
, and the sister-in-law of Plaisance of Antioch
Plaisance of Antioch
Queen Plaisance of Cyprus, born Plaisance of Antioch or Plaisance de Poitiers was a daughter of Bohemund V of Antioch and his second wife, the Italian noblewoman Lucienne dei Conti di Segni, kinswoman of Pope Innocent III...
, queen of Cyprus who married her brother. Her maternal grandparents were Isabella I of Jerusalem and her third husband Henry II, Count of Champagne. Henry was son of Count Henry I of Champagne
Henry I of Champagne
Henry I of Champagne , known as "the Liberal", was count of Champagne from 1152 to 1181. He was the eldest son of Count Thibaut II of Champagne and his wife, Matilda of Carinthia....
and Marie of France, Countess of Champagne, daughter of Louis VII of France
Louis VII of France
Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England...
and Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
Isabella's paternal grandparents were Amalric II of Jerusalem
Amalric II of Jerusalem
Amalric II of Jerusalem or Amalric I of Cyprus, born Amalric of Lusignan , King of Jerusalem 1197–1205, was an older brother of Guy of Lusignan....
and his first wife Éschive d'Ibelin
Eschive d'Ibelin (1160–1196)
Eschiva of Ibelin was the daughter of Baldwin of Ibelin , lord of Ramla, and of Richilde de Bethsan.She married Amalric II of Lusignan , constable of the kingdom of Jerusalem, then king of Cyprus and of Jerusalem...
. Amalric was son of Hugh VIII of Lusignan
Hugh VIII of Lusignan
Hugh VIII the Old of Lusignan or Hugh III of La Marche or Hugues VIII le Vieux de Lusignan was the eldest son of Hugh VII and of Sarrasine or Saracena de Lezay. He became Seigneur de Lusignan, Couhé, and Château-Larcher and Count of La Marche on his father's death in 1151...
. Eschive was daughter of Baldwin of Ibelin
Baldwin of Ibelin
Baldwin of Ibelin, also known as Baldwin III of Ramla , was an important noble of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century. He was the second son of Barisan of Ibelin, and was the younger brother of Hugh of Ibelin and older brother of Balian of Ibelin...
.
Life
She married in 1223 Henry of AntiochHenry of Antioch
Henry of Antioch , alternately known as Henri de Poitiers or Henry of Poitiers, was the son of Bohemond IV of Antioch, Prince of Antioch and his first wife Plaisance Embriaco de Giblet....
, brother of Bohemund V of Antioch
Bohemund V of Antioch
Bohemond V of Antioch was ruler of the Principality of Antioch, a crusader state, from 1233 to his death. He was simultaneously Count of Tripoli.Bohemond V was the son of Bohemund IV of Antioch and Plaisance of Gibelet...
and of Plaisance, with whom she had Hugh I of Jerusalem (Hugh III of Cyprus). Henry drowned at sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
on June 18, 27 or 28, 1276. He was the son of Bohemund IV of Antioch
Bohemund IV of Antioch
Bohemond IV of Antioch , also known as the One-Eyed , was ruler of the Principality of Antioch between 1201 and 1205, again between 1208 and 1216, and again from 1219 until his death...
and his first wife Plaisance Embriaco de Giblet.
Their descendants took the surname De Lusignan. They had two children:
- Hugh, King of Cyprus and JerusalemHugh III of CyprusHugh III of Cyprus , born Hughues de Poitiers, later Hughues de Lusignan , called the Great, was the King of Cyprus from 1267 and King of Jerusalem from 1268 . He was the son of Henry of Antioch and Isabella of Cyprus, the daughter of Hugh I...
- Margaret of Cyprus (1244 – CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, January 30, 1308), Lady of Tyre (1283-1290/1291), later Titular, and Titular Princess of Antioch, she died as a NunNunA nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
and was buried at the Dominician Church, at NicosiaNicosiaNicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
, married on or after September 22, 1268 Jean I de MontfortJean de Montfort (died 1283)Jean de Montfort was lord of Toron from 1257 to 1266 and Lord of Tyre from 1270 to 1283. He was the son of Philip of Montfort , and his second wife Maria of Antioch-Armenia .When he came of...
, Conte di SquillaceSquillaceSquillace is an ancient seaside town and comune, in the Province of Catanzaro, part of Calabria, southern Italy, facing the Gulf of Squillace....
, Lord of Toron and Lord of Tyre (ca 1240 – November 27, 1289 at Tyre), son of Philip of Montfort, Lord of TyrePhilip of Montfort, Lord of TyrePhilip of Montfort, was Lord of La Ferté-Alais and Castres-en-Albigeois 1228–1270, Lord of Tyre 1246–1270, and Lord of Toron aft. 1240–1270...
and second wife Maria, Princess of Antioch, without issue
She was appointed de facto regent of Jerusalem at Acre in 1263 and in turn she appointed Henry bailli
Bailli
A bailli was the king’s administrative representative during the ancien régime in northern France, where the bailli was responsible for the application of justice and control of the administration and local finances in his baillage...
of the kingdom. She returned to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
after her son was appointed bailli of Jerusalem in 1264.
Isabella died in 1264, sometimes after the February, she was buried at Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
Isabella's husband, Henry drowned at sea off Tyre in June, 1276 while sailing to Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
in a German ship. His body was recovered and, after the death of their son Hugh, both were returned to Nicosia for burial.