Beatrice of Sicily
Encyclopedia
Beatrice of Sicily was the Empress consort of Philip of Courtenay
, titular Latin Emperor
of Constantinople
.
. She was also an older sister of Charles II of Naples
.
Their paternal grandparents were Louis VIII of France
and Blanche of Castile
. Their maternal grandparents were Raymond Berenguer IV of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy
.
(27 May 1267), Baldwin II of Courtenay transferred much of the rights to the Latin Empire to Charles I. Charles was to be confirmed in possession of Corfu
and some cities in Albania
. He was also given suzerainty over the Principality of Achaea
and sovereignty of the Aegean Islands
, excepting those held by Venice
and Lesbos, Chios
, Samos
, and Amorgos
.
The same treaty arranged the marriage of Philip of Courtenay
, heir apparent
to the Latin Empire, and Beatrice, second daughter of Charles. If the marriage was childless, Philip's rights would be inherited by Charles I. Beatrice was approximately fifteen-years-old at the time of her betrothal.
On 15 October 1273, Beatrice and Philip were married in Foggia
. The bride was twenty-one-years old and the groom thirty. Her father-in-law died days later. Philip was proclaimed emperor with Beatrice as his Empress. Their only known daughter, Catherine I of Courtenay
, was born on 25 November 1274.
Beatrice died in late 1275. Her husband survived her by eight years but never remarried.
Philip of Courtenay
Philip I of Courtenay was titular Emperor of Constantinople 1273–1283. He was the son of Baldwin II of Constantinople and Marie of Brienne....
, titular Latin Emperor
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
.
Family
She was a daughter of Charles I of Sicily and Beatrice of ProvenceBeatrice of Provence
Beatrice of Provence , was a countess regnant of Provence. She was also a Queen consort of Sicily by marriage to King Charles I of Sicily....
. She was also an older sister of Charles II of Naples
Charles II of Naples
Charles II, known as "the Lame" was King of Naples, King of Albania, Prince of Salerno, Prince of Achaea and Count of Anjou.-Biography:...
.
Their paternal grandparents were Louis VIII of France
Louis VIII of France
Louis VIII the Lion reigned as King of France from 1223 to 1226. He was a member of the House of Capet. Louis VIII was born in Paris, France, the son of Philip II Augustus and Isabelle of Hainaut. He was also Count of Artois, inheriting the county from his mother, from 1190–1226...
and Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile , was a Queen consort of France as the wife of Louis VIII. She acted as regent twice during the reign of her son, Louis IX....
. Their maternal grandparents were Raymond Berenguer IV of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy
Beatrice of Savoy
Beatrice of Savoy was the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva. She was Countess consort of Provence by her marriage to Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence.-Family:...
.
Marriage
Under the Treaty of ViterboTreaty of Viterbo
The Treaty of Viterbo was a pair of agreements made by Charles I of Sicily with Baldwin II of Constantinople and William II Villehardouin, Prince of Achaea, on 27 May 1267, which transferred much of the rights to the Latin Empire from Baldwin to Charles.-Background:The recapture of Constantinople...
(27 May 1267), Baldwin II of Courtenay transferred much of the rights to the Latin Empire to Charles I. Charles was to be confirmed in possession of Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
and some cities in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. He was also given suzerainty over the Principality of Achaea
Principality of Achaea
The Principality of Achaea or of the Morea was one of the three vassal states of the Latin Empire which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom of Thessalonica, along with the Duchy of Athens, until Thessalonica...
and sovereignty of the Aegean Islands
Aegean Islands
The Aegean Islands are the group of islands in the Aegean Sea, with mainland Greece to the west and north and Turkey to the east; the island of Crete delimits the sea to the south, those of Rhodes, Karpathos and Kasos to the southeast...
, excepting those held by Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
and Lesbos, Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
, Samos
Samos Island
Samos is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of Asia Minor, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate regional unit of the North Aegean region, and the only municipality of the regional...
, and Amorgos
Amorgos
Amorgos is the easternmost island of the Greek Cyclades island group, and the nearest island to the neighboring Dodecanese island group. Along with several neighboring islets, the largest of which is Nikouria Island, it comprises the municipality of Amorgos, which has a land area of...
.
The same treaty arranged the marriage of Philip of Courtenay
Philip of Courtenay
Philip I of Courtenay was titular Emperor of Constantinople 1273–1283. He was the son of Baldwin II of Constantinople and Marie of Brienne....
, heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the Latin Empire, and Beatrice, second daughter of Charles. If the marriage was childless, Philip's rights would be inherited by Charles I. Beatrice was approximately fifteen-years-old at the time of her betrothal.
On 15 October 1273, Beatrice and Philip were married in Foggia
Foggia
Foggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:...
. The bride was twenty-one-years old and the groom thirty. Her father-in-law died days later. Philip was proclaimed emperor with Beatrice as his Empress. Their only known daughter, Catherine I of Courtenay
Catherine I of Courtenay
Catherine I of Courtenay was Titular Empress of Constantinople from 1283 to her death in 1307. In 1301, she became the second wife of Charles of Valois, by whom she had one son and three daughters; the eldest of these, Catherine II of Valois, Princess of Achaea succeeded her as titular...
, was born on 25 November 1274.
Beatrice died in late 1275. Her husband survived her by eight years but never remarried.