Constance of Antioch
Encyclopedia
Constance of Antioch was the only daughter of Bohemund II of Antioch
by his wife Alice
, princess of Jerusalem
. She was also Princess regnant of the Principality of Antioch
(a crusader state) from 1130 to her death.
when she was only four-years-old, under the regency of Baldwin II of Jerusalem
(1130–1131) and Fulk of Jerusalem
(1131–1136).
Her mother Alice
did not want the principality to pass to Constance, preferring to rule in her own name. Alice attempted to ally with the Muslim atabeg
of Mosul
, Zengi
, offering to marry Constance to a Muslim prince, but the plan was foiled by Alice's father Baldwin, who exiled her from Antioch. In 1135 Alice attempted once again to take control of the principality, and sought a husband for Constance in Manuel Comnenus, at that time the heir to the Byzantine
throne. Fulk exiled her again and re-established the regency for Constance.
then chose Raymond of Poitiers, a younger son of William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, as future husband for Constance, Alice nor Roger II of Sicily
were to learn of this. To get to Antioch, Raymond had to dress up as pilgrims and servants, dodging the Scouts of the Normans to prevent them from learning of the agreement with Fulk. In 1136 Raymond arrived in Antioch. Alice was tricked into believing Raymond was going to marry her. With the help of Patriarch Radulph, the rumor was spread, Raymond wanted not to marry Alice but kidnap Constance. While Alice was waiting in the Palace to the applicant, Constance and Raymond were married hastily. Alice retreated back to Latakia, humiliated.
In 1149 Raymond was killed in the Battle of Inab
during an expedition against Nur ad-Din Zangi. He was beheaded by Shirkuh
, the uncle of Saladin
, and his head was placed in a silver box and sent to the Caliph
of Baghdad
as a gift. Raymond left Constance a 22-year-old widow.
Constance and Raymond had four children (three surviving). Her son Bohemund was just five years old when his father died. Therefore, the Patriarch Aimery took over power in Antioch. Baldwin III of Jerusalem
was appointed Regent and proposed Constance marry an ally but with no success. Ives Nesle, Count of Soissons (House of Nesle), Walter of Falkenberg (Saint-Omer) and Ralph Merle, Baron from Tripoli
were proposed as candidates however, no decision was made, so they asked emperor Manuel I to determine her a spouse. Probably, to counterbalance the power of Jerusalem should be formed which could guarantee the more independence of Antioch. Manuel sent John Roger, who had been married with his late sister Maria. Constance refused him and he had to return to Constantinople
. In 1152 Baldwin and Constance ordered to Tripoli with help from Baldwin's mother, Melisende of Jerusalem
to encourage a new marriage. But again the success remained.
Raymond and Constance had three surviving children:
and Constance remarried in 1153 to Raynald of Châtillon
, who also became co-ruler of Antioch. Raynald had been in the service of Baldwin III of Jerusalem
. The marriage was however unpopular because Raynald was considered upstart.
Raynald was captured on a rampage in the anti Taurus by Madsch-ed-Din, the Governor of Aleppo, in 1160. Constance then claimed her independent rule over Antioch. The popular party supported her son from her first marriage, the 15-year-old Bohemond however, Constance did not wish to hand over the Principality to her son, who was now legally old enough to rule. King Baldwin stepped in and had Bohemond made Prince and appointed an old opponent of Raynald's rich and wordly Patriarch Aimery of Limoges as regent. Constance protested against this decision to the Court of Constantinople.
In 1159 Bertha of Sulzbach
, wife of Manuel I died, the Emperor married the following year in 1160 to Maria
, the daughter of Constance and Raymond. The marriage strengthened the position of Constance, who now held the Regency of Antioch. Raynald was released only 1176.
In 1163 Constance asked the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
for aid in order to maintain her rule; the citizens of Antioch then rioted and exiled her. She died later that year, allowing Bohemond to take full control.
Constance had one daughter from Raynald:
Some sources believe that Constance and Raynald had another daughter, Joan, possibly the second wife of Boniface I of Montferrat.
Bohemund II of Antioch
Bohemond II was the Prince of Taranto and Prince of Antioch from 1111. He was the son of the founder of the principalities, Bohemond I, and Constance, daughter of Philip I of France. Taranto was lost to Roger II of Sicily in 1128....
by his wife Alice
Alice of Antioch
Alice of Jerusalem was a Princess of Jerusalem. She later became Princess of Antioch.- Biography :Alice was the second daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and Morphia of Melitene. She has three sisters...
, princess 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....
. She was also Princess regnant of the Principality of Antioch
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:...
(a crusader state) from 1130 to her death.
Early life
She became princess of AntiochAntioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
when she was only four-years-old, under the regency of Baldwin II of Jerusalem
Baldwin II of Jerusalem
Baldwin II of Jerusalem , formerly Baldwin II of Edessa, also called Baldwin of Bourcq, born Baldwin of Rethel was the second count of Edessa from 1100 to 1118, and the third king of Jerusalem from 1118 until his death.-Ancestry:Baldwin was the son of Hugh, count of Rethel, and his wife Melisende,...
(1130–1131) and Fulk of Jerusalem
Fulk of Jerusalem
Fulk , also known as Fulk the Younger, was Count of Anjou from 1109 to 1129, and King of Jerusalem from 1131 to his death...
(1131–1136).
Her mother Alice
Alice of Antioch
Alice of Jerusalem was a Princess of Jerusalem. She later became Princess of Antioch.- Biography :Alice was the second daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and Morphia of Melitene. She has three sisters...
did not want the principality to pass to Constance, preferring to rule in her own name. Alice attempted to ally with the Muslim atabeg
Atabeg
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince...
of Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, Zengi
Zengi
Imad ad-Din Zengi was the atabeg of Mosul, Aleppo, Hama and Edessa and founder of the Zengid dynasty, to which he gave his name.-Early life:...
, offering to marry Constance to a Muslim prince, but the plan was foiled by Alice's father Baldwin, who exiled her from Antioch. In 1135 Alice attempted once again to take control of the principality, and sought a husband for Constance in Manuel Comnenus, at that time the heir to the Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
throne. Fulk exiled her again and re-established the regency for Constance.
First Marriage
In 1135 Alice offered Emperor Manuel the hand of her seven-year daughter Constance, which was a concern for the French barons. Fulk of JerusalemFulk of Jerusalem
Fulk , also known as Fulk the Younger, was Count of Anjou from 1109 to 1129, and King of Jerusalem from 1131 to his death...
then chose Raymond of Poitiers, a younger son of William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, as future husband for Constance, Alice nor Roger II of Sicily
Roger II of Sicily
Roger II was King of Sicily, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his brother Simon. He began his rule as Count of Sicily in 1105, later became Duke of Apulia and Calabria , then King of Sicily...
were to learn of this. To get to Antioch, Raymond had to dress up as pilgrims and servants, dodging the Scouts of the Normans to prevent them from learning of the agreement with Fulk. In 1136 Raymond arrived in Antioch. Alice was tricked into believing Raymond was going to marry her. With the help of Patriarch Radulph, the rumor was spread, Raymond wanted not to marry Alice but kidnap Constance. While Alice was waiting in the Palace to the applicant, Constance and Raymond were married hastily. Alice retreated back to Latakia, humiliated.
In 1149 Raymond was killed in the Battle of Inab
Battle of Inab
The Battle of Inab, also called Battle of Ard al-Hâtim or Fons Muratus, was fought on June 29, 1149, during the Second Crusade. The Syrian army of Nur ad-Din Zangi destroyed the Crusader army of Raymond of Antioch and the allied followers of Ali ibn-Wafa.-Background:Nur ad-Din had gained control...
during an expedition against Nur ad-Din Zangi. He was beheaded by Shirkuh
Shirkuh
Asad ad-Din Shirkuh bin Shadhi , also known as Shêrko or "Shêrgo" was an important Kurdish military commander, and uncle of Saladin....
, the uncle of Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
, and his head was placed in a silver box and sent to the Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
as a gift. Raymond left Constance a 22-year-old widow.
Constance and Raymond had four children (three surviving). Her son Bohemund was just five years old when his father died. Therefore, the Patriarch Aimery took over power in Antioch. Baldwin III of Jerusalem
Baldwin III of Jerusalem
Baldwin III was king of Jerusalem from 1143 to 1163. He was the eldest son of Melisende and Fulk of Jerusalem, and the grandson of Baldwin II of Jerusalem.-Succession:...
was appointed Regent and proposed Constance marry an ally but with no success. Ives Nesle, Count of Soissons (House of Nesle), Walter of Falkenberg (Saint-Omer) and Ralph Merle, Baron from 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...
were proposed as candidates however, no decision was made, so they asked emperor Manuel I to determine her a spouse. Probably, to counterbalance the power of Jerusalem should be formed which could guarantee the more independence of Antioch. Manuel sent John Roger, who had been married with his late sister Maria. Constance refused him and he had to return to 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:...
. In 1152 Baldwin and Constance ordered to Tripoli with help from Baldwin's mother, Melisende of Jerusalem
Melisende of Jerusalem
Melisende was Queen of Jerusalem from 1131 to 1153, and regent for her son between 1153 and 1161 while he was on campaign. She was the eldest daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, and the Armenian princess Morphia of Melitene. She was named after her paternal grandmother, Melisende of...
to encourage a new marriage. But again the success remained.
Raymond and Constance had three surviving children:
- Bohemund III of AntiochBohemund III of AntiochBohemond III of Antioch , also known as the Stammerer or the Stutterer, was Prince of Antioch from 1163 to his death. He was a son of Constance of Antioch by her first husband Raymond of Poitiers...
, who succeeded her in 1163 - Maria of AntiochMaria of AntiochMaria of Antioch was a Byzantine empress as the wife of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. She was the daughter of Constance of Antioch and her first husband Raymond of Poitiers...
(1145–1182), married (rechristened as "Xena") to Manuel I Comnenus - Philippa of AntiochPhilippa of AntiochPhilippa of Antioch was the younger daughter of Constance, Princess of Antioch and her first husband Raymond of Poitiers. She was Lady of Toron by her marriage to Humphrey II of Toron and she was a mistress of Andronikos I Komnenos, who had seduced her while he was a guest at her stepfather's...
, mistress to Andronicus I Comnenus
Second Marriage
In 1149, Raymond died in the Battle of InabBattle of Inab
The Battle of Inab, also called Battle of Ard al-Hâtim or Fons Muratus, was fought on June 29, 1149, during the Second Crusade. The Syrian army of Nur ad-Din Zangi destroyed the Crusader army of Raymond of Antioch and the allied followers of Ali ibn-Wafa.-Background:Nur ad-Din had gained control...
and Constance remarried in 1153 to Raynald of Châtillon
Raynald of Chatillon
Raynald of Châtillon was a knight who served in the Second Crusade and remained in the Holy Land after its defeat...
, who also became co-ruler of Antioch. Raynald had been in the service of Baldwin III of Jerusalem
Baldwin III of Jerusalem
Baldwin III was king of Jerusalem from 1143 to 1163. He was the eldest son of Melisende and Fulk of Jerusalem, and the grandson of Baldwin II of Jerusalem.-Succession:...
. The marriage was however unpopular because Raynald was considered upstart.
Raynald was captured on a rampage in the anti Taurus by Madsch-ed-Din, the Governor of Aleppo, in 1160. Constance then claimed her independent rule over Antioch. The popular party supported her son from her first marriage, the 15-year-old Bohemond however, Constance did not wish to hand over the Principality to her son, who was now legally old enough to rule. King Baldwin stepped in and had Bohemond made Prince and appointed an old opponent of Raynald's rich and wordly Patriarch Aimery of Limoges as regent. Constance protested against this decision to the Court of Constantinople.
In 1159 Bertha of Sulzbach
Bertha of Sulzbach
Bertha of Sulzbach was the first wife and Empress of Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus.-Family:...
, wife of Manuel I died, the Emperor married the following year in 1160 to Maria
Maria of Antioch
Maria of Antioch was a Byzantine empress as the wife of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. She was the daughter of Constance of Antioch and her first husband Raymond of Poitiers...
, the daughter of Constance and Raymond. The marriage strengthened the position of Constance, who now held the Regency of Antioch. Raynald was released only 1176.
In 1163 Constance asked the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , also known as the Cilician Armenia, Kingdom of Cilician Armenia or New Armenia, was an independent principality formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia...
for aid in order to maintain her rule; the citizens of Antioch then rioted and exiled her. She died later that year, allowing Bohemond to take full control.
Constance had one daughter from Raynald:
- Agnes of AntiochAgnes of AntiochAgnes of Antioch, , Queen Consort of Hungary.Agnes was the daughter of Raynald of Châtillon, Prince of Antioch by right of his wife, and his first wife, Constance of Antioch...
(1154–1184), married king Bela III of HungaryBéla III of HungaryBéla III was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was educated in the court of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I who was planning to ensure his succession in the Byzantine Empire till the birth of his own son...
Some sources believe that Constance and Raynald had another daughter, Joan, possibly the second wife of Boniface I of Montferrat.