Isabella of Jerusalem
Encyclopedia
Isabella I was Queen regnant of Jerusalem
from 1190/1192 until her death. By her four marriages, she was successively Lady of Toron, Marchioness of Montferrat, Countess of Champagne
and Queen of Cyprus.
She was the daughter of Amalric I of Jerusalem
and his second wife Maria Comnena
, making her a younger half-sister of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem
and Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem
. She was also the aunt of Baldwin V, and a grandniece of Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus
, who had received the town and territory of Nablus
as a dower
from her husband the king. She married four times. Maria of Montferrat
, Queen of Jerusalem, was her daughter by her second husband, Conrad of Montferrat
. She had a total of seven children by her various husbands.
Isabella I has been conjectured as the possible identity of the 13th-century trobairitz
known only as Ysabella
.
, mostly in Nablus. She was described by the poet Ambrose as "exceedingly fair and lovely"; according to the Muslim chronicler Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani
, she had black hair and a pale complexion.
Isabella's father's previous marriage to Agnes of Courtenay
had been annulled, but he had succeeded in having his children from that marriage legitimised. Her half-brother Baldwin IV
was recognised unanimously as king, as he was the only male available, but he suffered from leprosy
(then incurable). The succession would therefore fall to either his full sister Sibylla
, or, if her legitimisation were challenged, to his half-sister Isabella. Isabella's mother and the Ibelin
s had strong ambitions for her to succeed, although Baldwin IV's diplomacy regarding overseas marriages clearly indicates that he regarded Sibylla as his immediate heir.
In 1180, when Isabella was 8 (according to William of Tyre
), she was betrothed to Humphrey IV of Toron
, on the orders of her half-brother Baldwin IV, in payment of a debt of honour to Humphrey's grandfather Humphrey II
who had been mortally wounded saving the king at Banias
, and to remove her from the Ibelins' political orbit. They were married in 1183, when Humphrey was about 16 or 17 and Isabella 11. Reflecting the political aims of the marriage, it seems that Humphrey's mother, Stephanie of Milly
, and his stepfather, Raynald of Châtillon
, restricted Isabella's contact with her mother and stepfather thereafter.
On their wedding night the castle of Kerak
was attacked
by the forces of Saladin
. According to the Old French Continuation of William of Tyre (also known as the Chronicle of Ernoul
), Humphrey's mother Stephanie sent a message to Saladin telling him of the recent wedding and reminding him of their shared history:
However, this may be rather fanciful as there is no record in Arabic sources of Saladin having spent any time as an enslaved prisoner at Kerak.
, because of his military conduct at Kerak, Baldwin IV decided to remove Sibylla from the succession. He crowned his 5-year-old nephew, Baldwin of Montferrat
(Sibylla's son by her first marriage), co-king as Baldwin V. Baldwin IV's will, ratified by the Haute Cour
, stated that he would be succeeded by Baldwin V, and if Baldwin V should die during his minority, the question of succession would be adjudicated by the kings of England, France, and Germany, all kinsmen of the boy-king, and by the Pope
. During the interim, the kingdom would be ruled by one of "the most rightful heirs" as regent. According to this settlement, both Sibylla and Isabella were considered equally entitled to succeed.
Baldwin IV died in spring 1185, shortly after ordering a formal public crown-wearing by Baldwin V at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
, at which Balian of Ibelin carried the child-king, to signify that Isabella's family accepted his claim. Raymond III of Tripoli
was now regent once more. Baldwin V, never a healthy child, died in summer 1186. Isabella's supporters questioned Sibylla's legitimacy, due to the annulment of her parents' marriage, but this position was not universally subscribed to. Had Sibylla not been married to Guy, she would have succeeded with less contention. Now, that both Baldwin IV and Baldwin V were dead, it was easier to resurrect that legal grounds for the succession of Isabella, who at 14 was no longer a minor.
The provisions of Baldwin IV's settlement were ignored. Sibylla was crowned as queen regnant in 1186, and, ignoring demands that she have her marriage annulled, she crowned Guy herself. Isabella's supporters, led by her mother Maria and stepfather Balian, and Raymond of Tripoli, had gathered in Nablus. They expected Humphrey to assert her claim, but, when given the opportunity to do so, he submitted to Guy instead.
, Baldwin V's uncle. Guy, after his release from captivity, set about besieging Acre; however, Sibylla and their two daughters died of disease in the camp in summer 1190. Guy continued to call himself king and demanded to be recognised thus, although Isabella was de jure queen.
Her supporters, notably her mother Maria and Balian of Ibelin, realised that she needed a suitable king – who was not her current husband. This situation was not without precedent: Isabella's father had been forced to divorce his first wife in order to succeed to the throne, and Sibylla had been pressed – but had refused – to have Guy annulled. Humphrey of Toron, whom Isabella liked very much, having practically grown up with him, had no great desire to be king. He had let down her cause in 1186, and was still a staunch supporter of Guy. He was more of a diplomat than a warrior, and even the Itinerarium Peregrinorum , which was highly sympathetic to him, suggests he was slightly effeminate. In autumn 1190, Maria and Balian abducted Isabella from Humphrey, and forced her to consent to an annulment because she had been under-age at the time of her marriage, and had been coerced by her half-brother, Baldwin IV. They intended to marry her to the ambitious Conrad, who was Baldwin V's nearest male kinsman, and had already proved himself capable politically and militarily.
After much political pressure, and a challenge to a trial by combat by Guy III of Senlis (which he refused), Humphrey consented to an ecclesiastical annulment by Ubaldo Lanfranchi
, Archbishop of Pisa, who was Papal legate
, and Philip of Dreux
, bishop of Beauvais, who was a second-cousin of Conrad. Philip married Conrad and Isabella on 24 November, despite objections that the marriage was canonically
incestuous (Isabella's half-sister Sibylla having been married to Conrad's older brother). Some modern popular writers have suggested this was a grim fate for the young queen, to be married off to a "grizzled old warrior" who had twice been married before. However, Conrad, then about 45, was an intelligent, well-educated, handsome man of great personal courage and vitality – so perhaps her situation was less bleak than some have implied. She compensated Humphrey by restoring to him his title to Toron, Chastel Neuf and related estates, which had been taken into the royal domain on their marriage, before returning to Tyre with her new husband.
By virtue of his marriage to Isabella, Conrad became de jure uxoris King of Jerusalem. However, for seventeen months there was an interregnum during which Guy of Lusignan, despite the death of Sibylla, continued his claim. Guy's chief supporter was Richard I of England
, his family's overlord in Poitou
, while Isabella and Conrad's was Philip II of France
, the son of Conrad's cousin Louis VII
. Eventually, after Philip's departure, Conrad's kingship was confirmed by election in April 1192.
The news was brought to the couple in Tyre by Count Henry II of Champagne
, the nephew of both the Kings of England and of France, who then returned to Acre. Only a few days later, on 28 April, Isabella and her ladies were late for dinner through lingering at the hammam
. Conrad called on the Bishop of Beauvais, hoping to dine with him, but finding the bishop had already dined, set off back to the palace. On the way, he was set upon in the street and stabbed by Hashshashin
. He died of his wounds that same day. Isabella was already known to be carrying their first child – Maria of Montferrat
, who later succeeded her mother as queen regnant (see the Old French Continuation of William of Tyre, the Brevis Regni Hierosolymitani Historia in the Annals of Genoa, and the Muslim chronicler Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani).
Two days later, Henry of Champagne returned to Tyre as the envoy of his uncle King Richard – and immediately betrothed himself to Isabella. According to some chroniclers, the people of Tyre were reportedly so taken by Henry's youth and handsomeness that they shouted that he should marry their princess, and Isabella immediately fell in love with him – but this is to put a romantic gloss on what was primarily a political pairing. Richard had supported Guy, and was suspected of involvement in Conrad's death. A marriage between his nephew and Isabella was more advantageous to him than reinstating Humphrey, despite the latter's objections. Henry and Isabella were married only eight days after Conrad's murder. Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani, who was present for the wedding, wrote:
Henry died in 1197 when a balcony or window-trellis gave way and he fell out of a window. He and Isabella had three daughters, Marie of Champagne (died as a child before 1205), Alice
(born 1196) and Philippa
(born 1197). After his death, Isabella was married for a fourth time to Amalric II of Jerusalem
(also Amalric I of Cyprus), brother of Guy of Lusignan
. They were crowned together as King and Queen of Jerusalem in January 1198 in Acre. They had two daughters, Sybilla
(born 1198) and Melisende
(born 1200), and one son, Amalric (1201–1205). King Amalric died in 1205 of food-poisoning caused by white mullet, four days before his wife, and shortly after their infant son.
On her death on 5 April 1205, Isabella was succeeded as Queen of Jerusalem by her eldest daughter Maria of Montferrat
.
The legality of Isabella's divorce from Humphrey was challenged in 1213, during the dispute over the succession to Champagne
between her daughters Alice and Philippa and Henry's nephew Theobald IV
. However, its validity seems to have been upheld: no challenge was made to the legitimacy of Maria and her descendants to succeed to the throne of Jerusalem, and in Champagne, Theobald bought off his cousins Alice and Philippa.
was childless.
From her second marriage to Conrad of Montferrat
she had one daughter:
From her third marriage to Henry II, Count of Champagne she had three daughters:
From her fourth and final marriage to Amalric I of Cyprus
she had the following children:
's The Knights of Dark Renown (1969) and its sequel The Kings of Vain Intent (1970). Shelby idealises her marriage to Humphrey, depicting them as his young romantic leads. He then goes on to depict her being beaten and raped by Conrad in a sadistically abusive relationship. This sensationalist depiction is not supported by any evidence. Shelby implies that Isabella plotted Conrad's murder in revenge for his abuse, and depicts her as mentally numbed and indifferent to Henry.
She is the title character of Alan Gordon
's mystery novel, The Widow of Jerusalem (2003), which paints a more sympathetic portrait of her marriage to Conrad. She is introduced as a spoilt, vain young woman, but she matures in the course of the story. Only when it is too late does she realise that her husband loves her. His murder, and the later death of Henry, are investigated by the hero, the fool Theophilos (Feste
).
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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....
from 1190/1192 until her death. By her four marriages, she was successively Lady of Toron, Marchioness of Montferrat, Countess of Champagne
Countess of Champagne
- House of Champagne, 1234-1284 :- House of Capet, 1284-1349 :...
and Queen of Cyprus.
She was the daughter of Amalric I of Jerusalem
Amalric I of Jerusalem
Amalric I of Jerusalem was King of Jerusalem 1163–1174, and Count of Jaffa and Ascalon before his accession. Amalric was the second son of Melisende of Jerusalem and Fulk of Jerusalem...
and his second wife Maria Comnena
Maria Komnene, Queen consort of Jerusalem
Maria Komnene or Comnena , , was the second wife of King Amalric I of Jerusalem and mother of Queen Isabella of Jerusalem. She was the daughter of John Komnenos, sometime Byzantine dux in Cyprus, and Maria Taronitissa, a descendant of the ancient Armenian kings...
, making her a younger half-sister of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem , called the Leper or the Leprous, the son of Amalric I of Jerusalem and his first wife, Agnes of Courtenay, was king of Jerusalem from 1174 to 1185. His full sister was Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem and his nephew through this sister was the child-king Baldwin V...
and Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem
Sibylla of Jerusalem
Sibylla of Jerusalem was the Countess of Jaffa and Ascalon from 1176 and Queen of Jerusalem from 1186 to 1190. She was the eldest daughter of Amalric I of Jerusalem and Agnes of Courtenay, sister of Baldwin IV and half-sister of Isabella I of Jerusalem, and mother of Baldwin V of Jerusalem...
. She was also the aunt of Baldwin V, and a grandniece of Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
, who had received the town and territory of Nablus
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
as a dower
Dower
Dower or morning gift was a provision accorded by law to a wife for her support in the event that she should survive her husband...
from her husband the king. She married four times. Maria of Montferrat
Maria of Montferrat
Maria of Montferrat was Queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of Conrad of Montferrat and Isabella, Queen of Jerusalem...
, Queen of Jerusalem, was her daughter by her second husband, Conrad of Montferrat
Conrad of Montferrat
Conrad of Montferrat was a northern Italian nobleman, one of the major participants in the Third Crusade. He was the de facto King of Jerusalem, by marriage, from 24 November 1190, but officially elected only in 1192, days before his death...
. She had a total of seven children by her various husbands.
Isabella I has been conjectured as the possible identity of the 13th-century trobairitz
Trobairitz
The trobairitz were Occitan female troubadours of the 12th and 13th centuries, active from around 1170 to approximately 1260. The word trobairitz was first used in the 13th-century romance Flamenca. It comes from the Provençal word trobar, the literal meaning of which is "to find", and the...
known only as Ysabella
Ysabella (trobairitz)
Ysabel or Ysabella was a 13th-century trobairitz. Almost nothing is known about her with certainty, but many conjectures have been put forward...
.
Early life and first marriage
Isabella spent her early years in the court of her mother and stepfather Balian of IbelinBalian of Ibelin
Balian of Ibelin was an important noble in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century.-Early life:Balian was the youngest son of Barisan of Ibelin, and brother of Hugh and Baldwin. His father, a knight in the County of Jaffa, had been rewarded with the lordship of Ibelin after the...
, mostly in Nablus. She was described by the poet Ambrose as "exceedingly fair and lovely"; according to the Muslim chronicler Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani
Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani
Muhammad ibn Hamed Isfahani , more popularly known as Imad ad-din al-Isfahani , was a Persian historian, scholar, and rhetorician...
, she had black hair and a pale complexion.
Isabella's father's previous marriage to Agnes of Courtenay
Agnes of Courtenay
Agnes of Courtenay was the daughter of Joscelin II of Courtenay by his wife Beatrice , and the mother of king Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and queen Sibylla of Jerusalem.-Dynasty:...
had been annulled, but he had succeeded in having his children from that marriage legitimised. Her half-brother Baldwin IV
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem , called the Leper or the Leprous, the son of Amalric I of Jerusalem and his first wife, Agnes of Courtenay, was king of Jerusalem from 1174 to 1185. His full sister was Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem and his nephew through this sister was the child-king Baldwin V...
was recognised unanimously as king, as he was the only male available, but he suffered from leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
(then incurable). The succession would therefore fall to either his full sister Sibylla
Sibylla of Jerusalem
Sibylla of Jerusalem was the Countess of Jaffa and Ascalon from 1176 and Queen of Jerusalem from 1186 to 1190. She was the eldest daughter of Amalric I of Jerusalem and Agnes of Courtenay, sister of Baldwin IV and half-sister of Isabella I of Jerusalem, and mother of Baldwin V of Jerusalem...
, or, if her legitimisation were challenged, to his half-sister Isabella. Isabella's mother and the Ibelin
Ibelin
Ibelin was a castle in the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century , which gave its name to an important family of nobles.-The castle:...
s had strong ambitions for her to succeed, although Baldwin IV's diplomacy regarding overseas marriages clearly indicates that he regarded Sibylla as his immediate heir.
In 1180, when Isabella was 8 (according to William of Tyre
William of Tyre
William of Tyre was a medieval prelate and chronicler. As archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from a predecessor, William of Malines...
), she was betrothed to Humphrey IV of Toron
Humphrey IV of Toron
Humphrey IV of Toron was the lord of Toron, Kerak, and Oultrejordain in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.-Biography:...
, on the orders of her half-brother Baldwin IV, in payment of a debt of honour to Humphrey's grandfather Humphrey II
Humphrey II of Toron
Humphrey II of Toron was lord of Toron and constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.Humphrey had become lord of Toron sometime before 1140, when he married the daughter of Renier Brus, lord of Banias . Through this marriage Banias was added to Toron...
who had been mortally wounded saving the king at Banias
Banias
Banias is an archaeological site by the ancient city of Caesarea Philippi, located at the foot of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights...
, and to remove her from the Ibelins' political orbit. They were married in 1183, when Humphrey was about 16 or 17 and Isabella 11. Reflecting the political aims of the marriage, it seems that Humphrey's mother, Stephanie of Milly
Stephanie of Milly
Stephanie of Milly was Lady of Oultrejordain and an influential figure in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. She was also known as Stephanie de Milly, Etienette de Milly, and Etiennette de Milly...
, and his stepfather, 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...
, restricted Isabella's contact with her mother and stepfather thereafter.
On their wedding night the castle of Kerak
Kerak
Kerak Castle is a large crusader castle located in Kerak in Jordan. It is one of the largest crusader castles in the Levant.Construction of the castle began in the 1140s, under Pagan, the butler of Fulk of Jerusalem. The Crusaders called it Crac des Moabites or "Karak in Moab", as it is frequently...
was attacked
Siege of Kerak
The Siege of Kerak took place in 1183, with Saladin's forces attacking and being repelled from the Crusader stronghold.- Prelude :Kerak was the stronghold of Raynald of Châtillon, Lord of Oultrejordain, 124 km South of Amman. The fortress was built in 1142 by Pagan the Butler, Lord of Montreal...
by the forces 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...
. According to the Old French Continuation of William of Tyre (also known as the Chronicle of Ernoul
Ernoul
Ernoul is the name generally given to the author of a chronicle of the late 12th century dealing with the fall of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.-Biography:Ernoul himself is mentioned only once in history, and only in his own chronicle...
), Humphrey's mother Stephanie sent a message to Saladin telling him of the recent wedding and reminding him of their shared history:
However, this may be rather fanciful as there is no record in Arabic sources of Saladin having spent any time as an enslaved prisoner at Kerak.
Succession
However, shortly afterwards, having become frustrated with Sibylla's second husband Guy of LusignanGuy of Lusignan
Guy of Lusignan was a Poitevin knight, son of Hugh VIII of the prominent Lusignan dynasty. He was king of the crusader state of Jerusalem from 1186 to 1192 by right of marriage to Sibylla of Jerusalem, and of Cyprus from 1192 to 1194...
, because of his military conduct at Kerak, Baldwin IV decided to remove Sibylla from the succession. He crowned his 5-year-old nephew, Baldwin of Montferrat
Baldwin V of Jerusalem
Baldwin V of Jerusalem was the son of Sibylla of Jerusalem and her first husband, William of Montferrat...
(Sibylla's son by her first marriage), co-king as Baldwin V. Baldwin IV's will, ratified by the Haute Cour
Haute Cour of Jerusalem
The Haute Cour was the feudal council of the kingdom of Jerusalem. It was sometimes also called the curia generalis, the curia regis, or, rarely, the parlement.-Composition of the court:...
, stated that he would be succeeded by Baldwin V, and if Baldwin V should die during his minority, the question of succession would be adjudicated by the kings of England, France, and Germany, all kinsmen of the boy-king, and by the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
. During the interim, the kingdom would be ruled by one of "the most rightful heirs" as regent. According to this settlement, both Sibylla and Isabella were considered equally entitled to succeed.
Baldwin IV died in spring 1185, shortly after ordering a formal public crown-wearing by Baldwin V at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. It is a few steps away from the Muristan....
, at which Balian of Ibelin carried the child-king, to signify that Isabella's family accepted his claim. Raymond III of Tripoli
Raymond III of Tripoli
Raymond III of Tripoli was Count of Tripoli from 1152 to 1187 and Prince of Galilee and Tiberias in right of his wife Eschiva.-Early life:...
was now regent once more. Baldwin V, never a healthy child, died in summer 1186. Isabella's supporters questioned Sibylla's legitimacy, due to the annulment of her parents' marriage, but this position was not universally subscribed to. Had Sibylla not been married to Guy, she would have succeeded with less contention. Now, that both Baldwin IV and Baldwin V were dead, it was easier to resurrect that legal grounds for the succession of Isabella, who at 14 was no longer a minor.
The provisions of Baldwin IV's settlement were ignored. Sibylla was crowned as queen regnant in 1186, and, ignoring demands that she have her marriage annulled, she crowned Guy herself. Isabella's supporters, led by her mother Maria and stepfather Balian, and Raymond of Tripoli, had gathered in Nablus. They expected Humphrey to assert her claim, but, when given the opportunity to do so, he submitted to Guy instead.
Isabella as queen
In 1187, Saladin invaded the kingdom and captured almost everything except the stronghold of Tyre, held by Conrad of MontferratConrad of Montferrat
Conrad of Montferrat was a northern Italian nobleman, one of the major participants in the Third Crusade. He was the de facto King of Jerusalem, by marriage, from 24 November 1190, but officially elected only in 1192, days before his death...
, Baldwin V's uncle. Guy, after his release from captivity, set about besieging Acre; however, Sibylla and their two daughters died of disease in the camp in summer 1190. Guy continued to call himself king and demanded to be recognised thus, although Isabella was de jure queen.
Her supporters, notably her mother Maria and Balian of Ibelin, realised that she needed a suitable king – who was not her current husband. This situation was not without precedent: Isabella's father had been forced to divorce his first wife in order to succeed to the throne, and Sibylla had been pressed – but had refused – to have Guy annulled. Humphrey of Toron, whom Isabella liked very much, having practically grown up with him, had no great desire to be king. He had let down her cause in 1186, and was still a staunch supporter of Guy. He was more of a diplomat than a warrior, and even the Itinerarium Peregrinorum , which was highly sympathetic to him, suggests he was slightly effeminate. In autumn 1190, Maria and Balian abducted Isabella from Humphrey, and forced her to consent to an annulment because she had been under-age at the time of her marriage, and had been coerced by her half-brother, Baldwin IV. They intended to marry her to the ambitious Conrad, who was Baldwin V's nearest male kinsman, and had already proved himself capable politically and militarily.
After much political pressure, and a challenge to a trial by combat by Guy III of Senlis (which he refused), Humphrey consented to an ecclesiastical annulment by Ubaldo Lanfranchi
Ubaldo Lanfranchi
Ubaldo Lanfranchi was an Italian Catholic archbishop.A member of the Lanfranchi family of Pisa, he is mentioned for the first time at his consecration on 11 April 1176. In 1998 he was confirmed as primate of Sardinian dioceses....
, Archbishop of Pisa, who was Papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
, and Philip of Dreux
Philip of Dreux
Philip of Dreux was a French nobleman, Bishop of Beauvais, and figure of the Third Crusade.He was an active soldier, an ally in the field of Philip Augustus, the French king and his cousin, making him an opponent in campaigns in France and elsewhere of Richard I of England. He was in also in...
, bishop of Beauvais, who was a second-cousin of Conrad. Philip married Conrad and Isabella on 24 November, despite objections that the marriage was canonically
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
incestuous (Isabella's half-sister Sibylla having been married to Conrad's older brother). Some modern popular writers have suggested this was a grim fate for the young queen, to be married off to a "grizzled old warrior" who had twice been married before. However, Conrad, then about 45, was an intelligent, well-educated, handsome man of great personal courage and vitality – so perhaps her situation was less bleak than some have implied. She compensated Humphrey by restoring to him his title to Toron, Chastel Neuf and related estates, which had been taken into the royal domain on their marriage, before returning to Tyre with her new husband.
By virtue of his marriage to Isabella, Conrad became de jure uxoris King of Jerusalem. However, for seventeen months there was an interregnum during which Guy of Lusignan, despite the death of Sibylla, continued his claim. Guy's chief supporter was Richard I of England
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
, his family's overlord in Poitou
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
, while Isabella and Conrad's was Philip II of France
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
, the son of Conrad's cousin Louis VII
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...
. Eventually, after Philip's departure, Conrad's kingship was confirmed by election in April 1192.
The news was brought to the couple in Tyre by Count Henry II of Champagne
Henry II of Champagne
Henry II of Champagne was count of Champagne from 1181 to 1197, and King of Jerusalem from 1192 to 1197, although he never used the title of king.- Early Life and Family :...
, the nephew of both the Kings of England and of France, who then returned to Acre. Only a few days later, on 28 April, Isabella and her ladies were late for dinner through lingering at the hammam
Hammam
A Turkish bath is the Turkish variant of a steam bath, sauna or Russian Bath, distinguished by a focus on water, as distinct from ambient steam....
. Conrad called on the Bishop of Beauvais, hoping to dine with him, but finding the bishop had already dined, set off back to the palace. On the way, he was set upon in the street and stabbed by Hashshashin
Hashshashin
The Assassins were an order of Nizari Ismailis, particularly those of Persia that existed from around 1092 to 1265...
. He died of his wounds that same day. Isabella was already known to be carrying their first child – Maria of Montferrat
Maria of Montferrat
Maria of Montferrat was Queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of Conrad of Montferrat and Isabella, Queen of Jerusalem...
, who later succeeded her mother as queen regnant (see the Old French Continuation of William of Tyre, the Brevis Regni Hierosolymitani Historia in the Annals of Genoa, and the Muslim chronicler Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani).
Two days later, Henry of Champagne returned to Tyre as the envoy of his uncle King Richard – and immediately betrothed himself to Isabella. According to some chroniclers, the people of Tyre were reportedly so taken by Henry's youth and handsomeness that they shouted that he should marry their princess, and Isabella immediately fell in love with him – but this is to put a romantic gloss on what was primarily a political pairing. Richard had supported Guy, and was suspected of involvement in Conrad's death. A marriage between his nephew and Isabella was more advantageous to him than reinstating Humphrey, despite the latter's objections. Henry and Isabella were married only eight days after Conrad's murder. Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani, who was present for the wedding, wrote:
Henry died in 1197 when a balcony or window-trellis gave way and he fell out of a window. He and Isabella had three daughters, Marie of Champagne (died as a child before 1205), Alice
Alice 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...
(born 1196) and Philippa
Philippa of Champagne
Philippa of Champagne, Lady of Ramerupt and of Venizy was the third daughter of Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem and Henry II, Count of Champagne. She was the wife of Erard de Brienne-Ramerupt who encouraged her in 1216 to claim the county of Champagne which belonged to her cousin Theobald IV, who...
(born 1197). After his death, Isabella was married for a fourth time to 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....
(also Amalric I of Cyprus), brother of Guy of Lusignan
Guy of Lusignan
Guy of Lusignan was a Poitevin knight, son of Hugh VIII of the prominent Lusignan dynasty. He was king of the crusader state of Jerusalem from 1186 to 1192 by right of marriage to Sibylla of Jerusalem, and of Cyprus from 1192 to 1194...
. They were crowned together as King and Queen of Jerusalem in January 1198 in Acre. They had two daughters, Sybilla
Sybilla of Lusignan
Sibylla of Lusignan was the daughter of Amalric II of Jerusalem and Isabella of Jerusalem. She was a member of the House of Lusignan....
(born 1198) and Melisende
Melisende of Lusignan
Melisende de Lusignan, Princess of Antioch , was the youngest daughter of Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem by her fourth and last marriage to King Amalric II of Jerusalem. She had a sister Sibylla of Lusignan, a younger brother, Amalric who died as a young child...
(born 1200), and one son, Amalric (1201–1205). King Amalric died in 1205 of food-poisoning caused by white mullet, four days before his wife, and shortly after their infant son.
On her death on 5 April 1205, Isabella was succeeded as Queen of Jerusalem by her eldest daughter Maria of Montferrat
Maria of Montferrat
Maria of Montferrat was Queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of Conrad of Montferrat and Isabella, Queen of Jerusalem...
.
The legality of Isabella's divorce from Humphrey was challenged in 1213, during the dispute over the succession to Champagne
Champagne (province)
The Champagne wine region is a historic province within the Champagne administrative province in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name...
between her daughters Alice and Philippa and Henry's nephew Theobald IV
Theobald I of Navarre
Theobald I , called the Troubadour, the Chansonnier, and the Posthumous, was Count of Champagne from birth and King of Navarre from 1234...
. However, its validity seems to have been upheld: no challenge was made to the legitimacy of Maria and her descendants to succeed to the throne of Jerusalem, and in Champagne, Theobald bought off his cousins Alice and Philippa.
Issue
Isabella's first marriage to Humphrey IV of ToronHumphrey IV of Toron
Humphrey IV of Toron was the lord of Toron, Kerak, and Oultrejordain in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.-Biography:...
was childless.
From her second marriage to Conrad of Montferrat
Conrad of Montferrat
Conrad of Montferrat was a northern Italian nobleman, one of the major participants in the Third Crusade. He was the de facto King of Jerusalem, by marriage, from 24 November 1190, but officially elected only in 1192, days before his death...
she had one daughter:
- MariaMaria of MontferratMaria of Montferrat was Queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of Conrad of Montferrat and Isabella, Queen of Jerusalem...
(1192–1212), succeeded Isabella as Queen of Jerusalem.
From her third marriage to Henry II, Count of Champagne she had three daughters:
- Marie (died before 1205) betrothed to Guy of Cyprus but they both died as children.
- AliceAlice of ChampagneAlice 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...
(1195/1196–1246), firstly married Hugh I of CyprusHugh I of CyprusHugh 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...
, secondly she married Bohemond V of Antioch and thirdly married Raoul de Soissons. She was a rival claimant of ChampagneChampagne, FranceChampagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
. - PhilippaPhilippa of ChampagnePhilippa of Champagne, Lady of Ramerupt and of Venizy was the third daughter of Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem and Henry II, Count of Champagne. She was the wife of Erard de Brienne-Ramerupt who encouraged her in 1216 to claim the county of Champagne which belonged to her cousin Theobald IV, who...
(c.1197- 20 December 1250), married Erard de Brienne-Ramerupt and was also a claimant of Champagne.
From her fourth and final marriage to Amalric I of Cyprus
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....
she had the following children:
- SybilleSybilla of LusignanSibylla of Lusignan was the daughter of Amalric II of Jerusalem and Isabella of Jerusalem. She was a member of the House of Lusignan....
(October–November 1198 – c. 1230 or 1252), married King Leo II of ArmeniaLeo II of ArmeniaLeo II , also Leon II, Levon II or Lewon II was the tenth lord of Armenian Cilicia or “Lord of the Mountains” , and the first king of Armenian Cilicia .During his reign, Leo succeeded in establishing Cilician Armenia as a powerful and a unified Christian... - MélissendeMelisende of LusignanMelisende de Lusignan, Princess of Antioch , was the youngest daughter of Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem by her fourth and last marriage to King Amalric II of Jerusalem. She had a sister Sibylla of Lusignan, a younger brother, Amalric who died as a young child...
(c. 1200 – aft. 1249), married January 1, 1218 Bohemund IV of AntiochBohemund IV of AntiochBohemond 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... - Amalric (1201 – February 2, 1205, AcreAcreThe acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
)
Isabella in fiction
Isabella has made few fictional appearances, but she is a major character in Graham ShelbyGraham Shelby
Graham Shelby is a British historical novelist. He worked as a copywriter and book-reviewer before embarking on a series of historical novels, mainly set in the twelfth century.-List of works:...
's The Knights of Dark Renown (1969) and its sequel The Kings of Vain Intent (1970). Shelby idealises her marriage to Humphrey, depicting them as his young romantic leads. He then goes on to depict her being beaten and raped by Conrad in a sadistically abusive relationship. This sensationalist depiction is not supported by any evidence. Shelby implies that Isabella plotted Conrad's murder in revenge for his abuse, and depicts her as mentally numbed and indifferent to Henry.
She is the title character of Alan Gordon
Alan Gordon (author)
Alan Gordon is the author of several mysteries, the first of which is based on the characters from William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. He lives in New York City and is a lawyer with the Legal Aid Society.-Bibliography:...
's mystery novel, The Widow of Jerusalem (2003), which paints a more sympathetic portrait of her marriage to Conrad. She is introduced as a spoilt, vain young woman, but she matures in the course of the story. Only when it is too late does she realise that her husband loves her. His murder, and the later death of Henry, are investigated by the hero, the fool Theophilos (Feste
Feste
Feste is a jester in the Shakespeare comedy Twelfth Night or: What You Will. He is attached to the household of the Countess Olivia. Apparently he has been there for some time, as he was a "fool that the Lady Olivia's father took much delight in"...
).
Ancestry
Sources
- Edbury, Peter W. (ed.) The Conquest of Jerusalem and the Third Crusade, 1998, ISBN 1-84014-676-1
- Gilchrist, M. M. "Character-assassination: Conrad de Montferrat in English-language fiction & popular histories", Bollettino del Marchesato. Circolo Culturale I Marchesi del Monferrato, Alessandria, no. 6, Nov. 2005, pp.5–13. (external link)
- Ilgen, Theodor. Konrad, Markgraf von Montferrat, 1880
- Nicholson, Helen J. (ed.) The Chronicle of the Third Crusade: The Itinerarium Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis Ricardi, 1997, ISBN 0-7546-0581-7
- Runciman, StevenSteven RuncimanThe Hon. Sir James Cochran Stevenson Runciman CH — known as Steven Runciman — was a British historian known for his work on the Middle Ages...
. A History of the Crusades, 1951–54, vols. 2–3. - Usseglio, Leopoldo. I Marchesi di Monferrato in Italia ed in Oriente durante i secoli XII e XIII, 1926.
- Williams, Patrick A. "The Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat: Another Suspect?", Traditio, vol. XXVI, 1970.
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