Margaret of Lusignan
Encyclopedia
Margaret of Lusignan was Queen consort
of Armenia as the first wife of King Thoros III
. She was Queen from 1293 until her death, three years later. She had two sons, Leo
, who ruled for four years as king, and Bohemond, whose fate is unknown.
and Isabelle of Ibelin
. She had 10 siblings including King John II of Jerusalem
. She was a member of the cadet branch of the influential French Lusignan
dynasty, which had ruled the Crusader states of Cyprus and Jerusalem since the late 12th century.
. Pope Honorius IV
wrote to the Bishop of Antarados requesting that the latter grant a dispenstion for their marriage; this was done and the dispensation was dated 23 May 1286. He became Crown Prince of Armenia in 1289, and in 1293 succeeded his deposed brother, Hethum
as King of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
. On 8 January 1290 at the age of about 13 or 14, Margaret gave birth to a son, Leo who later ruled as king from 1303 until 7 November 1307, when he was murdered by a Mongol. She also had a second son, Bohemond, but his history is not known. Margaret was queen consort for three years until her own death in 1296 at the age of 20. Her husband subsequently married a Mongol woman.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Armenia as the first wife of King Thoros III
Thoros III of Armenia
Thoros III or Toros III was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1293 to 1298. He was the son of Leo II of Armenia and Kyranna de Lampron, and was part of the Hethumid dynasty. In 1293 his brother Hethum II abdicated in his favour; however, Thoros recalled Hethum to the throne in...
. She was Queen from 1293 until her death, three years later. She had two sons, Leo
Leo III of Armenia
Leo II or Leon II was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1269/1270 to 1289. He was the son of King Hetoum I and Queen Isabella and was a member of the Hetoumid family.-Early life:Leo was born in 1236, the son of King Hetoum I and Queen Isabella...
, who ruled for four years as king, and Bohemond, whose fate is unknown.
Family
Margaret was born in 1276, a daughter of King Hugh III of CyprusHugh III of Cyprus
Hugh 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...
and Isabelle of Ibelin
Isabella of Ibelin (1241-1324)
Isabella of Ibelin , queen of Cyprus, was the daughter of Guy d'Ibelin, marshal and constable of Cyprus, and of Philippa Berlais.She married Hugh III of Cyprus and they had :...
. She had 10 siblings including King John II of Jerusalem
John II of Jerusalem
John II of Jerusalem was the eldest son of Hugh III of Cyprus and Isabella of Ibelin. He succeeded his father as King of Cyprus on March 24 and was crowned at Santa Sophia, Nicosia on May 11, 1284. His succession as King of Jerusalem was opposed by Charles of Anjou, who had also disrupted his...
. She was a member of the cadet branch of the influential French Lusignan
Lusignan
The Lusignan family originated in Poitou near Lusignan in western France in the early 10th century. By the end of the 11th century, they had risen to become the most prominent petty lords in the region from their castle at Lusignan...
dynasty, which had ruled the Crusader states of Cyprus and Jerusalem since the late 12th century.
Queen of Armenia
On 9 January 1288, she married Thoros, a son of King Leo II of ArmeniaLeo II of Armenia
Leo 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...
. Pope Honorius IV
Pope Honorius IV
Pope Honorius IV , born Giacomo Savelli, was Pope for two years from 1285 to 1287. During his unremarkable pontificate he largely continued to pursue the pro-French policy of his predecessor, Pope Martin IV...
wrote to the Bishop of Antarados requesting that the latter grant a dispenstion for their marriage; this was done and the dispensation was dated 23 May 1286. He became Crown Prince of Armenia in 1289, and in 1293 succeeded his deposed brother, Hethum
Hethum II of Armenia
Hethum II was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1289 to 1293, 1295 to 1296 and 1299 to 1303, while Armenia was a subject state of the Mongol Empire...
as King of 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...
. On 8 January 1290 at the age of about 13 or 14, Margaret gave birth to a son, Leo who later ruled as king from 1303 until 7 November 1307, when he was murdered by a Mongol. She also had a second son, Bohemond, but his history is not known. Margaret was queen consort for three years until her own death in 1296 at the age of 20. Her husband subsequently married a Mongol woman.