Margaret of Soissons, Queen of Armenia
Encyclopedia
Marguerite of Soissons was a daughter of John of Soissons and Marie de Milmars. She was the wife of Leo V, King of Armenia, so from her marriage she was Queen consort of Armenia.
Marguerite's second marriage was to Leo V, King of Armenia. He was an illegitimate son of Jean de Lusignan, Constable of Armenia and Soldane of Georgia, daughter of George V of Georgia
. They married at Cyprus
in May, 1369.
In 1374 Leo was invited to the Armenian throne. Margaret and Leo were crowned King and Queen of Armenia on September 14 at Sis
.
Margaret and Leo had a daughter, Marie. Leo and his family sent into captivity in Egypt
after the Egyptian troops occupied the Armenian capital in 1375. The royal family was relatively well treated. In August 1377, Leo met with Jean Dardel
, a Franciscan who was on his way for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Leo befriended him and employed him as his secretary. Dradel returned to Europe to plead the case of Leo and his family, and managed to convince King John I of Castile
to pay a ransom of precious stones, silks, and birds of prey in 1382.
However, this came to late for Margaret and Marie. Margaret was with her young daughter in Cairo
when the princess died in 1381. Margaret probably died soon afterwards. Margaret and her daughter were buried together in the Church of St. Martin's, Cairo
.
Leo went to live in Spain
where he was made Lord of Madrid
by King John. He died in 1393.
Life
Marguerite's first husband was Honfroy de Scandelion, this marriage was only short and bore no children, her husband presumably died.Marguerite's second marriage was to Leo V, King of Armenia. He was an illegitimate son of Jean de Lusignan, Constable of Armenia and Soldane of Georgia, daughter of George V of Georgia
George V of Georgia
George V, the "Brilliant" was King of Georgia from 1299 to 1302 and again from 1314 until his death. A flexible and far-sighted politician, he recovered Georgia from a century-long Mongol domination, restoring the country’s previous strength and Christian culture.-Reign:George was born to King...
. They married at 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...
in May, 1369.
In 1374 Leo was invited to the Armenian throne. Margaret and Leo were crowned King and Queen of Armenia on September 14 at Sis
Kozan, Adana
Kozan is a city in Adana Province, Turkey, 68 km north of the city of Adana, in the northern section of the Çukurova plain. The city is the capital of Kozan district. The Kilgen Stream, a tributary of the Ceyhan River , flows through Kozan crossing the plain south into the Mediterranean Sea....
.
Margaret and Leo had a daughter, Marie. Leo and his family sent into captivity in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
after the Egyptian troops occupied the Armenian capital in 1375. The royal family was relatively well treated. In August 1377, Leo met with Jean Dardel
Jean Dardel
Jean Dardel was a Friar Minor of the French province of the Franciscan order, chronicler of Armenia in the fourteenth century, and adviser and confessor to King Leo V of Armenia...
, a Franciscan who was on his way for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Leo befriended him and employed him as his secretary. Dradel returned to Europe to plead the case of Leo and his family, and managed to convince King John I of Castile
John I of Castile
John I was the king of Crown of Castile, was the son of Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile, daughter of Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, head of a younger branch of the royal house of Castile...
to pay a ransom of precious stones, silks, and birds of prey in 1382.
However, this came to late for Margaret and Marie. Margaret was with her young daughter in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
when the princess died in 1381. Margaret probably died soon afterwards. Margaret and her daughter were buried together in the Church of St. Martin's, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
.
Leo went to live in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
where he was made Lord of Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
by King John. He died in 1393.