Isabella, Lady of Beirut facts for kids

Isabella of Ibelin (born 1252, died 1282) was a very important lady who ruled the city of Beirut from 1264 until her death. She was also known as the Queen of Cyprus. Isabella was the daughter of John II of Beirut, who was the previous ruler of Beirut, and Alice de la Roche.

Isabella's Early Life and Role

Isabella was part of the powerful Ibelin family. Her great-grandfather was John of Ibelin, a famous leader during the Crusades. When her father passed away, Isabella inherited the family's grand palace in Beirut. She also became the leader of Beirut, which was a special area called a fief. A fief was like a piece of land that a lord or lady ruled.

Beirut's Special Agreement

Even though Beirut was part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, it had its own special agreement. In 1261, Beirut made a peace treaty with Baibars, who was the powerful leader of the Muslim Mamluks. This treaty meant Beirut was somewhat independent.

Isabella's Marriages and Challenges

In 1265, when Isabella was still young, she was promised in marriage to Hugh II. He was the king of Cyprus at the time. Sadly, King Hugh died soon after their wedding.

Ruling Alone and Making Peace

After Hugh's death, Isabella ruled Beirut by herself. She had good relationships with the Mamluks. In 1269, she even made her own new 10-year peace agreement with Baibars. This showed she was a strong and smart leader.

A Forced Marriage and a Big Dispute

In 1272, when Isabella was 20, she married Haymo Létrange. He was a rich lord from Wales. But Haymo died just a year later in 1273. Before he passed away, he asked Baibars, the Muslim sultan, to protect Isabella and Beirut. This was very unusual because Baibars was Muslim and Isabella was Christian.

King Hugh III of Cyprus then wanted to choose a new husband for Isabella. She was very wealthy, and he hoped to bring another strong knight to help fight in the Holy Land. King Hugh even took Isabella by force to Cyprus to arrange this new marriage. He left her mother, Alice de la Roche, in charge of Beirut.

Isabella did not want to be forced into marriage. She bravely resisted and received help from both Baibars and the Knights Templar, who were powerful Christian knights.

The High Court's Decision

This disagreement became a huge political fight during the Crusades. It was about who had the right to decide Isabella's future: the Christian Crusader king or the Muslim sultan. The case went to the Jerusalem High Court. The court decided in favor of Baibars. This meant that Mamluk guards were assigned to protect Isabella.

After Baibars died in 1277, Isabella married two more times. First, she married Nicolas l'Alleman, who was the lord of Caesarea. Then, she married William Barlais.

Isabella's Legacy

Isabella never had any children. She passed away in 1282 when she was 30 years old. After her death, the rule of Beirut went to her younger sister, Eschiva.

See also

In Spanish: Isabel de Ibelín (señora de Beirut) para niños