Isabella I of Jerusalem facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Isabella I |
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Marriage of Isabella I (on the right) and Conrad of Montferrat
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| Queen of Jerusalem | |
| Reign | 1190/1192 – 5 April 1205 |
| Coronation | January 1198 at Acre |
| Predecessor | Sibylla and Guy |
| Successor | Maria |
| Born | 1172 Nablus, Kingdom of Jerusalem |
| Died | 5 April 1205 (aged 32–33) Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem |
| Spouse |
Humphrey IV of Toron
(m. 1183; ann. 1190) |
| Issue more... |
Maria, Queen of Jerusalem Alice, Queen of Cyprus Philippa, Lady of Ramerupt Sibylla, Queen of Armenia Melisende, Princess of Antioch |
| House | Anjou |
| Father | Amalric I of Jerusalem |
| Mother | Maria Comnena |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Isabella I (born 1172 – died April 5, 1205) was the reigning Queen of Jerusalem from 1190 until her death. She was the daughter of Amalric I of Jerusalem, who was King of Jerusalem, and his second wife, Maria Comnena, a princess from the Byzantine Empire.
Isabella's half-brother, Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, arranged for her to marry Humphrey IV of Toron. Her mother's second husband, Balian of Ibelin, and his stepfather, Raynald of Châtillon, were important figures in the kingdom. Isabella and Humphrey's wedding took place at Kerak Castle in the autumn of 1183. During the wedding, Saladin, the powerful Ayyubid sultan, attacked the castle. However, King Baldwin IV forced Saladin to stop the attack.
Baldwin IV suffered from lepromatous leprosy, a serious illness. To prevent his sister Sibylla's second husband, Guy of Lusignan, from becoming king, Baldwin IV made his nephew, Baldwin V, his heir. The High Court of Jerusalem decided that if Baldwin V died young, a group of European rulers would choose between Sibylla and Isabella as the next queen. But after Baldwin V died in 1185, Sibylla and Guy were quickly crowned. Guy's opponents tried to support Isabella and her husband against him, but Humphrey chose to support the new king and queen.
Contents
Early Life of Queen Isabella
Childhood and Family
Isabella was born in 1172. Her father was Amalric, the King of Jerusalem. Her mother was Maria Comnena, who was related to the Byzantine Emperor, Manuel I Komnenos. They married in 1167.
Isabella's father, King Amalric, died suddenly in 1174. His son from his first marriage, Baldwin IV, became king. Soon, it became clear that Baldwin had leprosy. To secure the future of the kingdom, his sister, Sibylla, married William of Montferrat in 1176, but he died a few months later.
Isabella's mother married Balian of Ibelin in 1177. Balian's brother, Baldwin of Ibelin, wanted to marry Sibylla. However, King Baldwin IV chose Guy of Lusignan for Sibylla instead. After Sibylla and Guy married in 1180, two main groups formed in the kingdom: those who supported Guy and those who opposed him. Isabella's mother and stepfather were against Guy. To strengthen Guy's position, the king arranged for Isabella to marry Humphrey IV of Toron in 1180. Isabella was sent to Kerak Castle to live with Humphrey's mother, Stephanie of Milly. Stephanie did not allow Isabella to visit her own mother.
The relationship between King Baldwin IV and Guy of Lusignan worsened. Baldwin IV removed Guy from power and made Guy's stepson, Baldwin V, his heir in 1183. This was done to avoid arguments about who should rule after Baldwin IV, who was very ill. Guy's main supporters were not at Baldwin V's coronation because they were at Isabella and Humphrey's wedding.
Isabella's First Marriage
Isabella's wedding to Humphrey took place at Kerak Castle. During the celebration, Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, laid siege to the castle. A story says that Humphrey's mother, Stephanie of Milly, sent food from the wedding feast to Saladin. Saladin was so pleased that he ordered his soldiers not to attack the tower where Humphrey and Isabella were staying for their wedding night. King Baldwin IV arrived with an army, even though he was too sick to ride a horse. Saladin then ended the siege and left in December 1183.
King Baldwin IV died in 1185. His young heir, Baldwin V, also died about a year and a half later in 1186.
Sibylla's uncle, Joscelin of Courtenay, convinced Raymond III of Tripoli and his allies to leave Jerusalem. He then gathered Sibylla's supporters. They decided that Sibylla was the rightful heir. Those who opposed Sibylla, including Raymond III of Tripoli and Balian of Ibelin, met in Nablus. They argued that Sibylla's claim was weak because her parents' marriage had been ended. They also pointed out that Isabella was born after her father became king, which some saw as a stronger claim. Despite their protests, Heraclius, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, crowned Sibylla queen. He then crowned Guy of Lusignan king after Sibylla placed a crown on his head.
The noblemen in Nablus decided to make Isabella and Humphrey of Toron queen and king. However, Humphrey, whose mother supported Sibylla, secretly went to Jerusalem and swore loyalty to Sibylla and Guy. Soon, almost all the other nobles followed his example. Only Raymond of Tripoli left the kingdom.
In 1187, Saladin's army defeated the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the Battle of Hattin. Isabella's husband, Humphrey, was captured. Saladin's forces quickly took over most of the kingdom's cities and castles, including Jerusalem. Only Tyre remained unconquered, defended by Conrad of Montferrat, who had recently arrived from Italy.
Conrad considered himself the ruler of Tyre. He refused to let Guy of Lusignan enter the city. Guy then began to besiege Acre. Other crusader leaders also questioned Guy's right to lead. In 1190, Guy's wife, Sibylla, and their two daughters died. Guy's opponents argued that he was only king because he was married to Sibylla, and now Isabella, Sibylla's half-sister, should inherit the crown. Guy did not want to give up his claim. Seeing this situation, Conrad of Montferrat decided to marry Isabella.
Isabella's stepfather supported Conrad's plan. Isabella was against it at first, but her mother pressured her. Her mother also claimed that King Baldwin IV had forced Isabella, at age eight, to marry Humphrey of Toron. The church leaders, including the Archbishop of Pisa, ended Isabella's marriage to Humphrey. The Archbishop of Canterbury tried to stop her from marrying Conrad, but he died soon after.
Isabella's Second Marriage
Conrad married Isabella on November 24, 1190. Isabella gave back the Lordship of Toron to Humphrey, which King Baldwin IV had taken earlier. Guy of Lusignan still refused to give up his claim to the throne, but most nobles now saw Conrad as the rightful king. Conrad and Isabella returned to Tyre.
When Philip II of France arrived at Acre in 1191, he recognized Conrad's claim to Jerusalem. Guy of Lusignan and Conrad's opponents then sought help from Richard I of England, who decided to support Guy. Guy took the title of "king-elect of Jerusalem."
The crusaders captured Acre in July 1191. Richard and Philip agreed that Guy could remain king for his lifetime, but Conrad would rule Tyre, Beirut, and Sidon. After Guy's death, the kingdom would unite under Conrad and Isabella or their children. Philip then left for France, leaving Richard as the main leader of the crusaders. The local nobles still disliked Guy. When Richard decided to return to England in 1192, the nobles asked him to change the decision about the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Isabella's Reign as Queen
Election of a New King
Richard held a meeting on April 16, 1192. The church leaders and nobles at the meeting all voted for Conrad to be king. Richard accepted their decision and gave Cyprus to Guy as a replacement for the lost kingdom. Richard sent his nephew, Count Henry II of Champagne, to tell Conrad about the decision. Henry arrived in Tyre a few days later. It was planned that Conrad and Isabella would be crowned in Acre.
On April 28, Isabella was taking a long bath. Conrad, feeling hungry, decided to have dinner with Philip of Dreux. But when he arrived, the bishop had already finished eating. As Conrad was returning home, two men attacked and killed him in a narrow street. Most sources believe they were sent by the leader of the Assassins. As he was dying, Conrad told Isabella not to give Tyre to anyone except Richard or the new king of Jerusalem. When Duke Hugh III of Burgundy tried to take Tyre, Isabella locked herself in the fortress and refused to open the gates.
Isabella's Third Marriage
When Henry of Champagne heard about Conrad's death, he rushed back to Tyre. Henry, who was the nephew of both Richard of England and Philip of France, was chosen as king by the nobles and people of Tyre. According to one story, Henry was unsure because Isabella was pregnant, possibly with a son. The nobles and citizens promised him that his children would inherit the Kingdom of Jerusalem to convince him to accept the crown. Henry and Isabella announced their engagement two days after Conrad's death. They married in Acre on May 10, 1192.
Isabella and Conrad's daughter, Maria of Montferrat, was born in 1192. Henry and Isabella then had three more daughters: Margaret (born 1193/1194), Alice (born 1196), and Philippa (born 1197). Henry died in 1197 when a balcony or window frame broke, and he fell out of a window.
Isabella's Fourth Marriage
After Henry's death, Isabella married for a fourth time to Aimery of Cyprus, who was the brother of Guy of Lusignan. They were crowned together as King and Queen of Jerusalem in January 1198 in Acre. They had two daughters, Sibylla (born 1198) and Melisende (born 1200), and one son, Amalric (born 1201). King Aimery died in 1205 from food poisoning, just four days before Isabella and shortly after their son. When Isabella died on April 5, 1205, her eldest daughter, Maria, became the next Queen of Jerusalem.
The legality of Isabella's first marriage annulment was questioned in 1213. This happened during a dispute over who should inherit the region of Champagne between her daughters Alice and Philippa and Henry's nephew, Theobald IV. However, the annulment was upheld, and Maria's right to the throne of Jerusalem was not challenged.
Family
Isabella's first marriage to Humphrey IV of Toron had no children.
From her second marriage to Conrad of Montferrat she had one daughter:
- Maria (1192–1212), who became Queen of Jerusalem after Isabella.
From her third marriage to Henry II, Count of Champagne she had three daughters:
- Marguerite (1193/1194 – before 1205), who died as a child.
- Alice (1195/1196–1246), who married three times and was a claimant to Champagne.
- Philippa (c. 1197 - 1250), who also claimed Champagne.
From her fourth and final marriage to Aimery of Cyprus she had the following children:
- Sibylle (1198 – c. 1230 or 1252), who married King Leo I of Armenia.
- Mélisende (c. 1200 – after 1249), who married Bohemund IV of Antioch.
- Amalric (1201 – 1205), who died as a child.
See also
