Stephanie of Milly facts for kids
Stephanie of Milly was an important noblewoman who lived a long time ago, from around 1145 or 1155 until 1197. She was the ruler, or "lady," of a region called Oultrejordain from 1169 to 1197. This area was part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which was a Christian state in the Middle East during the Crusades. Stephanie was a very influential person in her time. She was also known by other names like Stephanie de Milly, Etienette de Milly, and Etiennette de Milly. She was married three times: first to Humphrey III of Toron, then to Miles of Plancy, and finally to Raynald of Chatillon.
Her Family and Early Life
Stephanie was the younger daughter of Philip of Milly, who was the lord of Nablus. Her mother was Isabella of Oultrejordain. Isabella was the daughter and heir of Maurice of Montreal, who was the lord of Oultrejordain. This meant that Stephanie's mother was set to inherit the land of Oultrejordain, and so Stephanie herself was an important heir.
Stephanie's first marriage was in 1163 to Humphrey III of Toron. He passed away in 1173. They had two children together: a son named Humphrey, who later became Humphrey IV of Toron, and a daughter named Isabella. Isabella later married Ruben III of Armenia. After Humphrey III died, Stephanie married her second husband, Miles of Plancy, who also became lord of Oultrejordain. He died in 1174.
Her Third Marriage to Raynald
In 1177, Stephanie married Raynald of Châtillon. He had been a powerful leader, the former Prince of Antioch, and had recently been freed after being held captive in Aleppo. When Raynald married Stephanie, he became the lord of Oultrejordain because of her position. This is called jure uxoris, meaning "by right of his wife."
Raynald used his new power to bother Muslim travelers and people going on religious journeys. In 1183, he even threatened to attack Mecca, a very holy city for Muslims.
In 1180, King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem arranged for his young half-sister, Isabella, to marry Stephanie's son, Humphrey. Isabella was only eight years old at the time. The wedding happened at Kerak Castle in 1183. The wedding celebrations were interrupted when Saladin, a famous Muslim leader, arrived and surrounded the castle. He was responding to Raynald's threats against Mecca.
According to some old stories, Stephanie sent messages to Saladin. She reminded him of a friendship they supposedly shared when he was a prisoner in Kerak many years before. However, historians don't think Saladin was ever held captive there. Saladin did not stop the siege, but he agreed not to attack Humphrey and Isabella's wedding room. Soon after, King Baldwin arrived and forced Saladin to end the siege.
Some historical writings also say that Stephanie did not like Isabella's mother, Maria Comnena. Stephanie supposedly kept Maria from seeing her daughter. This was likely for political reasons. King Baldwin had arranged the marriage to keep Isabella away from the influence of her stepfather's family, the Ibelins.
Losing Oultrejordain
Raynald continued to bother the traveling groups and pilgrims. This led to Saladin invading the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1187. Raynald was killed in the big battle that followed, called the Battle of Hattin. In this battle, Stephanie's son, Humphrey IV, was captured by Saladin.
Saladin offered to return Humphrey to Stephanie if she would give him Kerak and Montreal castles. However, the castles refused to surrender. Stephanie, showing her loyalty, sent her son back to Saladin's captivity. Saladin felt sorry for her and later released Humphrey anyway.
Within a few years of the Battle of Hattin, Stephanie's own lands in Oultrejordain and its castles were lost to Saladin. These lands were far from the coast, where the remaining Christian strongholds were located. Because of this, Oultrejordain stayed in Muslim hands.
It seems that Stephanie's son, Humphrey, passed away before she did. So, her daughter, Isabella, became her heir. Isabella also inherited the lands of Toron.
