William II of Sicily facts for kids
Quick facts for kids William II |
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William II offering the Monreale Cathedral to the Virgin Mary.
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| King of Sicily | |
| Reign | 7 May 1166 – 11 November 1189 |
| Predecessor | William I |
| Successor | Tancred |
| Born | December 1153 Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily |
| Died | 11 November 1189 (aged 35) Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily |
| Burial | Cathedral of Palermo, Sicily |
| Spouse | Joan of England |
| House | Hauteville |
| Father | William I of Sicily |
| Mother | Margaret of Navarre |
William II (born December 1153 – died 11 November 1189) was the king of Sicily from 1166 to 1189. He was often called "the Good". William II was known for his strong foreign policy and clever diplomacy. He supported the papacy (the Pope) and worked secretly with cities in Lombardy to stand against their common enemy, Frederick Barbarossa.
People started calling William "the Good" after he died. This was because his time as king was peaceful. There were no more internal problems like those during his father's rule. Also, there were no big wars like those that happened after he died. His reign was seen as a golden age of peace and fairness.
Contents
Becoming King
His Mother's Rule
William was born in Palermo, Sicily. His parents were King William I and Margaret of Navarre. When William was only twelve years old, his father died. This meant William became king, but his mother, Margaret, ruled for him as his regent.
In 1171, William was declared old enough to rule on his own. Before that, the government was managed by different people. First, it was his mother's cousin, Stephen du Perche. Then, Walter Ophamil, the archbishop of Palermo, and Matthew of Ajello helped govern.
In 1168, Stephen du Perche was removed from power. Some people even spread rumors that William had been killed. They also claimed that du Perche wanted William's aunt, Constance, to marry his brother. Constance was a nun and had been kept in a monastery since childhood. This was because of a prophecy that her marriage would "destroy Sicily."
Marriage and Important Friendships
William II tried to arrange a marriage with a Byzantine princess named Maria Komnene. This effort did not work out. It also caused him to have a disagreement with the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus in 1172.
In the same year, William's brother, Henry, Prince of Capua, died. This created a problem for who would become king next. It is said that William II named Constance, his aunt, as his heir. She was the last rightful heir to the throne. People swore loyalty to her in 1174, even though she stayed in her monastery.
In 1174 and 1175, William made agreements with the cities of Genoa and Venice. In February 1177, he married Joan. She was the daughter of King Henry II of England and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine. This marriage showed how important William was in European politics. Even though Joan did not have any children who lived, William never tried to end their marriage.
In July 1177, William sent people to sign the Treaty of Venice with the Emperor. In 1184, he let his aunt Constance, who was 30 years old, leave the convent. He arranged for her to marry the Emperor's son, who would later become Emperor Henry VI. This was done to keep the peace between their kingdoms. They married in January 1186. After this, everyone had to promise loyalty to Constance as William's heir. This was a very important step for the Norman kingdom. William might have done this to focus on gaining new lands. He also wanted to prevent his cousin, Tancred, from trying to become king.
Wars with Egypt and the Byzantine Empire
William could not get back the lands in Africa that Sicily once controlled. So, he turned his attention to Ayyubid Egypt. The ruler of Egypt, Saladin, was a threat to the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem. In July 1174, William sent 30,000 soldiers to Alexandria. But when Saladin arrived, the Sicilian soldiers had to quickly leave.
A better chance came when the Byzantine Empire had problems after Emperor Manuel I Comnenus died in 1180. William decided to continue the old conflict against the Byzantine Empire. His forces captured Dyrrhachium on June 11, 1185. Then, a large army (said to be 80,000 men) marched towards Thessalonica. At the same time, a fleet of 200 ships sailed to the same city. On their way, they captured the Ionian islands of Corfu, Cephalonia, Ithaca, and Zakynthos.
In August 1185, Thessalonica was captured by the Sicilian fleet and army. The city was then looted. The troops continued marching towards the capital city. However, the army of Emperor Isaac II Angelus defeated the invaders on November 7, 1185. Thessalonica was quickly given up. In 1189, William made peace with Isaac and gave up all the lands he had conquered.
William was then planning to have the crusading armies from the West pass through his lands. He seemed ready to play a big part in the Third Crusade. His admiral, Margarito, was a brilliant naval leader. With 60 ships, he kept the eastern Mediterranean Sea open for the Franks. He even forced the strong Saladin to retreat from Tripoli in the spring of 1188.
Death and Succession
In November 1189, William II died in Palermo. He had no children who lived. One record mentions a son named Bohemond in 1181, but he died young.
After William's death, Norman officials supported his cousin, Tancred, to become king. They did this instead of letting Constance take the throne. They wanted to avoid German rule over Sicily.
Images for kids
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William II offering the Monreale Cathedral to the Virgin Mary.
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Monreale Cathedral, built during William's II reign. William and his parents are buried there.
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Palermo in mourning for the death of William II, from the Liber ad honorem Augusti by Peter of Eboli.
See also
In Spanish: Guillermo II de Sicilia para niños
| Preceded by William I |
King of Sicily 1166–1189 |
Succeeded by Tancred |
| Preceded by Simon |
Prince of Taranto 1157–1189 |
