Melisende of Lusignan
Melisende of Cyprus (1200 Holy Land- after 1249), was the youngest daughter of Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem by her fourth and last marriage to King Aimery of Cyprus.[1] She had a sister Sibylla of Lusignan, a younger brother, Amalric who died as a young child. By her mother's previous marriages, Melisande had three half-sisters, Maria of Montferrat, who succeeded their mother as queen of Jerusalem on 5 April 1205; Alice of Champagne, and Philippa of Champagne.
| Melisende of Jerusalem | |
|---|---|
| Princess of Antioch | |
| Tenure | 1218-1233 |
| Born | 1200 Holy Land |
| Died | after 1249 |
| Spouse | Bohemond IV of Antioch |
| Issue | Mary of Antioch |
| House | House of Lusignan |
| Father | Aimery of Jerusalem |
| Mother | Isabella I of Jerusalem |
Marriage and issue
In January 1218, Melisande married Prince Bohemond IV of Antioch.[1] The marriage produced three daughters:
- Isabella (died young)
- Maria (died after 10 December 1307),[1] she was childless.
- Helvis (died young)
Melisende protested the succession of her nephew King Henry I of Cyprus as regent of Jerusalem on the death of her half-sister Alice in 1246. Alice had been regent of Jerusalem for Conrad IV of Germany.
She died sometime after 1249. Upon the childless death of her only surviving daughter, Marie sometime after December 1307, the line of Melisende became extinct.
References
- Runciman 1989, p. Appendix III.
Sources
- Runciman, Steven (1989). A History of the Crusades, Volume III: The Kingdom of Acre and the Later Crusades. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-06163-6.