Caterina Cornaro

CATERINA CORNARO (1453 - 1510)
Queen of Cyprus (1469 - 1489)

Caterina was the daughter of a prominent Venetian merchant family.

She was married by proxy to Jacques (James) II (1468), and given surname Veneto - 'daughter of St. Mark' . This ensured that as a daughter of Republic, Cyprus would pass to Venice if Caterina survived both her husband and heirs. Caterina underwent a formal marriage at Famagusta (1469).

Following the death of husband, Jacques II, Caterina's infant son Jacques III succeeds but mysteriously dies aged 2 months old (1469).

Caterina succeeds to Cyprus in own right (1473). However, it is not before long that power is taken out of her hands by Venice (1489) and she is "persuaded" to abdicate. Venice assumes direct rule of Cyprus.

Caterina spent remainder of her years in voluntary exile in Italian town of Asolo.

~~~ Melisende (first pub: 1998 Women of History)

Charlotte

Charlotte
Queen of Cyprus (Jerusalem and Armenia) (c.1458/9 - 1460)

Charlotte was the daughter of King Jean II of Cyprus and Helena Palaeologus, daughter of Theodore Paleaologus, Ruler of the Peloponnese. Charlote was twice married: (1) John, Duke of Coimbra (grandson of the King of Portugal), and (2) Louis, Count of Savoy. She managed to persuade her half-brother Archbishop Jacques to kill a royal chamberlain said to have been implicated in death of her husband John, who had incurred the emnity of Queen Helena and died in mysterious circumstances, though most likely poisoned. Aged 22, Charlotte succeeded father (c.1459).

After her accession, Charlotte married her second husband Louis, Count of Savoy and her cousin (1459). But things did not go as planned - her half brother Jacques declared himself to be heir of Cyprus (1460). In the ensuing dispute for the crown of Cyprus, Charlotte had the support of nobility against Jacques, who landed with Muslim army.

Charlotte retreated to castle of Kyrenia but the castle was surrounded and besieged (1460-1463). Somehow she managed to extricate herself and fled to Rome with her husband (1463). Jacques was declared and crowned King of Cyprus. Charlotte died (1487) bequething sovereignty of Cyprus to Savoy. I am unsure whether her husband was Louis, Duke of Savoy (1440-1465) and therefore mother of Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy, but considering her bequest of Cyprus to Savoy it is possible.

~~~ Melisende (first pub:1998 - Women of History)

Alice of Jerusalem-Champagne

Alice (Alix) of Jerusalem-Champagne (d.1246)
Queen of Cyprus, Regent of Jerusalem

Alice was the daughter of Queen Isabella and her second husband Henry of Champagne. She was the sister of Philippa of Champagne, and half sister of Maria of Montferrat, and Sibylla and Melisende of Lusignan.

Alice married (1208) Hugh, son of Amalric of Cyprus/Amalric II of Jerusalem (also her step-brother as his father was her mother's fourth husband), the arrangements being made by her grandmother Maria Comnena and dowry provided by Blanche of Navarre, Countess of Champagne.

Alice was the mother of Henry of Cyprus, and Isabella and at least one other daughter. Her husband Hugh took over government of Cyprus (1210/11) from his sister Burgundia and her husband Gautier de Montbeliard, who were regents during his minority. Both she and her husband were crowned in Nicosia.

Although there is no evidence that their marriage was stormy, her husband Hugh was a young man with a fiery temper, and his relations with the papacy, his vassals, and the church were constantly stormy. Her husband was devoted to providing firm government and order in Cyprus. Hugh went to Acre with troops from Cyprus (Sept 1217) and left for Tripoli with the crusading army (3 Nov 1217) under King Andras (Andrew) of Hungary. After the sudden death of her husband Hugh at Tripoli (10 Jan 1218), Alice acted as regent for her 8 month old son Henry in Cyprus (1218). Alice was also the aunt of Yolanda (1225), the daughter of her half-sister Maria of Montferrat, and titular Queen of Jerusalem.

Alice entrusted the government of Cyprus to her uncle Philip of Ibelin, but relations between the two were far from happy, and she constantly insisted that her wishes not taken into consideration. The open breach was not far in the coming (1223), and Alice retired angry to Tripoli. It was in Tripoli that Alice met and married Bohemond V, the eldest surviving son of Bohemond IV of Antioch. Alice attempted to appoint her new husband as "Bailli" (Constable) - but this was not accepted by the nobles. She then offered the position to Amalric of Barlais, however, John of Ibelin was confirmed in his appointment as "Bailli" of Cyprus (1227).

In Jerusalem, Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor was recognized as suzerain but not regent of Cyprus (1228) in his capacity as the husband of the young Queen Yolanda. On the death of Yolanda, Alice travelled to Acre to put forward her claim to Crown of Jerusalem (1229). By now Alice was divorced (1229) on grounds of consanguinity (she and Bohemond were third cousins), and her claims to the throne of Jerusalem were rejected. Alice became reconciled with her Ibelin cousins. She married Ralph, Count of Soissons (1240). As she was the great-aunt of King Conrad of Germany, who succeeded to the throne of Jerusalem but who had failed to come East to accept throne, Alice was entrusted with regency of Jerusalem (1243) - she was then aged 50. The regency passed to her son and heir Henry, King of Cyprus, on her death (1246).

~~~ Melisende (first pub:1998 - Women of History)

Isabella of Ibelin

Isabella of Ibelin
Lady of Beirut & Queen of Cyprus (d.1282)

Isabella was the eldest daughter of John II of Ibelin, Lord of Beirut (dc.1273) and Alice de la Roche of Athens. She had been previously married as a child to the child-King of Cyprus, Hugh II. The marraige was not consummated.

Following the death of her husband Hugh (Dec. 1267), Hugh III of Cyprus hoped to use her as an eligible heiress to attract some distinguished King to the East. Although a virgin-widow, her virginity of short duration, and she became notorious for her lack of chastity. Isabella undertook a brief liaison with Julian of Sidon.

A papal bull was issued urging her to marry. As an act of defiance, Isabella gave herself and her lordship to an Englishman Hamo L'Estrange (or the Foreigner), a companion of Prince Edward of England (1272). On Hamo's death (1273), she put herself and her fief under the protection of Bairbars.

Hugh of Cyprus tried to carry her off. Isabella returned to Beirut, but this time with a Mameluke guard installed to protect her. On the death of Bairbars, Hugh resumed control of the fief. Isabella married twice more (3. Nicholas L'Aleman, and 4. William Barlais) before her death (1282). Beirut the passed to her sister Eschiva, wife of Humphrey of Montfort (d.1283).

~~~ Melisende (first pub: 1988 - Women of History)