ISABELLE of Jerusalem, daughter of AMAURY I King of Jerusalem & his second wife Maria Komnene (1172-before May 1206). She is named by William of Tyre (Continuator) who records her parentage and, in a later passage, records her mother's statement at the time of the annulment of her first marriage that Isabelle was only eight years old when that marriage took place[206]. Caffaro names "filiam unam…Ysabella" as the child of "rex Amarricus" and his second wife "Maria neptis imperatoris Manuelis, filiam Iohannis protosauasto…nepos imperatoris Manuelis ex fratre suo" and that they had[207]. Her first marriage was arranged in 1180 by her half-brother King Baudouin IV in an attempt to heal the breach between the Ibelin and Courtenay families[208]. The Lignages d'Outremer record that "Hamfrei le tiers" married "la reyne Ysabiau" but that they were separated and that he died without heirs[209]. Raymond Count of Tripoli promoted her candidacy as queen in 1186, when he opposed the succession of her half-sister Queen Sibylle[210]. However, her husband submitted to Queen Sibylle, which put an end to the plan[211]. She became heir to the throne in 1190 after the death of her half-sister Queen Sibylle. Her first marriage was annulled against her wishes and she was married to her second husband on the advice of her mother[212]. She was crowned in [Jan] 1198 at Acre as ISABELLE Queen of Jerusalem with her fourth husband. "Aymericus…Jerusalem Latinorum rex nonus et rex Cypri" granted rights to the commune of Marseille, with the consent of "Ysabelis uxoris mee…quamdam regis Amalrici filia", by charter dated Oct 1198[213]. After the death of her fourth husband in Jan 1205, Queen Isabelle assumed personal authority over the government of Jerusalem[214].
m firstly (castle of Kerak Nov 1183, annulled 1190) HONFROY [IV] of Toron, son of HONFROY [III] of Toron & his wife Stephaine de Milly heiress of Oultrejourdain (-after 1190). William of Tyre names him and his father when recording his marriage[215]. William of Tyre (Continuator) names his mother when recording the annulment of his marriage[216]. A charter dated 1180 records earlier donations by "Guidonem de Miliaco…dominus Philippus Neapolitanus dominusque Guido Francigena et dominus Henricus Bubalus, predicti Guidonis filii" and the present donation by "Reginaldus quondam princeps Anthiochensis…Montisregalis et Hebron dominus" of property to the abbey of Notre-Dame de Josaphat with the consent of "uxor mea Stephania…et Hanfredi prefate dominie Stephanie filii et uxoris eius Elisabeth filie regis Jerusalem"[217], although this is presumably misdated if the date of Honfroy's marriage is correct. The Chronicle of Ernoul records the marriage of "Hainfrois" and "le serour le roi…Ysabiaus" on the day Saladin started his siege of the castle of Krak[218]. While Raymond Count of Tripoli was promoting Isabelle's candidacy to succeed as queen in 1186, Honfroy submitted to Queen Sibylle and put an end to the plan[219]. He was captured by Saladin when he took Jerusalem 2 Oct 1187, freed by his mother who promised to surrender the castles of Kerak and Montreal but as neither garrisons would obey her order, she returned him to captivity, from which he was released a few months later[220]. The Chronicle of Ernoul records the ecclesiastical annulment of the marriage of Isabelle and Honfroy "que Hainfrois estoit si mauvais qu'il ne poroit le tiere tenir", undated but in passages which deal with events in 1190[221]. After the annulment of his marriage, Isabelle restored to him the fief of Toron[222].
m secondly (Acre 24 Nov 1190) as his third wife, CORRADO di Monferrato, son of GUGLIELMO V "il Vecchio" Marchese di Monferrato & his wife Judith of Austria [Babenberg] ([1145/47]-murdered Tyre 28 Apr 1192). The Cronica Alberti de Bezanis names "Gullielmus Spatam-longam, Conradum, Bonifacium, Fredericum et Raynerium" as the five sons of "Gulielmus marchio Montisferati" & his wife[223]. William of Tyre (Continuator) names him son of "le marquis Boniface", but clarifies this error by specifying that his nephew was king of Jerusalem[224]. He arrived in Constantinople in [1186] and was placed in command of the troops which crushed the rebellion of Theodoros Branas by Emperor Isaakios II, whose sister he married[225]. The Chronicle of Ernoul also records that Corrado was involved in suppressing the rebellion of "Livernas"[226]. He was awarded the title caesar in 1187. He landed at Tyre 14 Jul 1187. He took command of the defence of the city against Saladin, who was unable to capture it[227]. He sent Josias Archbishop of Tyre to the Pope in late summer 1187 to inform him of the plight of the kingdom of Jerusalem[228]. He refused to surrender Tyre to Guy de Lusignan King of Jerusalem in 1188 and 1189, but was persuaded by Ludwig III "der Milde" Landgraf von Thüringen to join in King Guy's attack on Acre[229]. During the early part of the siege, he and King Guy settled their differences, Corrado agreeing to recognise Guy as king while Corrado would continue to hold Tyre, Beirut and Sidon[230]. After the death of Queen Sibylle in 1190, Balian of Ibelin and his wife Queen Maria (mother of Isabelle of Jerusalem) considered Corrado a better candidate for the throne of Jerusalem than King Guy. They therefore engineered his marriage to Isabelle, now heir to the throne, despite the fact that his previous two wives may still both have been alive at the time[231]. After his marriage, Corrado returned to Tyre, refusing to assume the throne of Jerusalem unless King Guy abdicated[232]. After the capitulation of Acre 12 Jul 1191, a meeting of European dignitaries decided that Guy de Lusignan should remain as king of Jerusalem until his death, after which the crown would pass to Corrado, his wife Isabelle and their issue. Meanwhile Corrado would be Lord of Tyre, Beirut and Sidon, and he and King Guy would share the royal revenues[233]. He succeeded his father in 1191 as CORRADO Marchese di Monferrato. After further quarrels between the crusader leaders, a council called by Richard I King of England in Apr 1192 decided that Corrado should replace Guy as king of Jerusalem. His coronation was planned at Acre, but a few days later he was murdered at Tyre, apparently by two Assassins hired by Sheikh Sinan in revenge for an act of piracy against one of his merchant ships[234].
m thirdly (Acre 5 May 1192) HENRI II Comte de Champagne, son of HENRI I "le Libéral" Comte de Champagne & his wife Marie de France (29 Jul 1166-Acre 10 Sep 1197). The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names "Henricus et Theobaldus" as sons of "comes Henricus Trecensis" & his wife[235]. William of Tyre (Continuator) names him and specifies that he was nephew of Philippe II King of France[236]. He left on the Third Crusade and was in command of the siege operations at Acre in 1190[237]. After the murder of Corrado di Monferrato, Comte Henri hurried to Tyre, was acclaimed as the suitable candidate to marry Corrado's widow, and within two days his betrothal was announced[238]. He succeeded in 1192 as HENRI King of Jerusalem, by right of his wife, but was never crowned king[239]. The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names "Isabella" as wife of "comes Campaniensis Henricus…comes et princeps…in Acra"[240]. Together with Richard I King of England, King Henri signed a five year peace treaty with Saladin 2 Sep 1192, under which the coastal towns as far south as Jaffa were given to the Christians who were also given the right to visit the holy places in Jerusalem[241]. He appointed Jean of Ibelin as Constable of Jerusalem in 1194, considering that Amaury de Lusignan had forfeited the post after his arrest following his support of the Pisan revolt in Tyre[242]. Following the succession of Amaury de Lusignan as Lord of Cyprus in 1194, the two parties planned an alliance, sealed by the betrothal of Amaury's three young sons to King Henri's three young daughters[243]. King Henri died after accidentally falling through a window in his palace[244].
m fourthly (Acre Jan 1198) as his second wife, AMAURY I King of Cyprus, son of HUGUES [VIII] "le Brun" Sire de Lusignan & his wife Bourgogne de Rancon ([1145]-Acre 1 Apr 1205). The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names "Gaufridum, Henricum regem Cypri et Guidonem regem Ierosolimorum" as brothers of "Hugo de Lisegnen"[245]. "…Aimericus de Lisenian…" subscribed a charter dated 13 Dec 1174 under which Baudouin IV King of Jerusalem donated property to the Knights Hospitallers[246], which appears to be the first mention of his name in the Levant. King Baudouin IV appointed him as Constable of Jerusalem in 1181[247]. He supported the rebellion of the Pisans at Tyre in May 1192, was arrested by Henri de Champagne King of Jerusalem, but retired to Jaffa on his release. King Henri, considering that Amaury had thereby forfeited his office of Constable, appointed Jean of Ibelin as Constable in his place[248]. Amaury's younger brother Guy Lord of Cyprus had bequeathed his authority in Cyprus to their older brother Geoffroy de Lusignan but, as the latter had returned to France in [1192], the Franks in Cyprus summoned Amaury to succeed as Lord of Cyprus in 1194[249]. The rivalry with the kingdom of Jerusalem was suspended when Henri de Champagne King of Jerusalem visited Cyprus in 1194, the new alliance being sealed by the betrothal of Amaury's three young sons to Queen Isabelle's three young daughters[250]. According to Edbury, the reconciliation took place in 1197[251]. Amaury did homage to Emperor Heinrich VI, through his ambassador Renier of Jebail, at Gelnhausen in Oct 1195, in return being recognised by the emperor as AMAURY I King of Cyprus. He was crowned in Sep 1197 at Nicosia, where he did homage once more to the emperor's representative Konrad von Querfurt, Bishop of Hildesheim, who was present at the ceremony as Imperial Chancellor[252]. On the death of Henri de Champagne King of Jerusalem in Sep 1197, King Amaury was proposed by the German leaders, headed by Konrad von Wittelsbach Archbishop of Mainz, as the best candidate to become Queen Isabelle's fourth husband. King Amaury arrived at Acre in Jan 1198, married Isabelle and was crowned with his wife a few days later as AMAURY II King of Jerusalem. The two kingdoms were linked only by the person of the monarch, as each retained its own administrative identity[253]. After the collapse of the German crusade in early 1198, King Amaury opened negotiations with al-Adil (Saladin's brother) although the six year peace treaty was not signed until Sep 1204, under the terms of which Beirut, Sidon, Jaffa and Ramleh were transferred back to the kingdom of Jerusalem[254]. "Aymericus…Latinorum Jerusalem rex nonus et rex Cipri" donated property to the church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem by charter dated Mar 1201 which names "frater meus rex Guido"[255]. The Archbishop of Cæsarea records the death "c purificacionem B. Mariæ" of "regis Amalrici II filium" and the death 1 Apr of the king himself, by charter dated [May] 1205[256]. On the death of King Amaury in 1205, the two kingdoms of Jerusalem and Cyprus were separated once more.