AMAURY of Jerusalem, son of FOULQUES King of Jerusalem Comte d'Anjou & his second wife Mélisende Queen of Jerusalem (1136-Jerusalem 11 Jul 1174). His parentage is specified by William of Tyre, who records him as the younger son aged 7 when his father died[133]. His mother installed him as Count of Jaffa before 1151[134]. His brother installed him as Lord of Ascalon after the city surrendered in Aug 1153[135]. He succeeded his brother in 1162 as AMAURY I King of Jerusalem, his succession being confirmed by election only after the annulment of his marriage[136]. He was crowned 18 Feb 1162 at Jerusalem by Patriarch Amaury[137]. In Sep 1163, King Amaury invaded Egypt on the pretext that the Fatimid Caliphate had failed to pay the annual tribute of 160,000 dinars which had been agreed with his predecessor in 1160. He was forced to withdraw as the Nile was in flood[138]. He returned to campaign in Egypt in 1164, but hastened back when Nur ed-Din attacked Harenc. He obtained the release of Bohémond III Prince of Antioch, who had been captured by Nur ed-Din at Artah, but not that of Raymond III Count of Tripoli[139]. King Amaury's army was routed in Egypt 18 Mar 1167 and returned to Ascalon 10 Aug[140]. After agreeing an alliance with Byzantium, King Amaury launched another expedition to Egypt and with the help of Andronikos Kontostephanos unsuccessfully laid siege to Damietta in late 1169[141]. King Amaury appointed Milon de Plancy as Seneschal of Jerusalem.
m firstly ([1158], annulled 1162) as her second husband, AGNES de Courtenay, widow of RENAUD Lord of Marash, daughter of JOSCELIN II de Courtenay Count of Edessa & his wife Béatrice --- (1133-[Sep 1184/1 Feb 1185]). William of Tyre records that "Joscelinus junior, ex sorore Levonis Armeni" and his wife "Wilelmi de Saona viduam…Beatricem" had "filiam" who firstly married "Rainaldi de Mares" and secondly "domini Almarici comitis Joppensis, qui postea fuit Hierosolymatorum rex"[142]. Agnès was unpopular in Jerusalem. The Patriarch of Jerusalem refused to confirm her marriage as the parties were third cousins, so within the prohibited degrees, and insisted on an annulment as a condition of her husband's succession as king in 1162. The king agreed, but insisted that the legitimacy and rights of inheritance of his two children be recognised[143]. William of Tyre (Continuator) states[144] that Agnès married thirdly (after 1162) Hugues Ibelin Lord of Rama, and fourthly (before 1171, repudiated before 1174) as his first wife, Renaud Garnier Lord of Sidon. She returned to the court at Jerusalem when her brother was appointed Seneschal in [1176/77], becoming a domineering influence over her two children[145].
m secondly (29 Aug 1167) as her first husband, MARIA Komnene, daughter of IOANNES Komnenos protosébastos & his wife --- Taronitissa (1154-before Oct 1217). She is named with her father by William of Tyre when he records her marriage to King Amaury[146]. Caffaro records that "rex Amarricus" married secondly after separating from his first wife "Maria neptis imperatoris Manuelis, filiam Iohannis protosauasto…nepos imperatoris Manuelis ex fratre suo" and that they had "filiam unam…Ysabella"[147]. King Amaury sent ambassadors to Constantinople in [1164/65] to ask the emperor for the hand of an imperial princess but received no answer until they landed at Tyre with Maria Komnene in Aug 1167[148]. Ioannes Kinnamos records the marriage of "una filiarum protosebasti" and the brother of Baudouin III King of Jerusalem[149]. She married secondly (1177) Balian of Ibelin Lord of Nablus. The Lignages d'Outremer name "la reyne Marie…niece de l'empereur Manuel" as wife of "Belleem de Ybelin"[150]. The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines records that "relictam regis Almarici…que fuit de Grecia" married "Bethuliani de Guibelin"[151]. She was given Nablus as her dower on her second marriage[152]. "Hugo…rex Cipri" confirmed the grant to the church of Nicosia by "Philippus de Ybellino" for the soul of "domine Marie regine, matris sue" by charter dated Oct 1217[153].
King Amaury & his first wife had two children