Isabella of Jerusalem (c. 1171–1205) was Queen of Jerusalem 1192–1205. She was the daughter of Amalric I of Jerusalem and his second wife Maria Comnena, a grandniece of Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus, who had received the town and territory of Nablus from her husband the king. Isabella grew up in the court of her mother and stepfather Balian of Ibelin, mostly in Nablus. This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or more. ... // Events Saladin abolishes the Fatimid caliphate, restoring Sunni rule in Egypt. ... Events January 6 - Philip of Swabia becomes King of the Romans April 14 - Battle of Adrianople (1205) between Bulgars and Latins August 20 - Following certain news of Baldwin Is death, Henry of Flanders is crowned Emperor of the Latin Empire Births Deaths July 13 Hubert Walter Archbishop of Canterbury... Official language Latin, French, Italian, and other western languages; Greek and Arabic also widely spoken Capital Jerusalem, later Acre Constitution Various laws, so-called Assizes of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 by the First Crusade. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Amalric I (also Amaury or Aimery) (1136 – July 11, 1174) was King of Jerusalem 1162–1174, and Count of Jaffa and Ascalon before his accession. ... Maria Comnena (c. ... This is a list of Byzantine Emperors. ... Fresco of Manuel I Manuel I Comnenus Megas (November 28, 1118? - September 24, 1180) was Byzantine Emperor from 1143 to 1180. ... Nāblus (sometimes Nābulus; Arabic: نابلس â–¶(?); pronounced Naablus) ( Hebrew: שכם â–¶(?); pronounced Shkhem ); 32°13′ N 35°16′ E) is a major Palestinian city in the West Bank and, with a population of over 100,000, is one of the largest Palestinian population centers in the Middle East. ... Balian of Ibelin (c. ...

She was described by the poet Ambrose as "exceedingly fair and lovely". A marriage was arranged for her with the 17-year-old Humphrey IV of Toron in 1183 (the contract had been made several years earlier, as a sort of thanks to Humphrey's grandfather Humphrey II who had given his own life to save the life of the king), while Isabella was no more than 13 and perhaps as young as 11. On their wedding night the castle of Kerak was attacked by the forces of Saladin. Humphrey's mother, Stephanie of Milly, sent a message to Saladin telling him of the recent wedding and reminding him of their shared history. According to the chronicler Ernoul: Ambrose (around 1190), Norman poet, and chronicler of the Third Crusade, author of a work called LEstoire de la guerre sainte, which describes in rhyming French verse the adventures of Richard Coeur de Lion as a crusader. ... Humphrey IV of Toron (c. ... Events Three-year old Emperor Go-Toba ascends to the throne of Japan after the forced abdication of his brother Antoku during the Genpei War William of Tyre excommunicated by the newly appointed Heraclius of Jerusalem, firmly ending their struggle for power Andronicus I Comnenus becomes the Byzantine emperor Births... Humphrey II of Toron (1117-1179) was lord of Toron and constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. ... Kerak (also Karak) (Arabic: كرك) is a region in Jordan that contains a famous Crusader castle. ... The Siege of Kerak took place in in 1183 between the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and Saladin at Kerak Castle, stronghold of Raynald of Chatillon. ... This article is about the Muslim general; for the British armoured vehicle named after him, see Alvis Saladin. ... Stephanie of Milly (died c. ... Ernoul is the name generally given to the author of a chronicle of the late 12th century dealing with the fall of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. ...

"[Stephanie] sent to Saladin bread and wine, sheep and cattle in celebration of her son's wedding, reminding him that he used to carry her in his arms when she was a child and he was a slave in the castle. And when Saladin received these gifts he was exceedingly delighted and gave thanks to those who brought them to him, asking where the bride and bridegroom were staying: their tower was pointed out to him. Thereupon Saladin gave out orders throughout his army that no attack should be directed at this tower."

Since Isabella's father's previous marriage to Agnes of Courtenay had been annulled (though he had succeeded in having his children from that marriage legitimised), Isabella was throughout her youth regarded as a potential heir to the kingdom. Her half-brother Baldwin IV was recognized unanimously as king, as he was the only male available, but the concerns of illegitimacy shadowed Isabella's half-sister Sibylla's position for the entire period. In order to prepare for the future after Baldwin IV, Isabella's mother and the baronial party took care to remind the court party of Isabella's rights. Agnes of Courtenay (c. ...

After having become totally frustrated by Sibylla's second husband Guy of Lusignan, Baldwin IV himself also decided to remove Sibylla from the succession. His will, a compromise reached in 1183 and ratified by the Haute Cour, stated that he would be succeeded by his nephew Baldwin V, Sibylla's infant son from her first marriage, and if Baldwin V should die, the question of succession would be adjudicated by the kings of England, France, and Germany. The selection would be delayed for 10 years, during which time the kingdom would be ruled by a regent. According to this settlement, both Sibylla and Isabella were considered equally entitled to succeed. Guy of Lusignan (c. ... The Haute Cour (High Court) was the feudal council of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. ... Baldwin V (1177 – 1186) was the son of Sibylla of Jerusalem and her first husband, William of Montferrat. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ...

Baldwin IV died by early 1185, leaving Sibylla's son as king and Raymond III of Tripoli as regent. Baldwin V, never a healthy child, died by early 1186. Isabella's supporters questioned Sibylla's legitimacy, due to the annullment of her parents' marriage, but this position was not universally subscribed to. Had Sibylla not been married to Guy, she might have succeeded with less contention. Now, that both Baldwin IV and Baldwin V were dead, it was easier to resurrect that legal grounds for the succession of the now 16-year-old Isabella. Events April 25 - Genpei War - Naval battle of Dan-no-ura leads to Minamoto victory in Japan Templars settle in London and begin the building of New Temple Church End of the Heian Period and beginning of the Kamakura period in Japan. ... Raymond III of Tripoli (c. ... Events John the Chanter becomes Bishop of Exeter. ...

The provisions of Baldwin IV's settlement were ignored. Sibylla was crowned as queen regnant in 1186. Isabella's supporters, led by her mother Maria and stepfather Balian, hoped that Humphrey would assert her claim, but he submitted to Guy instead. However, Sibylla and her two daughters died in 1190, in the midst of Saladin's invasion of the kingdom and capture of everything except the stronghold of Tyre, held by Conrad of Montferrat, Baldwin V's uncle. In the circumstances Guy continued to use the title and demanded to be recognized as king, despite support for Isabella. Events March 16 - Massacre and mass-suicide of the Jews of York, England prompted by Crusaders and Richard Malebys kill 150-500 Jews in Cliffords Tower June 10 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowned in the Saleph River while leading an army to Jerusalem. ... For a wheel tyre, see the article under the US English spelling of the word, tire. ... Conrad of Montferrat (c. ...

In autumn 1190, Isabella was forced to divorce Humphrey against her will and marry Conrad, who was some 25 years her senior and had been married twice before. Conrad wanted the now almost vacant throne of Jerusalem, and his allies (who included Isabella's mother and stepfather) argued that her marriage to Humphrey was invalid because she was underage at the time and had been coerced by her half-brother, Baldwin IV. Humphrey, whom Isabella liked very much, having practically grown up with him, felt himself unsuitable for kingship in such turbulent and warlike times. For these reasons and because of the violent threats he received, he consented to a divorce, which took the form of ecclesiastical annullment made by the archbishop of Pisa, the bishop of Beauvais, and the Monferrine clergy. The Bishop of Beauvais-Noyons-Senlis is a suffragan of the Archbishop of Reims. ...

By virtue of his marriage to Isabella, Conrad became de jure King of Jerusalem, and was confirmed in this by election in 1192, after a two-year interregnum during which Guy of Lusignan, despite the death of Sibylla, continued his claim. Conrad soon died under mysterious circumstances, stabbed to death by the Hashshashin, leaving Isabella pregnant. (The date of birth of her daughter Maria of Montferrat, who succeeded her as queen regnant, is uncertain. Some claim Maria had aready been born by this time, but this may be in response to the comments noted below in Muslim sources.) A few days later, Count Henry II of Champagne, the nephew of both the King of England and the King of France, arrived as the envoy of his uncle Richard the Lion-Hearted, who had supported Guy and was a friend of Humphrey. The people of Tyre were reportedly so taken by his youth and handsomeness that they shouted that he should marry their princess; Isabella herself encouraged the idea. Their marriage was more advantageous to King Richard than reinstating Humphrey, despite the latter's objections. Henry and Isabella were married within days, while she was pregnant with Conrad's child. Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani, a Muslim chronicler, who was present for the wedding, wrote: This is a list of Kings of Jerusalem, from 1099 to 1291, as well as claimants to the title up to the present day. ... The Hashshashin (also Hashishin), or Assassins were a religious sect (often refered to as a cult) of Ismaili Muslims from the Nizari sub-sect with a militant basis, thought to be active in the 8th to 14th centuries as a mystic secret society specializing in terrorising the Abbasid elite with... Maria of Montferrat (c. ... Henry II of Champagne (July 29, 1166–1197), was count of Champagne from 1181 to 1197, and king of Jerusalem from 1192 to 1197. ... Richard I (September 8, 1157 – April 6, 1199) was King of England from 1189 to 1199. ...

"Henry of Champagne married the Marquis' wife on the same night, maintaining that he had first right to the dead man's wife. She was pregnant, but this did not prevent himself uniting himself with her, something even more disgusting than the coupling of the flesh. I asked one of their courtiers to whom paternity would be awarded and he said: "It will be the Queen's child." You see the licentiousness of these foul Unbelievers!"

Henry died in 1197 when he fell out of a window. They had two daughters, Alice (born 1196) and Philippa (born 1197). While married to Henry it was retrospectively decided that her marriage to Humphrey was not in fact invalid, but as Humphrey had died in the meantime, Isabella was married for a fourth time to Amalric II of Jerusalem (also Amalric I of Cyprus), brother of Guy of Lusignan. They had two daughters, Sybilla (born 1198) and Melisende (born 1200), and one son, Amalric (1201–1205). King Amalric died in 1205, shortly before his wife and shortly after their baby son. Events Amalric II succeeds Henry II of Champagne as king of Jerusalem. ... Alice of Jerusalem or Alice de Champagne (1196 – 1246) was the daughter of Isabella, Queen of Jerusalem and count Henry II of Champagne, king-consort Henry I of Jerusalem. ... Events Spring, London, popular uprising of the poor against the rich led by William Fitz Osbern. ... Amalric II (1145–April 1, 1205), King of Jerusalem 1197–1205, was the brother of Guy of Lusignan. ... Guy of Lusignan (c. ... Sybilla of Lusignan was the daughter of Amalric II of Jerusalem and Isabella of Jerusalem. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Toba of Japan Emperor Tsuchimikado ascends to the throne of Japan January 8 - Pope Innocent III ascends Papal Throne Frederick II, infant son of German King Henry VI, crowned King of Sicily Births August 24 - Alexander II of Scotland (d. ... Events University of Paris receives charter from Philip II of France Births Matthew Paris, English Benedictine monk and chronicler (approximate date). ... // Events The town of Riga was chartered as a city. ...

On her death in 1205, she was succeeded by her eldest daughter Maria of Montferrat. Maria of Montferrat (c. ...

Sources

• Runciman, Steven. A History of the Crusades, 1951-54, vols. 2-3.