Henry I "the Fat" de Lusignan, king of Cyprus

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_I_of_Cyprus

Henry I of Cyprus, nicknamed the Fat (French: Henri de Lusignan; 3 May 1217 – 18 January 1253 at Nicosia) was King of Cyprus from 1218 to 1253. He was the son of Hugh I of Cyprus and Alice of Champagne. When his father Hugh I died on January 10, 1218, the 8-month-old Henry became king. His mother was the official regent, but handed off the actual governing to her uncle, Philip of Ibelin. When Philip died, the effective regency passed to his brother, John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut.

Biography

Henry was crowned at the age of 8 at Santa Sophia, Nicosia, in 1225.[1] The reason for the early coronation was as a political maneuver by his uncle Philip, who sensed that Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, was going to attempt to seize power. In 1228 this did occur, as Frederick forced John of Ibelin to hand over the regency, and the island of Cyprus. However, when Frederick left the island in April, John counter-attacked and regained control, which began the War of the Lombards. Henry was able to assume control of the kingdom when he came of age at 15, in 1232, and maintained close ties with the Ibelin family.

Henry himself served as Regent of Jerusalem for Conrad of Hohenstaufen 1246–1253.

He was married three times; his third wife, whom he married in 1250, was Plaisance of Antioch, daughter of Bohemund V of Antioch. They had a son, Hugh.

On his death, Henry was succeeded by his only child, his infant son Hugh II (b. 1253). If he had not had children, his heirs were his eldest sister's sons Jean de Brienne (b. 1234) and Hugh of Brienne (b. c. 1240), as well as his younger sister's son Hugh of Antioch, the future Hugh III of Cyprus (b. c. 1235). He was buried at the Church of the Templars, at Nicosia.

Consorts:

#Alix of Montferrat (1210/1215 – Kyrenia, December, 1232-May, 1233, buried at Santa Sophia, Nicosia), daughter of Marquis William VI of Montferrat, by Bertha da Clavesana, married at Limassol in May, 1229, without issue

1. Stephanie of Lampron (ca. 1220/1225 – soon after April 1, 1249, buried at Santa Sophia, Nicosia), daughter of Constantine of Lampron, Regent of Armenia, by Stephanie of Barbaron, married at Nicosia in 1237/1238, without issue
2. Plaisance of Antioch (1235 – September 22/27, 1261), daughter of Bohemond V, Prince of Antioch and Count of Tripoli, by Lucienne de Segni, married at Santa Sophia, Nicosia, in 1250, and had issue, an only son: Hugh II of Cyprus.

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-http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CYPRUS.htm#HenriI

3. HENRI of Cyprus (3 Mar 1217-Nicosia 18 Jan [1254], bur Nicosia Templar Church). William of Tyre (Continuator) names him, gives his parentage and specifies that he was nine months old when his father died[207]. He succeeded his father in 1218 as HENRI I King of Cyprus, under the regency of his mother who appointed his great uncle Philippe of Ibelin as her lieutenant. His mother quarrelled with Philippe of Ibelin, and attempted to replace him, but his authority was confirmed in 1226 by Pope Honorius III who placed King Henri under papal protection[208]. Henri was crowned King of Cyprus in 1225 by the Ibelin brothers who failed to consult Emperor Friedrich II, the suzerain of Cyprus[209]. When Philippe of Ibelin died in 1227, he was succeeded by his older brother Jean of Ibelin Lord of Beirut[210]. After Emperor Friedrich landed in Cyprus in Jul 1228, Jean refused the emperor's demand to surrender his fief of Beirut but agreed to accompany him to Palestine[211]. When the emperor returned to Cyprus in May 1229, he appointed five new baillis, Amaury Barlais, Gavinde Chenichy, Amaury of Beisan, Hugues of Jebail and Guillaume de Rivet, with instructions to evict all Ibelin supporters from the island[212]. Jean of Ibelin retaliated by invading Cyprus in Jun 1229. He defeated the five baillis 14 Jul 1229 and resumed the government of Cyprus. Amaury Barlais fled with King Henri and his sisters to the castle of Dieu d'Amour, where they were starved into surrender in summer 1230[213]. The ensuing civil war ended in 1232 when the Cypriots defeated the imperial forces at Agridi[214]. King Henri succeeded his mother in 1246 as regent of Jerusalem[215]. Pope Innocent IV placed Cyprus under the protection of the Papacy in 1247, declaring the end of any Cypriot suzerainty to the emperor. King Henri took part with Louis IX King of France in the crusade in Egypt. King Henri was a man of enormous corpulence[216]. William of Tyre (Continuator) records his death in 1253[217]. The Chronicle of Amadi records the death at Nicosia 18 Jan [in 1253, from the context] of "Henrico re de Cypro" and his burial "al Tempio"[218]. Peter Edbury discusses the various sources which record the death of King Henri and concludes that the year was 1254 (new style)[219].

1. m firstly (by proxy Limassol May 1229) ALASIA de Monferrato, daughter of GUGLIELMO VI Marchese di Monferrato & his second wife Berta di Clavesana (-Kirenia castle 1233 before Apr, bur Nicosia Santa Sofia).
2. m secondly (before 17 Nov 1237) STEPHANIE [Eneline] of Barba'ron, daughter of CONSTANTINE "the Grand Baron" Lord of Partzerpert and Barba'ron, Regent of Armenia [Armenia-Hethumids] & his second wife Alice of Lampron (1217-[1 Apr/Sep 1249]).
3. m thirdly (Sep 1250) as her first husband, PLAISANCE of Antioch, daughter of BOHEMOND V Prince of Antioch & his second wife Lucia di Caccamo-Segni ([1237/38]-[22/27] Sep 1261).

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