King of Jerusalem

See also: Queens of Jerusalem, Kings of Jerusalem family tree, and Timeline of Jerusalem

Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The King of Jerusalem was the supreme ruler of the Crusader States, founded by Christian princes in 1099 when the First Crusade took the city; it disappeared with the departure of the last crusader of Tartus in August 1291, less than two centuries later. Its history can be divided into various periods: those where the title of King of Jerusalem was associated with Jerusalem itself (1099–1187 and 1229–1244), and those where the title represents the highest level of suzerainty in the Holy Land without the city itself as part of the realm.

After the Crusader States ceased to exist, the empty title of King of Jerusalem was claimed by numerous Western kings and princes.

Kings of Jerusalem (1099–1291)

The Kingdom of Jerusalem had its origins in the First Crusade, when Godfrey of Bouillon took the title Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri (Protector of the Holy Sepulcher) in 1099 and was crowned as ruler of Jerusalem in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

The following year, his brother Baldwin I was the first to use the title king and the first to be crowned king in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem itself.

The kingship of Jerusalem was partially elected and partially hereditary. During the height of the kingdom in the mid-12th century there was a royal family and a relatively clear line of succession. Nevertheless the king was elected, or at least recognized, by the Haute Cour. Here the king was considered a primus inter pares (first among equals), and in his absence his duties were performed by his seneschal.

The royal palace was located in the Citadel of the Tower of David. The Kingdom of Jerusalem introduced French feudal structures to the Levant. The king personally held several fiefs incorporated into the royal domain, that varied from king to king. He was also responsible for leading the kingdom into battle, although this duty could be passed to a constable.

While several contemporary European states were moving towards centralized monarchies, the king of Jerusalem was continually losing power to the strongest of his barons. This was partially due to the young age of many of the kings, and the frequency of regents from the ranks of the nobles.

After the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, the capital of the kingdom was moved to Acre, where it remained until 1291, although coronations took place in Tyre.

In this period the kingship was often simply a nominal position, held by a European ruler who never actually lived in Acre. When young Conrad III was king and living in Southern Germany, his father's second cousin, Hugh of Brienne, claimed the regency of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and, indirectly, his place in the succession. The claim was made in 1264 as senior descendant and rightful heir of Alice of Champagne, second daughter of Queen Isabella I, Hugh being the son of their eldest daughter. But was passed over by the Haute Cour in favour of his cousin, Hugh of Antioch, the future Hugh III of Cyprus and Hugh I of Jerusalem.

After Conrad III's execution by Charles I of Sicily in 1268, the kingship was held by the Lusignan family, who were simultaneously kings of Cyprus. However, Charles I of Sicily purchased the rights of one of the heirs of the kingdom in 1277.

In that year, he sent Roger of Sanseverino to the East as his bailiff. Roger captured Acre and obtained a forced homage from the barons. Roger was recalled in 1282 due to the Sicilian Vespers and left Odo Poilechien in his place to rule. His resources and authority was minimal, and he was ejected by Henry II of Cyprus when he arrived from Cyprus for his coronation as King of Jerusalem.

Acre was captured by the Mamluks in 1291, eliminating the crusader presence on the mainland.

Kings

Monarch	Portrait	House	Birth	Marriages	Death
Godfrey (Protector of the Holy Sepulchre) 1099–1100		Boulogne	c. 1060 Boulogne-sur-Mer, France or Baisy, Brabant son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne and Ida of Lorraine	never married	18 July 1100 aged about 40
Baldwin I 1100–1118		Boulogne	c. 1058 Lorraine, France son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne and Ida of Lorraine	Godehilde de Toeni no children Arda of Armenia 1097 no children Adelaide del Vasto 1112 no children	2 April 1118 Al-Arish, Egypt aged about 60
Baldwin II 1118–1131		Boulogne	?? France son of Hugh I, Count of Rethel and Melisende of Montlhéry	Morphia of Melitene 1101 four daughters	21 August 1131 Jerusalem
Melisende 1131–1153 with Fulk until 1143 with Baldwin III from 1143		Boulogne	1105 Jerusalem daughter of King Baldwin II and Morphia of Melitene	Fulk V, Count of Anjou 2 June 1129 2 sons	11 September 1161 Jerusalem aged 56
Fulk 1131–1143 with Melisende		Anjou	1089/1092 Angers, France son of Fulk IV, Count of Anjou and Bertrade de Montfort	Ermengarde of Maine 1109 4 children Melisende of Jerusalem 2 June 1129 2 sons	13 November 1143 Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem aged about 52
Baldwin III 1143–1162 with Melisende until 1153		Anjou	1130 son of King Fulk and Queen Melisende	Theodora Komnene 1158 no children	10 February 1162 Beirut, Kingdom of Jerusalem aged 32
Amalric I 1162–1174		Anjou	1136 son of King Fulk and Queen Melisende	Agnes of Courtenay 1157 3 children Maria Komnene 29 August 1167 2 children	11 July 1174 Jerusalem aged 38
Baldwin IV the Leprous 1174–1185 with Baldwin V from 1183		Anjou	1161 Jerusalem son of King Amalric and Agnes of Courtenay	never married	16 March 1185 Jerusalem aged 24
Baldwin V 1183–1186 with Baldwin IV until 1185		Aleramici	1177 son of William of Montferrat and Sibylla of Jerusalem	never married	August 1186 Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem aged 9
Sibylla 1186–1190 with Guy		Anjou	c. 1157 daughter of King Amalric and Agnes of Courtenay	William of Montferrat, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon 1176 one son Guy of Lusignan April 1180 2 daughters	25 July (probable), 1190 Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem aged about 40
Guy 1186–1190/1192 with Sibylla until 1190		Lusignan	c. 1150 or 1159/1160 son of Hugh VIII of Lusignan and Bourgogne de Rançon	Sibylla of Jerusalem April 1180 2 daughters	18 July 1194 Nicosia, Cyprus aged about 45
Isabella I 1190/1192-1205 with Conrad until 1192 with Henry I 1192–1197 with Amalric II from 1198		Anjou	1172 Nablus, Kingdom of Jerusalem daughter of King Amalric I and Maria Komnene	Humphrey IV of Toron November 1183 no children Conrad of Montferrat 24 November 1190 one daughter Henry II, Count of Champagne 6 May 1192 2 daughters Amalric of Lusignan January 1198 3 children	5 April 1205 Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem aged 33
Conrad I 1190/1192–1192 with Isabella I		Aleramici	mid 1140s Montferrat, Holy Roman Empire son of William V, Marquess of Montferrat and Judith of Babenberg	unidentified woman before 1179 no children Theodora Angelina 1186/1187 no children Isabella I of Jerusalem 24 November 1190 one daughter	28 April 1192 (murdered) Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem aged mid-40s
Henry I 1192–1197 with Isabella I		Champagne	29 July 1166 Champagne son of Henry I, Count of Champagne and Marie of France	Isabella I of Jerusalem 6 May 1192 2 daughters	10 September 1197 Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem aged 31
Amalric II 1198–1205 with Isabella I	-	Lusignan	1145 son of Hugh VIII of Lusignan and Bourgogne de Rançon	Éschive d'Ibelin before 29 October 1174 6 children Isabella I of Jerusalem January 1198 3 children	1 April 1205 Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem aged 60
Maria 1205–1212 with John I from 1210		Aleramici	1192 daughter of Conrad of Montferrat and Queen Isabella	John of Brienne 14 September 1210 one daughter	1212 aged 20
John I 1210–1212 with Maria		Brienne	c. 1170 son of Erard II of Brienne and Agnes de Montfaucon	Maria of Jerusalem 14 September 1210 one daughter Stephanie of Armenia one son Berengaria of León 1224 4 children	27 March 1237 aged about 67
Isabella II also called Yolande 1212–1228		Brienne	1212 daughter of John of Brienne and Queen Maria	Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor August 1225 2 children	25 April 1228 Andria, Holy Roman Empire aged 16
Conrad II 1228–1254		Hohenstaufen	25 April 1228 Andria, Holy Roman Empire son of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor and Queen Isabella II	Elisabeth of Bavaria 1 September 1246 one son	21 May 1254 Lavello, Holy Roman Empire aged 26
Conrad III 1254–1268		Hohenstaufen	25 March 1252 Wolfstein Castle, Landshut, Bavaria son of King Conrad II and Elisabeth of Bavaria	never married	29 October 1268 Castel dell'Ovo, Naples aged 16
Hugh 1268–1284	-	Poitiers-Lusignan	1235 son of Henry of Antioch and Isabella of Cyprus	Isabella of Ibelin after 25 January 1255 11 children	24 March 1284 Nicosia, Cyprus aged 49
John II 1284–1285	-	Poitiers-Lusignan	1259/1267 son of King Hugh and Isabella of Ibelin	never married	20 May 1285 Nicosia, Cyprus aged 17 or 26
Henry II 1285–1324 in title only after 1291	-	Poitiers-Lusignan	1271 son of King Hugh and Isabella of Ibelin	Constanza of Sicily 16 October 1317 no children	31 August 1324 Strovolos, Cyprus aged 53

Regents

The frequent absence or minority of monarchs required regents to be appointed many times throughout the Kingdom's existence.

Regent	Regent for	Relation to the monarch	Became regent	Regency ended
Eustace Grenier, Constable of the Kingdom	Baldwin II	-	1123 King held captive by the Ortoqids	1123 death
William I of Bures, Prince of Galilee		-	1123 King held captive by the Ortoqids	1124 return of the King from captivity
Queen Melisende	Baldwin III	mother	1154 as the King's advisor	1161 death
Raymond III, Count of Tripoli	Baldwin IV	cousin	1174 minority of the King	1176 majority of the King
Guy of Lusignan		brother-in-law	1182 appointed by the King in his illness	1184 deposed by the King
Raymond III, Count of Tripoli	Baldwin V	first cousin once removed	1185 minority of the King	1186 death of the King
John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut	Maria	half-uncle	1205 minority of the Queen	1210 majority of the Queen
King John I	Isabella II	father	1212 minority of the Queen	1225 the Queen's marriage
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor	Conrad II	father	1228 minority of the King	1243 majority of the king
Alice of Champagne, Queen of Cyprus		half-aunt	1243 absence of the king	1246 death
Henry I of Cyprus		half-cousin	1246 absence of the King	1253 death
Plaisance of Antioch, dowager Queen of Cyprus		half-cousin-in-law	1253 absence/minority of the King	1261 death
	Conrad III	half-cousin-in-law once removed
Isabella of Antioch		half-cousin once removed	1261 minority of the King	1264 death
Hugh of Antioch		half-second cousin	1264 minority of the King	1268 death of the King, ascension to the throne

Claimant kings of Jerusalem (1291 until today)

Origins of the claims

Over the years, many European rulers claimed to be the rightful heirs to one of these claims. None of these claimants, however, has actually ruled over any part of the Kingdom:

• Count Hugh of Brienne claimed the regency of the kingdom of Jerusalem, and indirectly, his place in the succession in 1264 as senior heir of Alice of Jerusalem, second daughter of Queen Isabella I, and Hugh I of Cyprus. Hugh, being the son of their eldest daughter, was passed over by the Haute Cour in favour of his cousin Hugh of Antioch, the future Hugh III of Cyprus and Hugh I of Jerusalem. The Brienne claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem continued, but the family had afterwards next to no part in affairs in Outremer.
• After the end of the kingdom, Henry II of Cyprus continued to use the title of king of Jerusalem. After his death the title was claimed by his direct heirs, the kings of Cyprus.
• The title was also continuously used by the Angevin kings of Naples, whose founder, Charles of Anjou, had bought a claim to the throne from Mary of Antioch. Thereafter, this claim to the kingdom of Jerusalem was treated as a tributary of the crown of Naples, which often changed hands by testament or conquest rather than direct inheritance. As Naples was a papal fief, the Popes often endorsed the title of King of Jerusalem as well as of Naples, and the history of these claims is that of the Neapolitan Kingdom.

Lines of succession in several claims

Italics indicate individuals who did not themselves use the title of king of Jerusalem.

Cypriot claimants

House of Lusignan

• Henry II (1285) 1291–1324
• Hugh 1324–1359
• Peter I 1359–1369
• Peter II 1369–1382
• James I 1382–1398
• Janus 1398–1432
• John 1432–1458
• Charlotte I 1458–1485 (d. 1487) m. 1459 her cousin Louis of Savoy (d. 1482). In 1460, Charlotte was dispossessed of Cyprus by her illegitimate half-brother James. However, she maintained her claims until 1485, when she resigned them to the next legitimate heir, her 1st cousin once removed Charles I of Savoy (son of her first cousin Amadeus IX of Savoy).

House of Savoy: Savoyard legitimate claimants Charles I 1482–1490 Charles II 1490–1496.

House of Lusignan: Lusignan illegitimate claimants and effective kings of Cyprus: James II 1460–1473 (illegitimate, usurped Cyprus from his half-sister Charlotte) James III 1473–1474 Catherine 1474–1489 (wife and widow of James II) Catherine surrendered her rights to the Republic of Venice in 1489.

On the death of Charles II of Savoy, the Duchy of Savoy passed to his grand uncle and heir-male Philip (brother of Amadeus IX of Savoy). Although Charles II's sister Yolande Louise of Savoy did not succeed in Savoy because of her gender, she was the heir general of his brother and as such might be regarded to have succeeded him in claims to Cyprus and Jerusalem.

The Dukes of Savoy continued to claim Jerusalem. However, to avoid conflicts with claims of the major European houses as the Habsburg and Bourbons, the Savoyard claim appears hidden in the list of titles with the elliptical "&c."

Issue of Philip II of Savoy House of Savoy: Philip 1496–1497 Philibert 1497–1504 Charles III 1504–1553 Emmanuel Philibert 1553–1580 Charles Emmanuel I 1580–1630 Victor Amadeus I 1630–1637 (assumed the title of "King of Cyprus" only in 1632) Charles Emmanuel II 1637–1675 Victor Amadeus II of Savoy 1675–1730 (assumed the title 1713, in conjunction with his brief reign as King of Sicily) Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia 1730–1773 Victor Amadeus III 1773–1796 Charles Emmanuel IV 1796–1819 Victor Emmanuel I 1819–1821 Charles Felix 1821–1831 Charles Albert 1831–1849 Victor Emmanuel II of Italy 1849–1878 Umberto I 1878–1900 Victor Emmanuel III 1900–1946 Umberto II 1946–1983

Issue of Amadeus IX of Savoy Yolande Louise of Savoy 1496–1499. Married her 1st cousin once removed Philibert II of Savoy (nephew of Amadeus IX of Savoy). Without issue. Although her husband continued to use the royal titles of Cyprus and Jerusalem, her heir however was her first cousin Charlotte, who was the only surviving child of the marriage of her aunt Anna of Savoy (1455–1480) with the then Federigo di Aragona, Prince of Naples[citation needed] Charlotte of Naples (died 1506) Anne de Laval (died 1554) Louis III de La Trémoille (died 1577). His issue succeeded to the Cypriot claims to the title of King of Jerusalem when his father died. As descendants of Frederick IV of Naples, they also claimed Naples (and Jerusalem) and they also succeeded to the Brienne claims to Kingdom of Jerusalem of his distant cousin John Casimir of Poland at the latter's death 1672, uniting the successions of Brienne and of Cyprus to the de jure crown of Jerusalem.

Neapolitan claimants

Mary of Antioch claimed the throne of Jerusalem from 1269 to 1277. She was the daughter of Prince Bohemond IV of Antioch and his second wife Melisende of Cyprus. Melisende was the youngest daughter of Isabella, Queen of Jerusalem and her fourth husband, Amalric II of Jerusalem, king of Cyprus.

Since Mary was, at the time of the death of Conrad III (Conradin), the only living grandchild of queen Isabella, she claimed the throne on basis of proximity in blood to the kings of Jerusalem. Denied by the Haute Cour, she went to Rome and sold her rights, with papal blessing and confirmation, to Charles of Anjou in 1277.

Thereafter, this claim to the kingdom of Jerusalem was treated also as tributary to the crown of Naples, which often changed hands by testament or conquest rather than direct inheritance.

House of Anjou-Sicily

• Charles I of Sicily 1277–1285; acquired title with approval of the Pope in 1277
• Charles II of Naples 1285–1309
• Robert of Naples 1309–1343, third but eldest surviving son, who succeeded in Naples superseding the rights of his eldest brother's heirs
• Joan I of Naples 1343–1382. Joan left her kingdom by testament to Louis I of Anjou, whom she had previously adopted as heir, but she was ousted and soon murdered by Charles of Durazzo, the heir male of her house.

House of Anjou-Sicily: Senior Angevin claimants : Charles III of Naples (the Durazzo prince) 1382–1386 Ladislaus of Naples 1386–1414 Joan II of Naples 1414–1435 Joan left her kingdom by testament to René of Anjou, of the junior line. She had previously adopted (and subsequently repudiated the adoption) her kinsman Alfonso V of Aragon and Sicily, who launched a conquest to have Naples.

House of Valois-Anjou: Junior Angevin claimants : Louis I 1382–1384 Louis II 1384–1417 Louis III 1417–1434.

House of Anjou-Hungary: Senior Angevin claimant : Louis the Great of Hungary and Poland 1342–1382 (confirmed by Papal acknowledgment after his second Neapolitan campaign)

House of Valois-Anjou

• René I 1434–1480. René I united the claims of junior and senior lines. However, in 1441, control of the Kingdom of Naples was lost to Alfonso V of Aragon, who also claimed the kingdom of Jerusalem thereby.

While René was succeeded in Bar by his grandson René of Vaudemont, René's nephew and heir male Charles IV of Anjou claimed the kingdoms of Sicily and Jerusalem, and he then testamented them to his cousin Louis XI of France.			Aragonese claimants: Alfonso I 1442–1458 by conquest of Naples Ferdinand I 1458–1494, natural son, by testament
Angevin-Lorraine claimants : House of Valois-Anjou Yolande of Anjou 1480–1483 House of Lorraine René II 1480–1508, He did not adopt the title until 1493. Anthony 1508–1544 Francis I 1544–1545 Charles III 1545–1608 Henry 1608–1624 Nicoletta 1624–1657, and her husband Charles Ferdinand I Philip 1657–1659 Charles Leopold 1659–1690 Leopold I Joseph 1679–1729, resumed the title in 1700 Francis II Stephen 1729–1765 House of Habsburg-Lorraine Joseph 1765–1790 Leopold II 1790–1792 Francis 1792–1835 Ferdinand 1835–1875 Francis Joseph 1875–1916 Charles 1916–1922 Otto 1922–2007 Charles 2007–present	French claimants: House of Valois-Anjou Charles IV 1480–1481, heir male of René, Titular King of Jerusalem and Sicily House of Valois Louis 1481–1483, first cousin, by testament Charles V 1483–1498 — In 1494 Charles VIII of France claimed the Kingdom of Naples and Jerusalem as the great-grandson of Louis II of Anjou and launched his conquest. In 1495, he had conquered Naples and was crowned as king. House of Valois-Orléans Louis V 1498–1515. He took up the claim, although he lacked close descent from the main Neapolitan lines (he was a descendant of the eldest daughter of Charles II of Naples). He succeeded in conquering part of Naples 1500–1504. No other French king has adopted the title. [1].		Alfonso II 1494–1495 Ferdinand II 1495–1496, who lost briefly to Charles VIII of France. Frederick 1496–1501, uncle, during whose reign the Neapolitan lands were invaded by the alliance of Louis XII of France, who claimed the succession, and Ferdinand II of Aragon, who succeeded in driving out both Frederick and Louis by 1504. Ferdinand 1504–1516 (by conquest, and Papal enfeoffment) - the heir of original Aragonese claims of Constance Manfredi of Sicily and Peter III of Aragon Charles V 1516–1554 Philip II 1554–1598 Philip III 1598–1621 Philip IV 1621–1665 Charles II 1665–1700
			Spanish Bourbon claimant : Philip V 1700–1724 (by testament), during whose reign the Kingdom of Naples was lost in 1707 to Spanish claimant king Charles III and 1713 the island of Sicily (later that of Sardinia) to Victor Amadeus II of Savoy who also was given the title King of Jerusalem (see above the Savoyard succession); Philip nonetheless continued to use the Two Sicilies and Jerusalem titles, which were thereafter used by all subsequent Bourbon kings of Spain. Louis I 1724 Philip V 1724–1746 Ferdinand VI 1746–1759 Charles III 1759–1788, as King of the Two Sicilies, he had been using the title since 1734 Charles IV 1788–1808 Ferdinand VII 1808–1833 Isabella II 1833–1870 Alfonso XII 1870-1885 Alfonso XIII 1886–1941 Juan 1941–1977 Juan Carlos 1977–present	Habsburg claimant : Charles VI 1702–1740, who claimed the Spanish possessions in opposition to Philip V; he renounced lost the Kingdom of Naples in 1734 to a Bourbon prince, the future Charles III of Spain, and renounced his claims, retaining his titles to Naples and Jerusalem during his lifetime. Two Sicilies claimants : Charles of Bourbon 1734–1788 Charles was obliged by treaty to prevent the union of the crowns of Spain and the Two Sicilies, and so resigned the Two Sicilies to his son Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. However, the kings of Spain continued to use the titles of the Two Sicilies and Jerusalem. Ferdinand 1759–1825 Francis I 1825–1830 Ferdinand 1830–1859 Francis II 1859–1894 the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was conquered and annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy in 1860. Francis and his heirs have continued to claim both titles. Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta 1894–1934 Prince Ferdinando Pius, Duke of Calabria 1934–1960, on his death, there was a succession dispute
				Senior line : Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria 1960–1964 Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria 1964–present	Junior line : Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro 1960–1966 Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Castro 1966–2008 Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro 2008–present

Brienne claims

Main article: Brienne claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem

• Hugh of Brienne and his heirs represent the senior heirs-general to the Kingdom, although they never pressed the claim after Hugh's rejection by the Haute Cour. In 1672, the succession of Brienne and of Cyprus to the crown of Jerusalem united.

Potential claimants today

There are several potential claimants today on the basis of (disputed) inheritance of the title. None of these has, or claims, any power in the area of the former Kingdom.

• Juan Carlos I, current king of Spain
• Victor Emmanuel, Prince of Naples, pretender to the royal throne of Italy (House of Savoy)
• Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta, pretender to the royal throne of Italy (House of Savoy-Aosta)
• Karl von Habsburg, pretender to the imperial throne of Austria and the royal thrones of Hungary and Bohemia (House of Habsburg-Lorraine)
• Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria, pretender to the royal throne of Two Sicilies (House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Calabria line)
• Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, pretender to the royal throne of Two Sicilies (House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Castro line)
• Charles-Antoine Lamoral, prince de Ligne de La Trémoïlle, heir-general of Yolande-Louise of Savoy and the Brienne claims

Other historic claims

• Frederick of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringia, briefly used the title after the death of Conradin in 1268, as grandson of Frederick II, who had crowned himself King of Jerusalem in his own right. This claim was never recognized in Outremer or elsewhere.
• According to E.P. Karnovich (1886), there was a colonel named Prince de Lusignan in the Russian service, allowed to be called the titular King of Cyprus and Jerusalem by Tsar Nicholas I. He claimed to be descended from Christobul de Lusignan, who had served in the Greek army under the Byzantine empire and was allegedly descended from a member of the Cypriot House of Lusignan who'd moved to Egypt and on to St Petersburg in Russia. Tsar Nicholas I allowed Colonel Lusignan to be matriculated as a Russian noble, that is a person holding an office which ennobled him. The colonel was probably known as Louis Christian de Lusignan.