Hugh III of Cyprus

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Hugh III of Cyprus (1235 – 24 March 1284), born Hughues de Poitiers[1][2], later Hughues de Lusignan (he adopted his mother's surname de Lusignan in 1267), called the Great, was the King of Cyprus from 1267 and King of Jerusalem from 1268 (as Hugh I of Jerusalem). He was the son of Henry of Antioch and Isabella of Cyprus, the daughter of Hugh I. He was a grandson of Bohemund IV of Antioch.

From 1261 he served as Regent for Hugh II of Cyprus in Cyprus, as the Haute Cour of Cyprus considered him, as a male, a better regent than his mother Isabella. She was, however, accepted as the Regent of Jerusalem in 1263. She died in 1264, and Hugh became the acting regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem as well as Cyprus. The regency was contested by his first cousin, Hugh of Brienne, who was the son of Mary of Cyprus, the eldest daughter of Hugh I and hence the senior heir to Cyprus, and heir to Jerusalem after Hugh II. However, the Haute Cour of Jerusalem declared Hugh of Antioch the next regent, as successor to Isabella in proximity of blood.

Hugh II died in 1267 without heirs. As Hugh of Brienne did not advance his claim on the throne, Hugh of Antioch succeeded as uncontested King of Cyprus on December 5 and was crowned at Santa Sophia, in Nicosia, on December 24. He claimed the Kingdom of Jerusalem as well in 1267 or 1268 upon the execution of Conradin. However, the throne of Jerusalem was also claimed by Mary of Antioch by proximity of blood to Conradin. The Haute Cour of Jerusalem rejected her claim and Hugh was crowned King of Jerusalem at Tyre on September 24, 1269.

Hugh and his descendants, the Kings of Cyprus, assumed his mother's surname of Lusignan in 1267, having inherited Cyprus through that family.

Hugh disliked dealing with the various factions in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and left for Cyprus in 1276 in disgust at their defiance of his authority. The next year, his bailiff, Balian of Ibelin, Lord of Arsuf, was ejected by Roger of Sanseverino, the bailiff of Charles of Anjou, who had purchased the claim of Mary of Antioch. The kingdom remained under Angevin control for the rest of Hugh's reign.

It is supposed that Thomas Aquinas' work On Kingship was written for Hugh III.

He was buried at Santa Sophia, in Nicosia.

He was married after January 23, 1255 to Isabella of Ibelin (ca 1241 – June 2, 1324). He had eleven children:

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Libro d'Oro di Melita
  2. ^ Poitou 2
Preceded by
Hugh II		 King of Cyprus
1267–1284		 Succeeded by
John I/II
Preceded by
Conradin		 King of Jerusalem
1268–1284