Brienne claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem

Hugh, Count of Brienne claimed the regency of Jerusalem (and, indirectly, a place in the succession) in 1264 as senior heir of Hugh I of Cyprus and Alice of Jerusalem, being the son of their eldest daughter, but was passed over by the "Haute Cour" in favor of his cousin Hugh III of Cyprus. This claim fell to his son Walter V of Brienne and his descendants. They are the heirs-general of Queen Isabella of Jerusalem, and thus of the line founded by King Baldwin II.

Hugh of Brienne himself is said to have tried to sell his rights to Alfonso III of Aragon in 1289.

This claim was remembered in 1331 when Robert I of Naples conspired to seize Cyprus, and took Brienne heirs to the pursuit, obviously to utilize their hereditary claim.

In 1406, the then Brienne heiress was married to Ladislas of Naples who thus strengthened his pretension to the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

In 1494-96, two Brienne heirs were also Kings of Naples and "Jerusalem".

Line of succession

* Hugh of Brienne [Hugh I] (born c. 1240, died 1296), Count of Lecce etc, was an ally of Charles I of Anjou in Sicily and Naples and in the pursuits of Constantinople and the Holy Land. Apparently because of his said dependence on Charles, himself also a claimant of Jerusalem, he did not actively pursue his hereditary rights. His first wife was Isabella of La Roche, heiress of Thebes, and his second Helena Komnena Duchess of Epirus-Neopatras, heiress of Lamia and Larisa. He acted as Captain-General of Brindisi, Otranto and Apulia.

* Gauthier of Brienne [Walter I] (killed in war near Thebes 1311), Duke of Athens, Count of Lecce etc. His life was largely spent in Greece, where he tried to win back his mother's inheritance, the Duchy of Athens. His wife was Joan of Chatillon (died 1354), daughter of count of Porcien.

* Gauthier of Brienne (II) [Walter II] (killed in the battle of Poitiers 1356), sometime Lord of Florence, Marshal of France. Count of Lecce, Conversano etc. He was ally of Anjous of Naples, and participated their policies in Italy. He had only children who died young, both with his first wife Margherita of Anjou-Taranto and the second, his distant kinswoman Jeanne de Brienne. Although he tried to have own issue, it was rather evident that his sister's issue will succeed in family possessions and claims.

* Isabella of Brienne [Isabella III] , who survived her brother, died 1360. Her husband Gauthier d'Enghien had died already in 1345. For a few years, she became Countess of Lecce and Brienne etc, as well as titular Duchess of Athens and of other claimed titles. Since her eldest son Gauthier had died before the uncle, her heir was her second son Sohier of Enghien. She allowed her inherited lands to be divided between her numerous children already during her own lifetime.

* Sohier of Enghien [Soher I] (died 1367), Duke of Athens etc. Held the lordship of Argos and Nauplia in Greece for his uncle and was resident lord there from c. 1350, but apparently returned to Europe in 1360s at latest.

* Gauthier of Enghien [Walter III] (died 1381), Duke of Athens etc, died childless, and his heir was his first cousin Peter, the only son of his grandmother's third son John of Enghien Lord of Castro who had just died 1380.

* Peter of Enghien [Peter I] , Count of Lecce etc. Died childless 1384, leaving his sister and her husband Raimondo del Balzo Orsini to succeed.

* Mary of Enghien [Mary II] (1367-1446), Countess of Lecce. Daughter of John of Enghien and Bianca del Balzo. Married firstly Raimondo del Balzo Orsini di Nola, who became Prince of Taranto (in her hereditary rights) and died 1405. Secondly, she was forced to marry King Ladislas of Naples 1406, who had 1399 driven his rival Louis II of Anjou from Naples. He used the titles King of Sicily and Jerusalem and died 1414.

* Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini [John II] , Prince of Taranto, son of the first marriage of Queen Mary of Enghien. Died childless in 1463, when his niece Isabella brought the fiefs to her husband King Ferrante.

* Isabella of Taranto [Isabella IV] (died 1465), daughter of Tristan and daughter of Catherine. She was the heiress presumptive of remarkable feudal possessions in Southern Italy, and was married 1444 to Ferrante di Aragona, bastard son of King Alfonso V of Aragon, who had conquered Southern Italy from its Anjou kings in 1430s and 1440s. Her husband became, by the testament of king Alfonso, King in his conquered territories (and Isabella became queen consort) 1458, and as such used the title King of Naples and Jerusalem (Ferdinand I of Naples). Isabella's widower King Ferrante (born 1423, died 25.1.1494) married 1476 secondly Infanta Juana of Aragon, his own first cousin.

* Alfonso II of Naples (1448-1495), eldest son of Isabella and Ferrante. Used the title King of Naples and Jerusalem when reigned 1494-95. His wife was Hippolyte Mary Sforza of Milan.

* Ferrante II of Naples (1469-1496), King of Naples and Jerusalem when reigned 1495-96. He was childless. His wife was his own aunt Joanna of Naples (1478-1518), the only child of the second marriage of his grandfather. When Ferrante died, in midst of French invasion, his successor in the Kingdom of Naples was his uncle (his grandfather's and Isabella di Chiaramonte's second son) don Federigo de Aragona who became King Frederick IV of Naples and was soon dethroned and imprisoned, but his heir-general was his sister Isabella, Dowager Duchess of Milan.

* Isabella of Naples [Isabella V] (1470-1524), Duchess Consort of Milan 1489-94, Duchess of Bari 1499-1524. Her husband John Galeazzo II of Milan (Gian Galeazzo Sforza) had died already 1494. Her son Francis of Milan (Francesco Sforza "il Duchetto", 1491-1512), (titular) Duke of Milan 1494-1512, Count of Pavia 1491-99, Abbot of Marmoutier 1505, died in Angouleme, France 1512, as a French hostage, during the lifetime of his mother, and therefore did not succeed her. However, as the male representative, he can be seen as having been the holder of the titles during his mother's lifetime. When she died, only Bona, her youngest daughter, survived her of all her children.

* Bona Sforza, Princess Bona of Milan (1495-1558), married 1518 (as his second wife) King Sigismund I of Poland (1467-1548), Sovereign of Poland and Lithuania and all their dominions. When her mother died 1524, she, the Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania, succeeded also as Duchess of Bari and Princess of Rossano. It is not altogether clear whether she used also the title Queen of Jerusalem.

* Sigismund August of Poland (1520-1572), Elected Successor of Poland 1529-, Grand Prince of Lithuania 1544-, King of Poland 1548-1572. His first wife was Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, his second Princess Barbara Radziwill, and third Archduchess Catherine of Austria. However, he left no legitimate children.

* Sofia of Poland (1522-1575) was Dowager Duchess of Brunswick when her brother died. Her husband duke Henry II, whose second wife she was, had died 1568. She was childless and succeeded by her sisters and the issue of youngest of them.

* Anna of Poland (1523-1596), was a spinster when her sister died. 1576 she married Stephen Bathory (1533-1586), then Reigning Prince of Transylvania, who was 1576 elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. She died childless. Her successor was her youngest sister's (Catherine of Poland, Queen of Sweden) only son, Sigismund Vasa.

* Sigismund III Vasa (1566-1632), was elected King of Poland and reigned 1587-1632. By paternal inheritance, he succeeded 1592 as King of Sweden and was regarded as having abdicated 1599 and finally deposed 1604. It is not altogether whether he, King of Poland, Lithuania and Sweden, also used the title King of Jerusalem. His first wife was Archduchess Anna of Austria and his second Archduchess Constance of Austria.

* Vladislav IV of Poland (1595-1648), Wladyslaw Zygmunt Vasza-Jagellon, was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania 1632-48. His first wife was Archduchess Cecilia Renata of Austria and second Princess Mary Louise of Mantua (Maria Ludovica Gonzaga). He died without surviving children.

* John II Casimir of Poland [John III] (1609-1672), his only surviving brother, was a Cardinal of Roman Church when succeeded. He was elected King of Poland 1648 and abdicated 1668. AS his father and brother, also he claimed the title King of Sweden, but after warring and Swedish invasion to Poland he was forced to relinquish that title in 1660. After 1668 abdication, he lived as Abbot of St.Martin in Nevers, France, where he died. He married his brother's widow Mary Louise of Mantua who died 1667 - losing her support was one of the reasons he abdicated. He did not have surviving children. All his brothers and sisters having died, without surviving issue, before him, he was the last of the line of Bona Sforza. With him, all the legitimate issue of Alfonso II of Naples died out. His heir in Ferrante I of Naples and in Brienne succession was his distant cousin, Henry 2nd Duke of La Tremoille Prince of Talmond and Taranto, the heir-general of Federigo di Aragona (second son of Ferrante I and Isabella of Taranto), who also was the heir-general of Federigo's first wife Anne of Savoy.

* Henry de La Tremoille "(Henry II)", 2nd Duke of La Tremoille, Prince of Talmond and Tarant, the heir-general of Federigo di Aragona (second son of Ferrante I and Isabella of Taranto), who also was the heir-general of Federigo's first wife Anne of Savoy, the "de jure" heiress of the claim of the Kings Of Cyprus to the Throne of Jerusalem. At that point in 1672, the succession of Brienne and of Cyprus to the crown of Jerusalem united. At this succession, the decision of 1264 by the "Haute Cour" of Jerusalem to prefer the junior heir, Hugh of Antioch of Cyprus, over the senior heir, Hugh of Brienne, in regard to Regency of Jerusalem, was made insignificant and mooted, as these two claims merged in one person and in one line.

Of course, at this time, there were several other monarchs using the title King of Jerusalem, such as Charles II of Spain and Louis XIV of France and the Duke of Lorraine and the Duke of Savoy.

The succession went through generations of La Tremoille. They went extinct in 1930s in male line, and the eldest sister of the last Duke of La Tremoille, married with Prince de Ligne, succeeded. Her children began to use the additional name La Tremoille.

They are the today heirs-general of the Brienne line and the Cyprus line.

The same heirs succeeded in beginning of 16th century also to another de jure claim to the kingdom of Jerusalem, that of the Cyprus:

"de jure" the claim of Lusignans evolved through generations as follows:

* Queen Charlotte and her husband Louis the younger of Savoy, king-consort, were the recognized royal couple of Cyprus 1459-60 and were ousted 1460, but continued to claim the throne and acted as Pretenders. They were the recognized Royal couple of Jerusalem.

* Charlotte of Cyprus (1442-1487) succeeded 1458 her father King John II of Cyprus as was Queen Regnant of Cyprus. 1459 she was married to her first cousin:

* Louis, Duke of Savoy. They remained childless. When she died on 16 July 1487, her heir general was Louis's eldest surviving nephew and Charlotte's first cousin's eldest surviving son, Duke Charles of Savoy. At that point, the claim joined the Duchy of Savoy, but they operated under two different rules of succession, and therefore their union of the Crowns was not perpetual.

All the members of the House of Savoy mentioned here all descend from Anne of Lusignan (who had died 1462), daughter of king Janus of Cyprus and the aunt of queen-regnant Charlotte.

* Charles I of Savoy (1468-1490), was the second surviving son of Amadeo IX of Savoy and Yolande of France. He succeeded his elder brother as Duke of Savoy 1482 and reigned until his death in 1490. His nickname was "The Warrior". He used the title of King of Cyprus and Jerusalem. His wife was Blanche of Montferrat.

* Charles II of Savoy (1490-1496), "Carlo Gian Amedeo di Savoia", succeeded his father in the ame year as he was born and died six years old. He was Duke of Savoy and titulary King of Cyprus and Jerusalem. His heir male and heir-general were not the same persons.

* Yolande Louise of Savoy (1487-1499), "Princess Violante Ludovica di Savoia", did not succeed in Savoy because of her gender, but she was the heir-general of his brother and as such she is regarded to have succeeded him in claims to Cyprus and Jerusalem 1496-1499. In 1496 she, nine years old, was married to her father's first cousin, the sixteen-year-old Philibert of Savoy (1480-1504), whose elderly father Philip had succeeded her young brother as Duke of Savoy. The next year, Duke Philip died and her husband succeeded as Duke Philibert II of Savoy, at which time the young couple took officially the titles Queen and King of Cyprus and Jerusalem. She died 12 years old and without children. Although her husband continued to use the royal titles of Cyprus and Jerusalem, her heir however was her first cousin Charlotte, Princess of Naples, 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, who had meanwhile became King Frederick IV of Naples (reigned 1496-1501).

* Charlotte II, "Charlotte of Naples, Carlota di Aragona" (born 1479 or 1480, died 1506). At the death of her cousin, she was unmarried eldest daughter of the then King of Naples, who used also the title king of Jerusalem, and he had several other children including sons from his second marriage. They all were under attack of the French and the Spaniards, and her father was deposed two years later. However, meanwhile, Charlotte had married c. 1500 Claude Guy, Count of Laval (who died 1531 and who married later second time, too). She had several children in her marriage. When she died, she probably had at least two daughters surviving. The youngest of these was Anne of Laval.

* Anne of Laval (born 1506), married Lord de La Tremoille Prince of Talmond. They were accorded the title Princes of Taranto in right of her mother's family, and in France they were treated as "Princes Etrangeres". They were French candidates for furthering claims to Naples.

In 1522, with the death of Anne of Beaujeu, Duchess of Bourbon, she succeeded her as heir-general to the line of Philip VI of France, i.e the Valois line of Capetians. (As such, it entails successions of Marie of Anjou, of Isabeau of Bavaria, of Jutta Bonne of Bohemia, of Joan the Lame of Burgundy, and of Marguerite of Naples-Hungary as well as of Beatrix of Provence.)

The succession went through generations of Lords La Tremoille.

In mid-1600s, the heir was:

* Henry de La Tremoille, Prince of Talmond and Taranto, 2nd Duke of La Tremoille.

The succession went through generations of La Tremoille. They went extinct in 1930s in male line, and the eldest sister of the last Duke of La Tremoille, married with Prince de Ligne, succeeded. Her children began to use the additional name La Tremoille.

ource

*Peter Edbury, "History of the Kingdom of Cyprus".