Alice of Champagne - Engagement and Marriage

Engagement and Marriage

Shortly after Alice's birth, her father negotiated a treaty of reconciliation between the kingdoms of Jerusalem and Cyprus. The plan was to marry his three daughters: Marie, Alice and Philippa to Amalric of Cyprus's sons: Guy, John and Hugh.

With the death of Alice's father, the approximation provided between the two realms lead to a union between Amalric, who was elected king of Jerusalem and Alice's mother Isabella. The proposed engagements were subsequently forgotten, besides Alice's sister Marie, Alice's proposed husband John and his brother Guy all died. This left Alice, Philippa and Hugh.

After the death of Amalric II and Isabella I, the two kingdoms were again separated and regents were elected because the heirs were still minors. John of Ibelin took the regency of Jerusalem in the name of Alice's half-sister Maria de Montferrat. Gautier de Montbéliard took regency over Cyprus on behalf of Hugh. The two regents took up the proposed combination of the kingdoms and negotiated the marriage of Alice and Hugh. Alice's maternal grandmother Maria Komnene conducted the marriage negotiations with Cyprus in 1208. The marriage was celebrated in September 1210.