Alice of Champagne - Regency of Cyprus

Regency of Cyprus

Hugh died eight years later on January 10, 1218, leaving two daughters and a son Henry I of Cyprus, who was only a few months old. Alice became regent of Cyprus on behalf of her son.

Alice's uncle Philip of Ibelin wished to become regent instead of Alice. He did so in September 1218.

In 1225, a dispute between Philip and Alice broke out. Pope Honorius III rejected Alice as regent in favour of Philip. Apparently Alice tried to remove Philip as regent and replace him with her new husband Bohemond V of Antioch, whom she had married in July 1225.

She retired to Syria and separated from her second husband in 1227 on the grounds of consanguinity. On the death of Philip of Ibelin, the regency was taken over his brother, John of Ibelin, Lord of Beirut. Opponents of the latter supported Alice, this led to the involvement of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor who had married Alice's half-niece Isabella II of Jerusalem on the death of her mother Maria. They tried to end the regency of Ibelin. Frederick was on the Sixth Crusade at the time. John of Ibelin resigned from office, and a committee of five Cypriot barons became the regents of Cyprus.