Constance of Sicily, Queen of Cyprus
| Constance of Sicily | |
|---|---|
| Queen consort of Cyprus and Jerusalem Queen consort of Armenia |
|
| Born | 1304/1306 |
| Died | after 19 June 1344 |
| Spouse |
Henry II of Cyprus Leo IV of Armenia John of Cyprus |
| House | House of Aragon |
| Father | Frederick III of Sicily |
| Mother | Eleanor of Anjou |
Constance of Sicily (1304/1306 – after 19 June 1344) was the oldest daughter of Frederick III of Sicily and his wife Eleanor of Anjou. She was married three times. From these marriages she gained various titles such as Queen of Cyprus, nominal Queen of Jerusalem and Queen of Armenia.
Constance was one of the oldest of the eight children born to her parents. Her siblings included: Elizabeth, Duchess of Bavaria, Peter II of Sicily, Manfred of Athens and William II of Athens.
Constance's maternal grandparents were Charles II of Naples and his wife Maria of Hungary, daughter of Stephen V of Hungary and Elizabeth the Cuman, who was daughter of Köten.
Her paternal grandparents were Peter III of Aragon and another Constance of Sicily, daughter of Manfred of Sicily, son of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor and Bianca Lancia.
Constance was originally betrothed to Prince Robert, youngest son of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre. The engagement was broken when Robert died young in the summer of 1308. King Philip sent Constance's father a sorrowful letter announcing the news. Here is an excerpt from the letter: "We are sure that your Majesty knows that the complicated negotiation about the intended marriage of the Princess Constance and our most beloved son Robert was designed to nurture perpetual peace and create an indissoluble union between our Royal Houses. But see, with what intense bitterness of heart we have to tell you this, destructive Death has lamentably snatched from us our son, whom we loved best of all. No fellow human being could be surprised if we were inwardly desolated by the sting of this bitter grief. But we give thanks to God that one of our own family, free of all stain, whom we have loved with our life, has been sent to Heaven."
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