Helvis of Ibelin
| Helvis of Ibelin | |
|---|---|
| Lady of Sidon | |
| Tenure | c. 1191-1216 |
| Born | after 1178 |
| Died | before 1 June 1216 |
| Spouse |
Reginald of Sidon Guy de Montfort, Lord of Sidon |
| Issue | Agnes of Sidon Euphemia, Lady of Gogulat Balian, Count of Sidon Philip of Montfort, Lord of Tyre Pernelle of Montfort |
| House | House of Ibelin |
| Father | Balian of Ibelin |
| Mother | Maria Komnene |
Helvis of Ibelin (after 1178 – before 1 June 1216) was a daughter of Balian of Ibelin and his wife, Maria Komnene, who was the dowager Queen of Jerusalem. Helvis was a member of the House of Ibelin. She was Lady of Sidon by her first and second marriage.
Helvis' mother was the widow of Amalric I of Jerusalem, which made Helvis a half-sister of Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem. Helvis was one of four siblings: although their order of birth is uncertain, the manuscripts of the Lignages d'Outremer suggest she was the elder daughter, and possibly the eldest child. Her maternal grandparents were John Komnenos and his wife Maria Taronitissa. Her paternal grandparents were Barisan of Ibelin and his wife Helvis of Ramla.
Helvis' siblings were John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut, Margaret of Ibelin, and Philip of Ibelin, Regent of Cyprus.
Helvis spent her early life in Jerusalem, though during Saladin's siege of the city in 1187, Helvis, her mother and siblings were escorted to live in Tripoli. Her father Balian remained in Jerusalem and negotiated its surrender to Saladin, but joined his family in Tripoli afterward. They then went to Tyre, where they formed the strongest support for Conrad of Montferrat, who married Helvis's half-sister Queen Isabella in November 1190.
Helvis firstly married Reginald of Sidon, a widower over forty years her senior. Reginald had been imprisoned by Saladin and married Helvis soon after his release in April 1190.
The couple had the following children:
Reginald died in 1202, leaving Helvis a widow.
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