James II of Cyprus
| James II | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| King of Cyprus | |
| Reign | 1463 - 10 July 1473 |
| Predecessor | Charlotte |
| Successor | James III |
| Born | c.1438/1439 or c.1440 |
| Died | 10 July 1473 |
| Spouse | Catherine Cornaro |
| Issue | James III of Cyprus |
| House | Poitiers-Lusignan |
| Father | John II of Cyprus |
| Mother | Marietta of Patras (concubine) |
James II (the Bastard) of Cyprus or Jacques II le Bâtard de Lusignan (Nicosia, c. 1438/1439 or c. 1440 – Famagusta, July 10, 1473), was the illegitimate son of John II of Cyprus and Marietta de Patras.
James was a great favourite of his father, and in 1456, at the age of 16, he was appointed to the archbishopric of Nicosia. After murdering Iacopo Urri, the Royal Chamberlain on 1 April 1457, he was deprived of the archbishopric and fled to Rhodes on a ship of the Catalan Juan Tafures. He was pardoned by his father, and the archbishopric was returned to him.
In 1458 his father died, and his half-sister Charlotte became Queen of Cyprus. In 1460, with support from the Egyptian Mamluk sultan Sayf ad-Din Inal, James challenged her right to the throne, blockading her and her husband in the castle of Kyrenia for three years. When Charlotte fled to Rome in 1463, James was crowned King. In gratitude, he made his friend and supporter Juan Tafures Master of his Household and Titular Count of Tripoli.
In Venice, on July 30, 1468, seeking political support, he married a 14-year-old Venetian, Catherine Cornaro, by proxy. She finally travelled to Cyprus and married in person at Famagusta in October or November, 1472. James died a few months later, amidst some suspicion that he might have been poisoned by agents of Venice, possibly by Catherine's uncles. According to his will, Caterina, who was pregnant, became regent. The couple's son James died under suspicious circumstances in 1474 before his first birthday, leaving Catherine as regent of Cyprus. During her reign the island was controlled by Venetian merchants. In 1489 Venice forced her to abdicate, and Cyprus became a colony of the Republic of Venice until it was captured by the Ottomans in 1571.
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