Sibylla, Queen of Jerusalem
| Sibylla of Jerusalem | |
|---|---|
 |
|
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Queen of Jerusalem Countess of Jaffa and Ascalon |
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| Reign | 1186–1190 |
| Predecessor | Baldwin V |
| Successor | Guy |
| Born | c. 1160 Kingdom of Jerusalem |
| Died | 1190 Acre |
| Spouse |
William Longsword of Montferrat Guy of Lusignan |
| Issue |
Baldwin V of Jerusalem Alice Maria |
| House | House of Anjou |
| Father | Amalric I of Jerusalem |
| Mother | Agnes of Courtenay |
Sibylla (French: "Sibylle", c. 1160–1190) was the Countess of Jaffa and Ascalon from 1176 and Queen of Jerusalem from 1186 to 1190. She was the eldest daughter of Amalric I of Jerusalem and Agnes of Courtenay, sister of Baldwin IV and half-sister of Isabella I of Jerusalem, and mother of Baldwin V of Jerusalem. Her grandmother Melisende had provided an example of successful rule by a queen regnant earlier in the century.
She was born into the Frankish noble family of the House of Anjou (descending from Ingelger). Sibylla was raised by her great-aunt, the Abbess Ioveta of Bethany, sister of former Queen Melisende of Jerusalem, who founded the convent of St. Lazarus in Bethany for her sister in 1128, and died there in 1163. In the convent Sibylla was taught scripture and other church traditions.
In 1174, her father sent Frederick de la Roche, archbishop of Tyre, on a diplomatic legation to Europe to drum up support (martial and financial) for the Crusader states, and to arrange a suitable marriage for Sibylla. As her only brother Baldwin suffered from an illness later confirmed as leprosy, Sibylla's marriage was of paramount concern. Frederick convinced Stephen I of Sancerre, a well-connected young nobleman, to come east and marry the princess. Shortly after his arrival in Jerusalem, however, Stephen changed his mind (the reason is not known) and he returned to France.
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