Helvis of

Lusignan The House of Lusignan ( ; ) was a royal house of French origin, which at various times ruled several principalities in Europe and the Levant, including the kingdoms of Jerusalem, Cyprus, and Armenia, from the 12th through the 15th centuries du ...

( – ) was the daughter of

Amalric II of Jerusalem Aimery of Lusignan (, , ''Amorí''; before 11551 April 1205), erroneously referred to as Amalric () in earlier scholarship, reigned as the first king of Cyprus from 1196 to his death in 1205. He also reigned as the king of Jerusalem as the hu ...

King of Cyprus The Kingdom of Cyprus (; ) was a medieval kingdom of the Crusader states that existed between 1192 and 1489. Initially ruled as an Independent state, independent Christian state, Christian kingdom, it was established by the French House of Lusi ...

, and his wife, Eschive d'Ibelin. She was married twice. Firstly, she was given in marriage to Eudes de Dampierre, a

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

knight, in about 1205. With Eudes she had children, including eldest son * Richard de Dampierre. The details of her second marriage are revealed in a letter from Pope Innocent III to the archbishop of Antioch, dated September 1211. Helvis had been taken from her husband (or fled him) by the young Raymond-Roupen of Antioch, designated heir to the

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

n throne, and although ecclesiastical authorities commanded the return to her husband Eudes de Dampierre, Helvis refused. The young couple seem to have been encouraged by Helvis' brother-in-law,

Walter of Montbéliard Walter of Montbéliard (died in 1212) (''Gauthier I de Montfaucon'') was regent of the Kingdom of Cyprus from 1205 to 1210, and Constable of Jerusalem from around 1204 to his death. Early life He was the second son of Amadeus, Count of Montbé ...

, which infuriated Helvis' brother King Hugh.Brequigny, Lettres d'Innocent III, p.466 She and Raymond-Roupen had issue: *

Maria of Antioch-Armenia Maria of Antioch-Armenia (1215–1257) was Toron, lady of Toron from 1229 to her death. She was the elder daughter of Raymond-Roupen of Antioch, Raymond-Roupen, prince of Antioch, and of Helvis of Lusignan (1190-1218), Helvis of Lusignan. She der ...

(1215–1257); married Philippe de Montfort, Lord of Castres, of Tyre, and of

Toron Toron, now Tibnin or Tebnine in southern Lebanon, was a major Crusader castle, built in the Lebanon mountains on the road from Tyre to Damascus. The castle was the centre of the Lordship of Toron, a seigneury within the Kingdom of Jerusa ...

(died 1270) * Eschive d'Antioche (who seems to have died young). Critical genealogists have concluded that she did not marry Hetoum, Lord of Lampron (1220–1250), of the House of Hetoumid, although a lot of older genealogical fantasies present that marriage.

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* ''This page is a translation of :fr:Helvis de Lusignan.'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Helvis Of Lusignan (1190-1218) 1190s births 1210s deaths 13th-century women 13th-century French people House of Lusignan Princesses of Antioch Daughters of kings