A photo of Flatro Bastions - UN peacekeeping zone, Cyprus

N de Flètre

There is almost no documentation about King James II’s mistress which makes it difficult to even know what her name was.
She is my 12 x great-grandmother.

A photo of Selimiye Camii Mosque (previously Santa Sophia Cathedral)

Alice Ibelin

Alice, Queen Consort of Cyprus, was miraculously cured of a speech impediment by a fragment of the True Cross that was in Cyprus.

A picture of the coat of arms of the Ibelin family crest

Eschiva Ibelin

Eschiva Ibelin inherited the Ladyship of Beirut and was a contender for Duchess of Athens. Married thrice, she mothered the future King Hugh IV of Cyprus.

A 3D reconstruction of the city of Antioch in Roman times

The bishop’s political machinations

In 1136, amidst religious and political tensions in Antioch, Bishop Ralph used his influence and deceptive tactics to marry young Princess Constance to Raymond of Poitiers, securing political alliances and reinforcing Latin church dominance over Byzantine objections.

The coat of arms of the House of Poitiers

Isabelle de Lusignan

Isabelle of Cyprus, a regent of Jerusalem, was a Cypriot noble and the youngest daughter of King Hugh I. She appointed her husband and son as Bailiffs of Jerusalem before her death in 1264.

A photo of the Mala Paga walls - Genoa, Italy

James I, King of Cyprus

James I of Cyprus served as regent for his nephew Peter II, before becoming King in 1382. He led a war against Genoese, was imprisoned, and later released in 1385. He is my 15 x great-grandfather

A photo of the port of Byblos - Lebanon

Plaisance of Jebail

Countess Plaisance was an independently wealthy Lebanese Countess who inherited lands across Lebanon and Israel from her parents.

A photo of the cityscape in Harim, Syria

Orgueilleuse of Harenc

As the daughter of a French or, possibly, an Arabic lord, there is little in recorded history about Orgueilleuse or her mysterious family.