Henri II de Champagne, Count of Champagne, King of Jerusalem^[1]

1166 - 1197  (31 years)

• Name	Henri II de Champagne
  		Crusaders First (1095–1099); Second (1147–1149); Third or the Kings' Crusade (1189–1192); Forth (1202–1204); Fifth (1213–1221); Sixth (1228); Barons' (1239); Seventh (1248-1254); Eighth (1270); and Ninth (1271-1272).
  Suffix	Count of Champagne, King of Jerusalem
  Born	29 Jul 1166
  Gender	Male
  Military	Aug 1190	Acre, Israel   [2]
  	Commander of seige operations at Acre.
  		Siege of Acre The seige of Acre (August 28, 1189 to July 12, 1191) was the focal point of the Third Crusade. After his release by Saladin, King Guy of Jerusalem led an expedition from Tyre, stationing his meager force on the high ground of Mount Torn just outside the port city of Acre. From this small beginning Guy's numbers began to swell as the western contingents sailed in. Saladin squandered an opportunity to break the cordon on 4 Oct 1189 after a Latin advance lost formation to loot the Abuyyid camp. News of Barbarossa imminent approach then resulted in a cautious division of Abuyyid forces to meet the northern threat. With the arrival of Richard and Philip Augustus in the summer of 1191, the balance swung decisively in the favor the Latins. The city was surrendered, 12 Jul 1191. It would remain in Christian hands until overrun by the Mamluks, 18 May 1291.
  Military	7 Sep 1191	Arsuf, Israel
  		Battle of Arsuf and the First Jerusalem Campaign On 22 Aug 1191, Richard marched his army out of Acre, bound for Jaffa. Saladin shadowed Richard to the Rochetaille River and then moved his army into position to block Richard's advance. Richard managed to maintain formation nearly to Arsulf as he moved through the attacking Ayyubids; however, the rearguard of Hospitallers finally lost patience and wheeled about, breaking ranks. This was not the charge that was planned but Richard was now committed. Saladin was defeated in a rout. Jaffa was occupied on 10 Sep 1191. In anticipation of Richard's next move, Saladin razed Ascalon. But Richard also found his strategic plans to cut Saladin's lines of communication with Egypt trumped by the expectations of his army: they wanted to be in the Holy City by Christmas. Unable to keep his army in winter quarters just outside of Jerusalem, Richard retired with a much reduced force to Ascalon.
  Political	1192	Acre, Israel
  	King of Jerusalem by right of his wife, Isabelle, but uncrowned.
  Military	27 Jul - 8 Aug 1192	Jaffa, Israel   [3]
  	Battle of Jaffa (Christian victory)
  Died	10 Sep 1197	Acre, Israel
  	Henry died in a fall from a palace window in Acre. [4, 5, 6]
  Person ID	I10943	Dickinson
  Last Modified	8 Dec 2017

  
  

  Father	Henri I de Blois, Count of Champagne,   b. 1126, Troyes, Saint-Etienne ,   d. 17 Mar 1181, Troyes, Saint-Etienne  (Age 55 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	Marie de France, Countess of Champagne,   b. 1145, Paris, Île-de-France, France ,   d. 11 Mar 1198  (Age 53 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Married	1164  [7]
  Family ID	F3038	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Isabelle I of Jerusalem, Queen of Jerusalem,   b. 1172, Jerusalem ,   d. Before May 1206  (Age 34 years)
  Married	5 May 1192	Tyre, Lebanon   [8, 10]
  	"[With the murder of Conrad] [t]he political situation among the Latins was in disarray. Hugh of Burgundy tried to seize control of Tyre, but he seems to have been thwarted by Conrad's widow Isabella, the heiress to the kingdom of Jerusalem. With yet another outbreak of infighting threatening, a new settlement was pushed through quickly. Count Henry of Champagne was chosen as a compromise candidate - because as nephew to both King Richard and Philip Augustus he represented Angevin and Capetian interests - and within a week he was married to Isabella and elected titular monarch of Frankish Palestine." [8] "In the last few days [following the assassination] events had moved with bewildering speed. From [king of England] Richard's point of view, the outcome of it all was that, for the first time, he had all the forces of the kingdom at his disposal. If he had wished to put Henry on the throne he would have to get rid of Conrad and placate Guy - which had happened. Either he had reacted in a remarkably sure-footed way to the twists and turns of events, or some of them had been foreseen and, at the least, contingency plans had been laid. This surely applies to the decisions to recognize Conrad as king of Jerusalem and Guy as lord of Cyprus. Not surprisingly the Old French Continuations attribute the decision to arrange this marriage to Richard than to any of those at Tyre, whether Isabella, Henry or the French, and they say he took others unawares by the speed with which he moved after Conrad's death." [9]
  Children	1. Marie of Jerusalem,   d. Before 1205  [Birth] + 2. Alix of Jerusalem, Queen Consort of Cyprus,   b. Abt 1195,   d. 1247  (Age ~ 52 years)   3. Philippa of Jerusalem,   b. ca. 1195,   d. 20 Dec 1250  (Age ~ 55 years)  [Birth]
  Last Modified	7 Dec 2017
  Family ID	F3037	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Military - Commander of seige operations at Acre. - Aug 1190 - Acre, Israel Military - 7 Sep 1191 - Arsuf, Israel Political - King of Jerusalem by right of his wife, Isabelle, but uncrowned. - 1192 - Acre, Israel Married - 5 May 1192 - Tyre, Lebanon Military - Battle of Jaffa (Christian victory) - 27 Jul - 8 Aug 1192 - Jaffa, Israel Died - 10 Sep 1197 - Acre, Israel  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S336463] Medieval Lands: A prosopography of medieval European noble and royal families, Charles Cawley, (Online: The Foundation for Medieval Genealogy at http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/, 20XX), http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CHAMPAGNE%20NOBILITY.htm#HenriIIChampagnedied1107. [S420] The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land, Thomas Asbridge, (New York: HarperCollins, 2010), 415. [S422] Richard I (English Monarchs Series), John Gillingham, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), 215. [S336465] Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life, Alison Weir, (New York: Ballantine iBook, 2008). [S420] The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land, Thomas Asbridge, (New York: HarperCollins, 2010), 538. [S422] Richard I (English Monarchs Series), John Gillingham, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), 202. [S336465] Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life, Alison Weir, (New York: Ballantine iBook, 2008), 271. [S420] The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land, Thomas Asbridge, (New York: HarperCollins, 2010), 496. [S422] Richard I (English Monarchs Series), John Gillingham, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), 201-2. [S422] Richard I (English Monarchs Series), John Gillingham, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), 201.