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James II (the Bastard) of Cyprus or Jacques II le Bātard de Lusignan (Nicosia
Nicosia

Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is located at . Located on the River Pedieos and situated almost in the centre of the island, it is the seat of government as well as the main business centre....
, c. 1438/1439 or c. 1440 – Famagusta
Famagusta

Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located in a bay between Capes Greco and Eloea, east of Nicosia District, and possesses the deepest harbour in the island....
, July 10 1473), was the illegitimate son of John II of Cyprus
John II of Cyprus

John II or III was the King of Cyprus and Armenia and also titular King of Jerusalem from 1432 to 1458. He was previously a Titular Prince of Antioch....
 and Marietta de Patras.

s 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 the Royal Chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)

A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a great house. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
 (1457), he was deprived of the archbishopric and fled to Rhodes
Rhodes

Rhodes is a Greece List of islands of Greece approximately southwest of Turkey in eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007 of which 53,709 resided in the Rhodes capital city of the island....
 on a ship of the Catalan Juan Tafures
Juan Tafures

Juan Tafures or Tafurer was a Catalan adventurer in the mid fifteenth century.Owner of a merchant ship, Juan landed at Larnaca in Cyprus in July 1457 when James II of Cyprus, bastard son of John II of Cyprus and Archbishop of Nicosia, was fleeing his father, for he had murdered the royal Chamberlain ....
.






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James II (the Bastard) of Cyprus or Jacques II le Bātard de Lusignan (Nicosia
Nicosia

Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is located at . Located on the River Pedieos and situated almost in the centre of the island, it is the seat of government as well as the main business centre....
, c. 1438/1439 or c. 1440 – Famagusta
Famagusta

Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located in a bay between Capes Greco and Eloea, east of Nicosia District, and possesses the deepest harbour in the island....
, July 10 1473), was the illegitimate son of John II of Cyprus
John II of Cyprus

John II or III was the King of Cyprus and Armenia and also titular King of Jerusalem from 1432 to 1458. He was previously a Titular Prince of Antioch....
 and Marietta de Patras.

Archbishop of Nicosia

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 the Royal Chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)

A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a great house. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
 (1457), he was deprived of the archbishopric and fled to Rhodes
Rhodes

Rhodes is a Greece List of islands of Greece approximately southwest of Turkey in eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007 of which 53,709 resided in the Rhodes capital city of the island....
 on a ship of the Catalan Juan Tafures
Juan Tafures

Juan Tafures or Tafurer was a Catalan adventurer in the mid fifteenth century.Owner of a merchant ship, Juan landed at Larnaca in Cyprus in July 1457 when James II of Cyprus, bastard son of John II of Cyprus and Archbishop of Nicosia, was fleeing his father, for he had murdered the royal Chamberlain ....
. He was pardoned by his father, and the archbishopric was returned to him.

King of Cyprus

In 1458 his father died, and his half-sister Charlotte
Charlotte of Cyprus

Charlotte of Cyprus or Charlotte de Lusignan , was the eldest and only surviving daughter of King John II of Cyprus and Helena Palaiologina Palaiologos....
 became Queen of Cyprus
Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, west of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, south of Turkey and north of Egypt....
. In 1460, James challenged her right to the throne, blockading her and her husband in the castle of Kyrenia
Kyrenia

Kyrenia is a town on the northern coast of Cyprus, noted for its historic harbour and castle. Internationally recognized as part of the Republic of Cyprus, Kyrenia has been under Turkish control since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus....
 for three years. When Charlotte fled to Rome
Rome

Rome is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city, with 2,724,347 residents in an urban area of some ....
 in 1463, James was crowned King. In gratitude, he made his friend and supporter Juan Tafures Master of his Household
Master of the Household

The Master of the Household is the operational head of the "below stairs" elements of the Royal Household of the Monarch of the United Kingdom. He has charge of the domestic staff, from the Royal Kitchens, the pages and footmen, to the Housekeeper and her staff....
 and Titular Count of Tripoli.

Marriage, Death and Succession

In Venice
Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy, the capital city of the Italian regions Veneto, a population of 271,251 . Together with Padua, Italy, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area ....
, on July 30, 1468, seeking political support, he married a 14-year old Venetian, Caterina Cornaro
Catherine Cornaro

Nobil Donna Catherine Cornaro , was Queen of Kingdom of Cyprus from 1474 to 1489 and declared a "Daughter of the Venetian Republic" in order that Venice could claim control of Cyprus after the death of her husband, James II of Cyprus....
, by proxy. She finally travelled to Cyprus and married in person at Famagusta
Famagusta

Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located in a bay between Capes Greco and Eloea, east of Nicosia District, and possesses the deepest harbour in the island....
 in October or November, 1472. James died a few months later, amidst some suspicion that he might have been poisoned by agents of Venice
Republic of Venice

The Most Serene Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice . It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century AD until the year 1797....
, possibly by Caterina's uncles. According to his will, Caterina, who was pregnant, became regent. The couple's son James
James III of Cyprus

James III of Cyprus or Jacques III de Lusignan was the only and posthumous child by marriage of James II of Cyprus and Catherine Cornaro and King of Cyprus from birth....
 died under suspicious circumstances in 1474 before his first birthday, leaving Caterina as Queen 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
Republic of Venice

The Most Serene Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice . It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century AD until the year 1797....
 until it was captured by the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299?1923. It was Treaty of Lausanne by the Republic of Turkey, which was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923....
 in 1571.

Literary Note

The civil war between James II and Charlotte of Cyprus forms the historical background to the events of Dorothy Dunnett's
Dorothy Dunnett

Dorothy Dunnett OBE was a Scottish historical novelist. She is best known for her six-part series about Francis Crawford of Lymond, The Lymond Chronicles, which she followed with the eight-part prequel The House of Niccol?....
 novel Race of Scorpions.

Illegitimate children

Prior to his marriage, King James II had four natural children:
  • Eugene de Lusignan also styled d'Armenia (d. Venice
    Venice

    Venice is a city in northern Italy, the capital city of the Italian regions Veneto, a population of 271,251 . Together with Padua, Italy, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area ....
    ,1536), married Dona Paola Mazzara of Sicily,
  • Janus de Lusignan (d. after 1552), married (1) 1504, to N de Toro, married (2) 1547 to Virginia Cosanza dei Duchi di San Sava., with issue.
  • Charlotte de Lusignan (d. c. 1469), married after 1463 Sor de Naves
  • Charla de Lusignan (1468 – in prison in Padua
    Padua

    Padua is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 ....
    , 1480), she was either married or engaged to Alonso, batard d'Aragona (1460 – 1510)