Marie de Courtenay
Encyclopedia
Marie de Courtenay was a daughter of Peter II of Courtenay and Yolanda of Flanders
. She married Theodore I of Nicaea
. Marie served as regent for her younger brother Baldwin II of Courtenay and styled herself as the Empress of Constantinople.
of Constantinople
. Her father was chosen
as an Emperor in 1216. In 1217, while attempting to reach Constantinople by land, Peter was taken captive by Theodore Komnenos Doukas
, ruler of Epirus
. He spent the rest of his life in captivity. Yolanda reached Constantinople instead and took over the Empire. Marie's mother Yolanda was de jure
a Regent in name of her husband but ruled alone from 1217 to 1219. Among the alliances negotiated by her was one with Theodore I Lascaris of the Empire of Nicaea
. The alliance was sealed with the marriage of Theodore and Marie after Theodore repudiated his second wife Philippa of Armenia.
, and the other, Irene Lascarina
, was married to John III Doukas Vatatzes
who took over the throne of the Latin Empire. Marie briefly served as a Regent
of Nicaea in 1222.
had succeeded their mother in 1219. In late January, 1228, Robert himself died. Their younger brother Baldwin II of Courtenay succeeded to the throne. He was only eleven-years-old and thus underage. The barons of Constantinople elected Marie as Regent. According to "Les Capétiens" (2000) by Patrick van Kerrebrouck she styled herself Empress. Her Regency only lasted until her own death eight months later.
Yolanda of Flanders
Yolanda of Flanders ruled the Latin Empire in Constantinople for her husband Peter II of Courtenay from 1217 to 1219.She was the daughter of Baldwin V, Count of Hainault, and Countess Margaret I of Flanders. Two of her brothers, Baldwin I and then Henry, were emperors in Constantinople...
. She married Theodore I of Nicaea
Empire of Nicaea
The Empire of Nicaea was the largest of the three Byzantine Greek successor states founded by the aristocracy of the Byzantine Empire that fled after Constantinople was occupied by Western European and Venetian forces during the Fourth Crusade...
. Marie served as regent for her younger brother Baldwin II of Courtenay and styled herself as the Empress of Constantinople.
Family and background
Her parents were successive rulers of the Latin EmpireLatin Empire
The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. Her father was chosen
as an Emperor in 1216. In 1217, while attempting to reach Constantinople by land, Peter was taken captive by Theodore Komnenos Doukas
Theodore Komnenos Doukas
Theodore Komnenos Doukas was ruler of Epirus from 1215 to 1230 and of Thessalonica from 1224 to 1230.-Life:...
, ruler of Epirus
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
. He spent the rest of his life in captivity. Yolanda reached Constantinople instead and took over the Empire. Marie's mother Yolanda was de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
a Regent in name of her husband but ruled alone from 1217 to 1219. Among the alliances negotiated by her was one with Theodore I Lascaris of the Empire of Nicaea
Empire of Nicaea
The Empire of Nicaea was the largest of the three Byzantine Greek successor states founded by the aristocracy of the Byzantine Empire that fled after Constantinople was occupied by Western European and Venetian forces during the Fourth Crusade...
. The alliance was sealed with the marriage of Theodore and Marie after Theodore repudiated his second wife Philippa of Armenia.
Empress of Nicaea
Marie was Empress of Nicaea from 1219 to November, 1221 when Theodore died. They had no known children. One of her stepdaughters, Maria Laskarina, was the wife of the King Béla IV of HungaryBéla IV of Hungary
Béla IV , King of Hungary and of Croatia , duke of Styria 1254–58. One of the most famous kings of Hungary, he distinguished himself through his policy of strengthening of the royal power following the example of his grandfather Bela III, and by the rebuilding Hungary after the catastrophe of the...
, and the other, Irene Lascarina
Irene Lascarina
Irene Lascarina was a daughter of Theodore I Laskaris, emperor of Nicaea and Anna Angelina. Her maternal grandparents were Emperor Alexios III Angelos and Euphrosyne Doukaina Kamaterina...
, was married to John III Doukas Vatatzes
John III Doukas Vatatzes
John III Doukas Vatatzes, Latinized as Ducas Vatatzes |Nymphaion]]) was emperor of Nicaea 1221–1254.-Life:John Doukas Vatatzes was probably the son of the general Basileios Vatatzes, Duke of Thrace, who died in 1193, and his wife, an unnamed daughter of Isaakios Angelos and cousin of the Emperors...
who took over the throne of the Latin Empire. Marie briefly served as a Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of Nicaea in 1222.
Regent and Empress of Constantinople
Her brother Robert of CourtenayRobert of Courtenay
Robert of Courtenay , emperor of the Latin Empire, or of Constantinople, was a younger son of the emperor Peter II of Courtenay, and a descendant of the French king, Louis VI, while his mother Yolanda of Flanders was a sister of Baldwin and Henry of Flanders, the first and second emperors of the...
had succeeded their mother in 1219. In late January, 1228, Robert himself died. Their younger brother Baldwin II of Courtenay succeeded to the throne. He was only eleven-years-old and thus underage. The barons of Constantinople elected Marie as Regent. According to "Les Capétiens" (2000) by Patrick van Kerrebrouck she styled herself Empress. Her Regency only lasted until her own death eight months later.