John of Brienne
Return to John of Brienne
Notes
John of Brienne (1148-1237), Latin king of Jerusalem (1210-25). John, a French nobleman, became
king by his marriage to Queen Marie de Montferrat of Jerusalem. When Marie died, their young
daughter Yolande succeeded as queen under John's regency. After playing an important part in
the Fifth Crusade, John lived and traveled in western Europe, seeking support for another
Crusade. In 1222 he betrothed Yolande to the Holy Roman emperor Frederick II. Upon their
marriage in 1225, Frederick quickly claimed the crown of Jerusalem. John, also claiming the
crown, commanded papal troops in an attack upon Frederick's possessions in Italy. In 1229
John became regent and coemperor with Baldwin II, the 12-year-old Latin ruler of Constantinople
(present-day �stanbul). In this capacity, he defended the Latin Empire against attacks by the
Byzantines and their Bulgarian allies.
Exerpt from
"John of Brienne," Microsoft� Encarta� Encyclopedia 99.
� 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Return to John of Brienne