1271–1324 · King of Cyprus and king of Jerusalem
Henry II of Cyprus
Lusignan king of Cyprus and Jerusalem; during the siege of Acre in 1291 he came to the city with reinforcements, withdrew to Cyprus as it fell, and kept the title of Jerusalem after the fall of the Latin East.
BIOGRAPHICAL DOSSIER
Life and historical role
Life and political setting
The son of Hugh III, Henry II became king of Cyprus in 1285 and was crowned king of Jerusalem at Acre in 1286. Because of epilepsy he lived with health problems throughout his reign; between 1306 and 1310 he was removed from government by his brother Amaury.
Role in the Crusades
During the siege of Acre in 1291 he sent his brother Amaury to the city and arrived himself with reinforcements on 4 May. He offered peace to al-Ashraf Khalil, but the offer was refused. During the city's final assault he crossed to Cyprus by ship; this conduct was criticised by contemporaries.
Historical significance and source problems
After the fall of Acre, Henry II ruled Cyprus as the new centre of the Latin East and lived through the dissolution of the Templars. He died in 1324. The Gestes des Chiprois and the Templar of Tyre are the main sources for his reign.
Biographical information is linked to the sources shown on the page and to the connected event records. Disputed dates are given as approximate, gaps are not filled by conjecture, and later literary or visual depictions are not treated as contemporary portraits.