John I of Cyprus

For the bishop, see John I (archbishop of Cyprus).

John I
King of Cyprus and Jerusalem
Reign	1284–1285
Predecessor	Hugh III
Successor	Henry II
Born	c. 1268
Died	20 May 1285
House	Poitiers-Lusignan
Father	Hugh III of Cyprus
Mother	Isabella of Ibelin

John I (French : Jean; c. 1268 - 20 May 1285) was King of Cyprus and, in contention with Charles I of Anjou, of Jerusalem from 1284 to 1285.

John was the eldest surviving son of Hugh III, king of Cyprus and Jerusalem, and Isabella of Ibelin. ^[1] Hugh died on 3 March 1284 and John was crowned the next king of Cyprus in Nicosia on 11 May. He was then aged about 17, and was handsome and delicate. ^[2] The historian Steven Runciman says that John immediately sailed to Tyre, where he was crowned king of Jerusalem. ^[3] According to the historian Hans E. Mayer, there is no basis in sources that this coronation ever took place. ^[4] On the mainland, John was recognized as king only in Tyre and Beirut, which were ruled by his aunt Margaret and brother Guy ^{[ disambiguation needed ]}, respectively. Acre, political centre of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, recognized Charles of Anjou. ^[5] John died on 20 May 1285, almost exactly a year after his coronation, leaving the crown to his younger brother Henry II. ^{[3] [6]}

References

1. Edbury 1994, p. 37, 96.
2. Runciman 1989, p. 394.
3. Runciman 1989, p. 395.
4. Mayer 1967, p. 211.
5. Runciman 1989, p. 394-395.
6. Edbury 1994, p. 96.

Sources

• Edbury, Peter W. (1994). The Kingdom of Cyprus and the Crusades, 1191-1374. Cambridge University Press.
• Mayer, Hans Eberhard (1967). "Das Pontifikale von Tyrus und die Krönung der Lateinischen Könige von Jerusalem: Zugleich ein Beitrag zur Forschung über Herrschaftszeichen und Staatssymbolik". Dumbarton Oaks Papers (in German). 21. Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University: 141–232. ISSN   0070-7546. JSTOR   1291262 . Retrieved 27 July 2025.
• Runciman, Steven (1989). A History of the Crusades, Volume III: The Kingdom of Acre and the Later Crusades. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   0-521-06163-6.

Regnal titles
Preceded by Hugh III of Cyprus	King of Cyprus 1284–1285	Succeeded by Henry II of Cyprus
	— DISPUTED — King of Jerusalem 1284–1285 Disputed by Charles I of Anjou