Cecile of France (1097 – 1145) was a Frankish princess who became countess of Tripoli. She was the daughter of King

Philip I of France Philip I ( – 29 July 1108), called the Amorous (French: ''L’Amoureux''), was King of the Franks from 1060 to 1108. His reign, like that of most of the early Capetians, was extraordinarily long for the time. The monarchy began a modest recove ...

and

Bertrade de Montfort Bertrade of Montfort ( – 14 February 1117), also known by other names, was a Norman noble from the House of Montfort. She was countess of Anjou (10891092) through her first marriage to Fulk the Rude and then queen consort of France (109211 ...

. Cecile's first marriage was arranged while Prince

Bohemond I of Antioch Bohemond I of Antioch ( 1054 – 5 or 7 March 1111), also known as Bohemond of Taranto or Bohemond of Hauteville, was the prince of Taranto from 1089 to 1111 and the prince of Antioch from 1098 to 1111. He was a leader of the First Crusade, leadi ...

was visiting the French court seeking support against the Byzantine emperor,

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos (, – 15 August 1118), Latinization of names, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus, was Byzantine Emperor, Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. After usurper, usurping the throne, he was faced with a collapsing empire and ...

. She sailed for Antioch at the end of 1106 and became lady of Tarsus and Mamistra in Cilician Armenia. Cecile married Prince Tancred of Galilee, regent of Antioch, in late 1106. While dying in 1112, Tancred made Pons of Tripoli promise to marry Cecile, and Tancred gave her the fortresses of Arcicanum and Rugia as

dowry A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...

. They married in 1112. In 1133, Pons was besieged at his castle of Montferrand by

Imad ad-Din Zengi Imad al-Din Zengi (; – 14 September 1146), also romanized as Zangi, Zengui, Zenki, and Zanki, was a Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman atabeg of the Seljuk Empire, who ruled Emir of Mosul, Mosul, Emirate of Aleppo, Aleppo, Hama, and, later, Ede ...

, atabeg of Mosul, and Cecile appealed to her half-brother King

Fulk of Jerusalem Fulk of Anjou (, or ''Foulques''; – 13 November 1143), also known as Fulk the Younger, was the king of Jerusalem from 1131 until 1143 as the husband and co-ruler of Queen Melisende. Previously, he was the count of Anjou as Fulk V from 1109 ...

to come to his aid. Zengi abandoned the siege, but during a second siege in 1137, Pons was captured and killed. Cecile and Pons' son, Raymond II succeeded him. Cecile died c. 1145.

Children with Pons

Raymond II, Count of Tripoli Raymond II (; 1116 – 1152) was count of Tripoli from 1137 to 1152. He succeeded his father, Pons The pons (from Latin , "bridge") is part of the brainstem that in humans and other mammals, lies inferior to the midbrain, superior to the ...

* Philip * Agnes, wife of Renaud II, Lord of Margat

References

Sources

* * * * * * *{{cite book , last=Stevenson , first=William Barron , title=The Crusaders in the East: A Brief History of the Wars of Islam with the Latins in Syria during the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries , publisher=Cambridge at the University Press , year=1907 1097 births 12th-century deaths House of Capet French princesses Countesses of Tripoli 11th-century French people 11th-century French women 12th-century French people 12th-century French women Daughters of kings Remarried royal consorts