Unsuccessful pressure on princess Constance of Antioch to choose a prince

Summary:
Baldwin III was deeply worried that Antioch, without a prince since the death of Raymond of Poitiers, would soon follow Edessa under Turkish rule, knowing that he himself had little time to spend there. Thus he repeatedly urged the princess Constance to choose one of her noble suitors from his army to rule the principality. Ivo of Nesle, Walter of Falquenberg or Radulf of Merle were well qualified to save the principality. But she was afraid of the bonds of marriage and preferred her freedom and desires to the needs of her people. When he realised this, Baldwin called a general assembly of the magnates of the kingdom and the principality at Tripoli, inviting from Antioch the patriarch Aimery of Limoges and his suffragans and Constance with her barons; also present were queen Melisende and the barons from Jerusalem. After some general issues, the agenda turned to Constance's marriage plans, but nobody succeeded in persuading her to wed, not her kinsmen Baldwin III or Raymond II, nor her maternal aunts Melisende or Hodierna. It was said that Aimery had influence over her, and supported her aberration of refusal to marry, since it helped him in his ambition to have a freer hand in control of the principality. The assembly ended in failure on this issue 
Dates:
1152: 
Aimery of Limoges, patriarch of Antioch (Aimery 101)
  • He was said to have influence over Constance 4002, and to support her aberration (of refusal to marry), since it helped him in his ambition to have a freer hand in control of the principality (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.33-37
Baldwin III, king of Jerusalem (Baldwin 53)
  • He was deeply worried that Antioch, without a prince since the death of Raymond 17001, would soon follow Edessa under Turkish rule, knowing that he himself had little time to spend there; thus he repeatedly urged Constance 4002 to choose one of her noble suitors from his army to rule the principality (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.1-9
  • As he was aware of the reluctance of Constance 4002 to marry, he called a general assembly of the magnates of the kingdom and the principality at Tripoli, inviting Aimery 101 and his suffragans and Constance with her barons; also present were Melisende 4002 and the barons from Jerusalem (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.22-28
  • He failed to persuade his kinswoman, Constance 4002, to save Antioch by marrying (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.28-32
Constance of Antioch, daughter of Bohemond II (Constance 4002)
  • There were noble suitors for her hand from the army of Baldwin 53: Ivo 101, Walter 102 and Radulf 111; any one of these would justifiably be chosen to secure the principality of Antioch; but she was afraid of the bonds of marriage and preferred her freedom and desires to the needs of her people (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.9-22
  • At a general assembly of the Latin states in Tripoli, her marriage plans were debated after some general issues; but noone could persuade her to marry, not her relatives Baldwin 53 and Raymond 4004, nor her aunts Melisende 4002 and Hodierna 4001 (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.28-32
  • It was said that she relied on the advice of Aimery 101, and that he supported her aberration (of refusal to marry), since it helped him in his ambition to have a freer hand in control of the principality (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.33-37
Hodierna, daughter of Baldwin II of Jerusalem, wife of Raymond II of Tripoli (Hodierna 4001)
  • She failed to persuade her niece, Constance 4002, to save Antioch by marrying (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.28-32
Ivo of Nesle, constable and count of Soissons (Ivo 101)
  • He was one of the rejected suitors of Constance 4002 (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.9-13
Melisende, daughter of Baldwin II, queen of Jerusalem (Melisende 4002)
  • She failed to persuade her niece, Constance 4002, to save Antioch by marrying (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.28-32
Radulf of Merle (Radulf 111)
  • He was one of the rejected suitors of Constance 4002 (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.16-17
Raymond II, count of Tripoli (Raymond 4004)
  • He failed to persuade his kinswoman, Constance 4002, to save Antioch by marrying (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.28-32
Walter of Falquenberg, castellan of St Omer (Walter 102)
  • He was one of the rejected suitors of Constance 4002 (:) William of Tyre bk. 17, 18.13-16