Raymond of Poitiers was a Prince of Antioch during the first Crusade. He gained control by working with the Archbishop of Antioch to con his future mother-in-law.

He is my 22 x great-grandfather.

Raymond was born in Poitiers, France in 1115, He was the son of William IX, Duke of Aquitaine. He might be an illegitimate son, if his mother was William’s mistress, Amauberge Dangerose1 2.

Primary sources always separate Raymond from William IX’s other children. This is why it is reasonable to conclude he was an illegitimate son. The wording suggests a different mother, but it is not clear. It is one of the difficulties with understanding mediaeval chroniclers. At the time of Raymond’s birth, it is probable William IX had already separated from his wife. It is not clear if he was already living with his Amauberge, or if there was another unnamed mistress.

Titles

A 3D reconstruction of the city of Antioch in Roman times
3D reconstruction of the city of Antioch in Roman times

During his time in the court of Henry I of England, Raymond was knighted2. It’s not clear why he was in England. At the time his brother William was ruling Aquitaine. Could it be that William sent his brother to England to avoid fighting him for control of Aquitaine?

By marriage, Raymond became Prince of Antioch1 3.

Family

In 1136, Raymond married the reigning princess of Antioch, Constance1 3. The marriage was the result of political skullduggery.

The political intrigue that led to her marriage is detailed in this article, and involves the Bishop of Antioch, her uncle and Raymond of Poitiers.

A scene of Raymond being defeated at the Battle of Inab
Raymond died at the Battle of Inab
By Jean Colombe and Sebastien Momerot – “Passage outremer”, 14th century, Public Domain

This marriage created the House of Poitiers-Antioch.

House of Poitiers-Antioch

Raymond and Constance had five children1:

  1. Bohemond III
  2. Maria, married emperor Manuel I Komnenos. Manuel was the son of Byzantine emperor Ioannis II who fought against Raymond4.
  3. Philippa
  4. Baldwin, or Baudouin.
  5. Raymond
Principality of Antioch
Principality of Antioch By MapMaster – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Notable events

Raymond was in the court of Henry I of England before heading to Antioch1.

Henry was the son of William the Conqueror. He and Raymond’s father share a great-great-great-grandfather in Rollo the Viking.

Raymond and Archbishop Ralph both ruled Antioch, based on a contract that the bishop forced Raymond to sign3.

In 1136, Raymond and the Lord of Marash invaded Armenia, but the Armenians drove them back1.

In 1137, Byzantine Emperor Ioannes II beseiged Antioch4. Victorious, Ioannes forced Raymond to swear allegiance to him1.

On 19 April 1140, Raymond donated property by charter to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem1 5.

A portrait of King Henry I at the National Portrait Gallery - London, UK
King Henry I at the National Portrait Gallery – London, UK

In 1142, Ioannis II died, and Raymond took advantage to try to get Cilicia back under his control1. The new Emperor, Manuel I, refused, so Raymond invaded Cilicia to take it back by force1.

Raymond was the uncle of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France and England6. While she was in the Middle East during the second crusade she spent a lot of time with him, seeking his council6. Rumour has it that she had an incestuous relationship with him6.

In 1148, the French King Louis VII arrived in Antioch, heading the French army of the Second Crusade1. Raymond tried to persuade him to invade Aleppo which was the centre of Muslim power at the time. Louis refused, and Raymond attempted this alone.

Death

In 1149, Raymond led an expedition against the Nur ad-Din Zangi in Aleppo who controlled eastern Syria1. The Turkish Shirkuh, uncle of Saladin, beheaded Raymond in the Battle of Inab on 28 June1 2. Shirkuh placed Raymond’s skull in a silver box and gave it to the Caliph of Baghdad as a gift1.

Lineage

This person is my 22 x great-grandfather.

  1. Princes of Antioch; Medieval Lands; Charles Crawley; (Retrieved 2022-05-25) [↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
  2. Dukes of Aquitaine; Charles Cawley; Medieval Lands; (Retrieved 2022-05-25) [↩][↩][↩]
  3. Ralph of Domfront, Patriarch of Antioch (1135-40); Bernard Hamilton; Nottingham medieval studies, Vol 28; 1984-01[↩][↩][↩]
  4. Crusaders: An Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Lands; Dan Jones; Apollo, London; 2019-09-05[↩][↩]
  5. Antioch – Chapter 2; Medieval Lands; Charles Cawley; 2020-10-11[↩]
  6. The Life and Times of the Notorious Medieval Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine; Ancient Origins; 2020-06-20[↩][↩][↩]