Hugh of Antioch, son of Henry of…

Hugh of Antioch, son of Henry of Antioch and Isabella of Cyprus, the daughter of Hugh I, had served from 1261 as Regent for Hugh II, as the Haute Cour of Cyprus considered him, as a male, a better regent than his mother Isabella.

She, however, had been accepted as the Regent of Jerusalem in 1263.

At her death in 1264, Hugh had become the acting regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem as well as Cyprus.

The regency had been contested by his first cousin, Hugh of Brienne, who was the son of Mary of Cyprus, the eldest daughter of Hugh I and hence the senior heir to Cyprus, and heir to Jerusalem after Hugh II.

However, the Haute Cour of Jerusalem had declared Hugh of Antioch the next regent, as successor to Isabella in proximity of blood.

Hugh II dies in 1267 without heirs.

As Hugh of Brienne does not advance his claim on the throne, Hugh of Antioch succeeds as uncontested King of Cyprus on December 5 and is crowned at Santa Sophia, in Nicosia, on 24 December.

Hugh assumes his mother's surname of Lusignan in 1267, having inherited Cyprus through that family, thus establishing the Second House of Lusignan.