Esquiva d'Ibelin (1253-1312)

Esquiva d'Ibelin ( Fr. Eschive d'Ibelin ; 1253 - 1312 ) - Mrs. Beirut.

Esquiva was the daughter of the lord of Beirut Jean II Ibelin and Alice de la Roche.

In 1274 she married the lord of Tire Honfroy de Montfort (died 1284). They had four children:

• Amory de Montfort (died 1304)
• Rupen de Montfort (d. 1313)
• Alix de Montfort
• Elvis de Montfort

After the death in 1282 of the elder sister Isabella Esquiva became the lady of Beirut. Beirut felt safe due to the peace treaty with Sultan Saifuddin Kalaun , but after his death in 1290 his son Al-Ashraf Khalil attacked Beirut in 1291 and captured him, the crusaders had to flee.

In 1291 Esquiva married the constable of Cyprus Guy de Lusignan . They had two children:

• Hugo (1293–1359), who became king of Cyprus
• Isabella, who in 1322 married the titular constable of Jerusalem, Ode de Dampiere

In 1303, Guy organized a conspiracy against the king , but was captured and executed, and Esquiva again became a widow.

In 1308 he died, leaving no heirs, the Duke of Athens, Guy II de La Roche , who came to Eskive as his cousin. His death gave rise to a dynastic crisis, and Esquiva went to Morea to claim her duchy rights. Since the Duchy of Athens was a vassal of the Achaean principality, the case was considered by Prince Ahea Philip I of Tarent and his elder brother Neapolitan King Robert . In 1309 they referred the matter to the Supreme Court of Achea, which decided in favor of Eshiva’s rival, Gauthier V de Brienne .

Eskiva died in 1312 in Nicosia .