Plaisance of Cyprus

Plaisance of Cyprus (died 1261) was a daughter of Bohemund V of Antioch who became Queen consort and Queen regent of the Kingdom of Cyprus and Regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

She was married to Henry I of Cyprus, who died in 1253. Their son, the child Hugh II, became king with Plaisance as regent, and it was determined that Hugh had no legal claim to the kingdom of Jerusalem, which was at the time nominally ruled by the child Conradin. Nevertheless, in 1258, Plaisance's brother Bohemund VI of Antioch brought Hugh and Plaisance to Acre and demanded that they be recognized as king and regent, respectively. John of Ibelin (count of Jaffa), the Knights Templar, and the Teutonic Knights agreed with this, against the opposition of the Knights Hospitaller and various jurists who still wished to recognize Conradin as king, even though he was not present in the kingdom.

Plaisance, supported by a majority of the nobles, was accepted as regent and then appointed John of Ibelin (lord of Arsuf) to rule as bailiff in her place; he had already been bailiff before her arrival and both Bohemund and John of Jaffa had hoped the presence of Plaisance and Hugh would eliminate the need for another bailiff. The dispute continued and Pope Alexander IV sent the Genoese to attempt to settle it; John of Jaffa convinced Bohemund and Plaisance to unite Jerusalem, Antioch, and Tripoli against them. In 1260 Jacques Pantaleon arrived to take up the vacant patriarchate, hoping to solve the crisis. Around this time Plaisance apparently became John of Jaffa's mistress, against the new patriarch's wishes.

Plaisance died in 1261 and the regency passed to her sister Isabella of Antioch.