John, Prince of Antioch


John, Prince of Antioch, was the second son of Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra, and Isabella of Urgell, Duchess of Coimbra.

Life

He took part in the battle of Alfarrobeira, where his father's army was defeated by the Portuguese royal army.
He was imprisoned and was to be executed. However, due to the intervention of his aunt Isabella, he was sent into exile in Burgundy together with his brother James and sister Beatrice. His aunt Isabella, Duchess of Burgundy, was able to offer protection to her nephews and niece as wife of Duke Philip the Good. In 1456, John was elected a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
In 1456, John married Charlotte of Cyprus in Nicosia and was accorded the title Prince of Antioch. He was poisoned on the orders of his mother-in-law, Helena Palaiologina.
He was buried in Nicosia in a tomb which bears his coat of arms.

Coat of arms

Following his marriage to Charlotte, John bore a unique coat of arms, combining: the Kingdom of Jerusalem, his father's Portuguese-English ascentry, the Kingdom of Armenia, the Kingdom of Cyprus; on top the arms of Lusignan.

Ancestry