Miles of Plancy
| Miles of Plancy | |
|---|---|
Catholicism |
Miles of Plancy (died 1174), also known as Milon or Milo, was a noble in the
Lord of Oultrejordain
from 1173 until his death in 1174.
He was born in
Nur ad-Din Zangi and his commander Shirkuh. This event would eventually lead to the union of Egypt and Syria under Saladin
, an inauspicious outcome for the crusader kingdom.
In 1170 a fortress was built at
Blanchegarde
. The resentment of the Brisebarres may have been a significant factor in Miles's eventual murder.
In 1174 Amalric died, and Miles acted as an unofficial regent for his son and successor
Raymond III of Tripoli came to Jerusalem and claimed the regency as Baldwin's nearest male relative. Raymond was supported by the other powerful native barons, including the king's stepfather Reginald of Sidon, Humphrey II of Toron (grandfather of Miles' stepson), and the brothers Baldwin of Ibelin and Balian of Ibelin
.
In October 1174, Miles was
Acre. The Regni Iherosolymitani Brevis Historia in the Annals of Genoa
blamed the killing on Walter III Brisebarre, former lord of Beirut, and his brother Guy. As noted above, Walter had been married to Helena of Milly, older sister of Miles's wife Stephanie, and it may be that the murder was a result of the private family feud over the fief of Montréal. It is also possible, as William of Tyre hinted, that the Brisebarre brothers, already aggrieved, had been further incited by Miles's political opponents. There is no direct evidence that Raymond was involved, but he was certainly the chief beneficiary. William of Tyre also reported that the assassination occurred because Miles was so fiercely loyal to Baldwin IV: he had refused to grant away crown lands.
Within days, the Haute Cour officially designated Raymond regent. Stephanie married Raynald of Châtillon, the widower of Constance of Antioch, in 1176.
Sources
- Bernard Hamilton, "Miles of Plancy and the fief of Beirut", in Benjamin Z. Kedar (ed.), The Horns of Hattin (Jerusalem, 1992), pp. 136–46.
- Bernard Hamilton, The Leper King and His Heirs (Cambridge, 2000)