John, Prince of Antioch

John, Prince of Antioch (1431 – 11 September 1457) was the second son of Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra, and Isabella of Urgell, Duchess of Coimbra.

Life After the Battle of Alfarrobeira, where his father's army was defeated by the forces of Afonso V, John went into exile in Burgundy together with his brother James and sister Beatrice. His aunt Isabella, wife of Duke Philip the Good, was able to offer protection to her nephews and niece and ensure they enjoyed high social position.

In May 1456, John was made a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece. He then sailed to Cyprus and married Charlotte of Cyprus in Nicosia and was accorded the title Prince of Antioch. At court he counterbalanced the Greek Orthodox influence of his mother-in-law, Helena Palaiologina. After a short illness, allegedly due to poisoning, he died in 1457 and was buried in the Church of St. Francis in Nicosia.

Coat of arms

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

Ancestry