
Hugh (or Hugues) "the Great" of Jerusalem (1235-24 March 1284) was the king of the Kingdom of Cyprus from 1267 to 1284 (succeeding Hugh II of Cyprus and preceding John II of Jerusalem) and Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1268 to 1284 (succeeding Conrad III of Jerusalem and preceding John II).
Biography[]
Hugh was the son of the French noble Henry of Antioch and Isabella of Antioch, and he was from the French Catholic House of Lusignan through his mother; he adopted the house as his own, and the kings of Cyprus would continue to use that house as their dynasty. Hugh was a grandson of Bohemond IV of Antioch, and in 1261 he became the regent of the Kingdom of Cyprus for Hugh II of Cyprus, as he was a better regent than his mother Isabella. In 1267 he became king of Cyprus after the death of Hugh and king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1268 after Charles of Anjou executed Conrad III of Jerusalem. In 1276 Hugh appointed Balian of Arsuf as his bailiff (regent) while he ruled Cyprus, but Charles of Anjou's bailiff Roger of San Severino ejected him and was bailiff from 1277 to 1282. For the rest of Hugh's reign, Jerusalem was ruled by the House of Anjou, and he died in 1284 at the age of 49. His son would become King John II of Jerusalem and rule both Cyprus and Jerusalem.