Edward I

**Edward I**, King of Angelona, of House Beaumont born 1200, died 1223 was an Angelonian King from 1215 to his death in 1223.

Edward was the eldest son of Samuel I and Maria of Gibelletto.

## Early life

Edward was born in 1200 at Castle Samria, Samria, Angelona. He was the eldest son of Samuel I of Angelona and Maria of Gibelletto. From a young age he would accompany his father around the island, attending council meetings and overseeing the the growth of the Kingdom.

## 5th Crusade

In 1203, King Samuel I had signalled his intention to join the 5th Crusade and upon his death, Edward agreed to join the Crusade.

King Andrew II of Hungary and his troops arrived in Angelona in October 1217 and then sailed to Acre and joined John of Brienne, ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Hugh I of Cyprus, and Prince Bohemund IV of Antioch to fight against the Ayyubids in Syria. Edward led a contingent of Angelonian Knights and squires 4,000 strong.

In October 1217, the leaders of the crusaders - Masters of Hospitalers, Templars and Teutons with the leaders and dignitaries of the crusade - held a war council in Acre, over which King Andrew II presided.

King Andrew's well-mounted army defeated sultan Al-Adil I at Bethsaida on the Jordan River on 10 November 1217. Muslim forces retreated in their fortresses and towns. The crusaders' catapults and trebuchets did not arrive in time, so they had fruitless assaults on the fortresses of the Lebanon and on Mount Tabor.

King Andrew and his army departed to Hungary in February 1218, and Bohemund and Hugh also returned home. Edward chose to remain in the holy land to await the arrival of a new Crusader army.

In late 1218 Oliver of Cologne arrived with a new German army and the count of Holland William I arrived with a mixed army consisting of Dutch, Flemish and Frisian soldiers. With Leopold and John they discussed attacking Damietta in Egypt. To accomplish this, they allied with Keykavus I, the leader in Anatolia, who attacked the Ayyubids in Syria in an attempt to free the Crusaders from fighting on two fronts.

### Egypt

In July 1218 the crusaders began their siege of Damietta, and despite resistance from the unprepared sultan Al-Adil, the tower outside the city was taken on August 25. They could not gain Damietta itself, and in the ensuing months diseases killed many of the crusaders, including Robert of Courcon. Al-Adil also died and was succeeded by Al-Kamil. Meanwhile, Honorius III sent Pelagius of Albano to lead the crusade in 1219. Al-Kamil tried to negotiate peace with the crusaders. He offered to trade Damietta for Jerusalem, but Pelagius would not accept these offers. After hearing this Count William I of Holland left the crusade and sailed home. In August or September, Francis of Assisi arrived in the crusader camp and crossed over to preach to Al-Kamil. By November, the crusaders had worn out the sultan's forces, and were finally able to occupy the port.
Immediately the papal and secular powers fought for control of the town, with John of Brienne claiming it for himself in 1220. Pelagius would not accept this, and John returned to Acre later that year. Pelagius hoped Frederick II would arrive with a fresh army, but he never did; instead, after a year of inactivity in both Syria and Egypt, Edward and John of Brienne returned home leaving the Crusader army who eventually marched south on what would be the disastrous defeat at Cairo.

## King of Angelona

Edward returned home from the Crusade in 1221. Whilst fighting in Damietta, Edward had been struck in the shoulder by an arrow which would eventually be his decline. The Fifth Crusade had nearly bankrupted the Angelonian treasury and Edward looked to England for help.

King John of England looked to heal his feud with the Papacy by aiding the English Crusader state of Angelona. In July 1221 Eleanor of England arrived in Angelona to marry Edward. King John sent a large delegation of English nobles, led by his bastard son, James of Winchester, to help in Angelona. King John financed the construction of a number of churches and the English nobles were given lands and titles.

Eleanor gave birth Henry in 1222 and a year later to Robert, but by 1223, Edward's health had seriously declined. Edward eventually died of his injury sustained in Damietta in the winter of 1223.

## Legacy

Edward spent the majority of his reign Crusading in the Fifth Crusade. His short period in Angelona was spent attempting to stabilise the Angelonian treasury, but he is remembered for his kind and pious nature.

Upon his death, his one year old son, Henry was crowned King of Angelona and his brother-in-law, James of Winchester was elected as regent.