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| Emperor ofConstantinople | |
|---|---|
Imperial | |
 Attributed arms (historically used byPhilip of Courtenay) | |
 | |
| Details | |
| First monarch | Baldwin I |
| Last monarch | Baldwin II |
| Formation | 16 April 1204 |
| Abolition | 25 July 1261 |
| Residence | Bucoleon Palace |
TheLatin emperor was the ruler of theLatin Empire, the historiographical convention for theCrusader realm, established inConstantinople after theFourth Crusade (1204) and lasting until the city was reconquered by theByzantine Greeks in 1261. Its name derives from itsCatholic and Western European ("Latin") nature. The empire, whose official name wasImperium Romaniae (Latin: "Empire ofRomania"), claimed the direct heritage of theEastern Roman Empire, which had most of its lands taken and partitioned by the crusaders. This claim however was disputed by the Byzantine Greek successor states, theEmpire of Nicaea, theEmpire of Trebizond and theDespotate of Epirus. Out of these three, the Nicaeans succeeded in displacing the Latin emperors in 1261 and restored the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Succession | Life details | Dynasty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Baldwin I Baudouin | 9 May 1204 – 14 April 1205 (11 months and 5 days) | Son ofBaldwin V, Count of Hainaut andMargaret I, Countess of Flanders. Crowned emperor on 16 May 1204 in theHagia Sophia | July 1172 – 1205/1206 (aged 33–34) Married toMarie of Champagne (2 daughters). Captured by theSecond Bulgarian Empire in theBattle of Adrianople; died in captivity. |  House of Flanders |
 | Henry Henri | 20 August 1206 – 11 June 1216 (9 years, 9 months and 22 days) | Brother of Baldwin I; ruled as regent until the news of his brother's death arrived to Constantinople | 1178 – 11 June 1216 (aged 37–38) Married toAgnes of Montferrat andMaria of Bulgaria. Died of natural causes | House of Flanders |
 | Peter Pierre | 1217 (Less than 1 year) | Brother-in-law of Baldwin I and Henry, son ofPeter of Courtenay, also a cousin of kingPhilip II of France; crowned emperor inRome byPope Honorius III on 9 April 1217 | MarriedYolanda of Flanders (10 children). Captured by thedespot of Epirus,Theodore Komnenos Doukas in 1217; died in captivity some time after. |  House of Courtenay (Capet) |
 | Yolanda Yolande | 1217 – September 1219 (2 years) | Daughter ofBaldwin V, Count of Hainaut and wife of Emperor Peter | 1175 – September 1219 (aged 44) Made an alliance withTheodore I Lascaris of theEmpire of Nicaea. Died of natural causes. | House of Flanders |
| Regency ofConon de Béthune (1219) andGiovanni Colonna (1220–1221) | |||||
| Robert I | 25 May 1221 – early 1228 (6 years) | Son of Emperor Peter and Yolanda, crowned emperor after an interregnum | MarriedLady of Neuville. Died of natural causes in thePrincipality of Achaea while traveling back to Constantinople. | House of Courtenay (Capet) |
| Baldwin II Baudouin | early 1228 – 25 July 1261 (33 years) (24 years, 3 months and 28 days; without Regency) | Son of Emperor Peter and Yolanda. Still a child in 1221, he ruled under John's regency until 23 March 1237 | late 1217 – October 1273 (aged 56) MarriedMarie of Brienne (1 son). Fled during theReconquest of Constantinople. | House of Courtenay (Capet) |
.jpg) | John Jean | 9 April 1229 – 23 March 1237 (7 years, 11 months and 14 days) | Son ofErard II, Count of Brienne, and father-in-law of Baldwin II, crowned senior co-emperor and regent for Baldwin II | 1170 – 23 March 1237 (aged 67) MarriedStephanie of Armenia (1 son) andBerengaria of León (4 children). Only Latin emperor to die in Constantinople. | .svg) Brienne |
Latin Empire was disestablished in 1261, butLatin states in Greece, also known asFrankokratia, continued to recognize Latin emperors in exile as their overlords until 1383.
James of Baux willed his titular claims to DukeLouis I of Anjou, also claimant to the throne ofNaples, but Louis and his descendants never used the title.[1] However, there was further activity in regards to the imperial prerogatives of Latin Emperors. Louis' widowMarie of Blois claimed Achaea before selling the claim toJuan Fernández de Heredia.[2] In 1494 duringhis invasion of Naples, a new Capetian pretender KingCharles VIII of France planned a crusade to claim Constantinople.[3] While his Neapolitan claim from Louis' line, the claim on Constantinople came from Byzantine princeAndreas Palaiologos.
In 1396,King Ladislas of Naples sold the rights to thePrincipality of Achaea toPedro de San Superano, the leader of theNavarrese Company, ending the principality's formalvassalage to theAngevins.[4] Ultimately, Pedro did not have the funds to pay Ladislas, and through winning a family inheritance dispute that followed Peter's death in November 1402,Centurione II Zaccaria, a relative of Pedro (nephew of hiswife) paid the owed sum, and became the newPrince of Achaea as per the original terms of the sale.[5]
By acquiring the title, Centurione gained the automatic right to claim other Angevin interests in the region, including territories and feudal obligations associated with the Angevin Principality of Achaea.[6] Centurione claimed the Latin imperial title "Despotus Romaniae" due to his possession of the principality, which was historically linked to the Angevin legacy and territorial claims, which included the Latin Empire. This title reflected his assertion of this new authority over regions that were part of the broader Angevin interest zone, which demonstrated his ambition to consolidate and expand his influence in the area.[7]
Thesefeudal claims exercised over the existing latin vassals of the once Latin Empire included the right to demand loyalty and tribute from the respective lords, such as theCounts of Cephalonia and Zakynthos, based on previous feudal contracts.[8] one of whom,Carlo I Tocco simply usurped Centurione's title of "Despotus Romaniae" and also began to use it along with the similar but separate title of "Despotus Romeorum," which in fact was later confirmed by theByzantine EmperorManuel II Palaiologos.[7]
| Reigning monarchs (1204–1261) |
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| Titular monarchs (1261–1383) | |
