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{{Short description|Ruler of the Latin Empire (1204–61)}}
{{Refimprove|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox former monarchy
|border            = imperial
|royal_title       = Emperor
|realm             = [[Latin Empire|Constantinople]]
|coatofarms        = Arms_of_Courtenay-Constantinople.svg
|coatofarmscaption = attributed arms (historically used by [[Philip of Courtenay]])
|image             = Baldwinus2 Courtenay.jpg
|caption           = '''Last in Office'''<br />'''[[Baldwin II, Latin Emperor|Baldwin II]]'''<br />Early 1228 – 24 July 1261
|first_monarch     = [[Baldwin I of Constantinople|Baldwin I]]
|last_monarch      = [[Baldwin II of Constantinople|Baldwin II]]
|residence         = [[Boukoleon Palace|Bucoleon Palace]]
|appointer         = 
|began             = 16 April 1204
|ended             = 25 July 1261
|pretender         = 
}}

The '''Latin Emperor''' was the ruler of the [[Latin Empire]], the historiographical convention for the [[Crusades|Crusader]] realm, established in [[Constantinople]] after the [[Fourth Crusade]] (1204) and lasting until the city was reconquered by the [[Byzantine Greeks]] in 1261. Its name derives from its [[Catholic]] and Western European ("[[Latins (Middle Ages)|Latin]]") nature. The empire, whose official name was '''''Imperium Romaniae''''' ([[Latin]]: "Empire of [[Roman Empire|Romania]]"), claimed the direct heritage of the [[Byzantine Empire|Eastern 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, the [[Empire of Nicaea]], the [[Empire of Trebizond]] and the [[Despotate of Epirus]]. Out of these three, the Nicaeans succeeded in displacing the Latin emperors in 1261 and restored the [[Byzantine Empire]].

== Latin emperors of Constantinople, 1204&ndash;1261 ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:85%;"
!scope=col width="7%" |Portrait
!scope=col width="14%" |Name
!scope=col width="18%" |Reign
!scope=col width="20%" |Succession
!scope=col width="25%" |Life details
!scope=col width="20%" |Dynasty
|-
| [[File:Baldwin I of Constantinople.jpg|alt=bust|frameless|165x165px]]
|'''[[Baldwin I, Latin Emperor|Baldwin I]]'''<br /><small>''Baudouin''</small>
|9 May 1204 – 14 April 1205<br /><small>(11 months and 5 days)</small>
|Son of [[Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut]] and [[Margaret I, Countess of Flanders]]. Crowned emperor on 16 May 1204 in the [[Hagia Sophia]]
|July 1172 – 1205/1206<br /><small>(aged 33–34)</small><hr />Married to [[Marie of Champagne]] (2 daughters). Captured by the [[Second Bulgarian Empire]] in the [[Battle of Adrianople (1205)|Battle of Adrianople]]; died in captivity.
| [[File:Arms of Flanders.svg|frameless|50x50px]]<br />[[House of Flanders]]
|-
|[[File:Eppignoc.jpg|alt=bust|frameless|104x104px]]
|'''[[Henry, Latin Emperor|Henry]]'''<br /><small>''Henri''</small>
|20 August 1206 – 11 June 1216<br /><small>({{Age in years, months and days|1206|8|20|1216|6|11}})</small>
|Brother of Baldwin I; ruled as regent until the news of his brother's death arrived to Constantinople
|1178 – 11 June 1216<br /><small>(aged 37–38)</small><hr />Married to [[Agnes of Montferrat]] and [[Maria of Bulgaria, Latin Empress|Maria of Bulgaria]]. Died of natural causes
| [[File:Arms of Flanders.svg|frameless|50x50px]]<br />[[House of Flanders]]
|-
|[[File:Peter 2 of Courtenay.jpg|alt=bust|frameless|117x117px]]
|'''[[Peter II of Courtenay|Peter]]'''<br /><small>''Pierre''</small>
|July 1216 – 1217<br /><small>(1 year)</small>
|Brother-in-law of Baldwin I and Henry, son of [[Peter I of Courtenay|Peter of Courtenay]], also a cousin of king [[Philip II of France]]; crowned emperor in [[Rome]] by [[Pope Honorius III]] on 9 April 1217
|Married [[Yolanda of Flanders]] (10 children). Captured by the [[Despotate of Epirus|despot of Epirus]], [[Theodore Komnenos Doukas]] in 1217; died in captivity some time after.
| [[File:Blason Courtenay.svg|frameless|50x50px]]<br />[[Capetian House of Courtenay|House of Courtenay]] ([[Capetian dynasty|Capet]])
|-
|[[File:Coat of Arms of the Latin Empire.svg|alt=bust|frameless|95x95px]]
|'''[[Yolanda, Latin Empress|Yolanda]]'''<br /><small>''Yolande''</small>
|1217 – August 1219<br /><small>(2 years)</small>
|Daughter of [[Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut]] and wife of Emperor Peter
|1175 – August 1219<br /><small>(aged 44)</small><hr />Made an alliance with [[Theodore I Lascaris]] of the [[Empire of Nicaea]]. Died of natural causes.
| [[File:Arms of Flanders.svg|frameless|50x50px]]<br />[[House of Flanders]]
|-
| colspan="6" |Regency of [[Conon de Béthune]] (1219) and [[Giovanni Colonna (died 1245)|Giovanni Colonna]] (1220–1221)
|-
|[[File:Coat of Arms of the Latin Empire.svg|alt=bust|frameless|95x95px]]
|'''[[Robert I, Latin Emperor|Robert I]]'''
|25 May 1221 – early 1228<br /><small>(6 years)</small>
|Son of Emperor Peter and Yolanda, crowned emperor after an interregnum
|Married [[Lady of Neuville]]. Died of natural causes in the [[Principality of Achaea]] while traveling back to Constantinople.
| [[File:Blason Courtenay.svg|frameless|50x50px]]<br />[[Capetian House of Courtenay|House of Courtenay]] ([[Capetian dynasty|Capet]])
|-
|[[File:Baldwinus2 Courtenay.jpg|alt=bust|frameless|104x104px]]
|'''[[Baldwin II, Latin Emperor|Baldwin II]]'''<br /><small>''Baudouin''</small>
|early 1228 – 25 July 1261<br /><small>(33 years)</small><br /><small>({{Age in years, months and days|1237|3|27|1261|7|25}};<br />without Regency)</small>
|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<br /><small>(aged 56)</small><hr />Married [[Marie of Brienne]] (1 son). Fled during the [[Reconquest of Constantinople]].
| [[File:Blason Courtenay.svg|frameless|50x50px]]<br />[[Capetian House of Courtenay|House of Courtenay]] ([[Capetian dynasty|Capet]])
|-
|[[File:JanBrienne (Cropped).jpg|alt=bust|frameless|102x102px]]
|'''[[John of Brienne|John]]'''<br /><small>''Jean''</small>
|9 April 1229 – 23 March 1237<br /><small>({{Age in years, months and days|1229|4|9|1237|3|23}})</small>
|Son of [[Erard II, Count of Brienne]], and father-in-law of Baldwin II, crowned senior co-emperor and regent for Baldwin II
|1170 – 23 March 1237<br /><small>(aged 67)</small><hr />Married [[Stephanie of Armenia]] (1 son) and [[Berengaria of León]] (4 children). Only Latin emperor to die in Constantinople.
| [[File:Coat of arms of the House of Brienne (Counts of Brienne).svg|frameless|50x50px]]<br />[[House of Brienne|Brienne]]
|}

== Latin emperors of Constantinople in exile, 1261&ndash;1383 ==
[[File:Katerina Courtenay.jpg|right|thumb|Seal of [[Catherine I of Courtenay|Catherine of Courtenay]]]]
[[Latin Empire]] was disestablished in 1261, but [[Latin states in Greece]], also known as [[Frankokratia]], continued to recognize Latin emperors in exile as their overlords until 1383.
*[[Baldwin II, Latin Emperor|Baldwin II]] (1261&ndash;1273), in exile from Constantinople
*[[Philip I, Latin Emperor|Philip I]] (1273&ndash;1283), his son
*Empress ''[[suo jure]]'' [[Catherine I, Latin Empress|Catherine I]] (1283&ndash;1307), his daughter, with
*[[Charles, Count of Valois|Charles]] (1301&ndash;1307), her husband
*Empress ''[[suo jure]]'' [[Catherine II, Latin Empress|Catherine II]] (1307&ndash;1346), their daughter, with 
*[[Philip II, Latin Emperor|Philip II]] (1313&ndash;1331), her husband
*[[Robert II, Latin Emperor|Robert II]] (1346&ndash;1364), their son
*[[Philip II, Latin Emperor|Philip III]] (1364&ndash;1373), his brother
*[[James, Latin Emperor|James]] (1373&ndash;1383), his nephew

James of Baux willed his titular claims to Duke [[Louis I of Anjou]], also claimant to the throne of [[Kingdom of Naples|Naples]], but Louis and his descendants never used the title.<ref> Will of James of Baux (in French) [https://www.persee.fr/doc/bec_0373-6237_1884_num_45_1_447243/ "Testament de Jacques de Tarente, dernier empereur de Constantinople, en faveur de Louis d'Anjou (15 juillet 1383)"]</ref> However, there was further activity in regards to the imperial prerogatives of Latin Emperors. Louis' widow [[Marie of Blois, Duchess of Anjou|Marie of Blois]] claimed Achaea before selling the claim to [[Juan Fernández de Heredia]].<ref>{{Setton-A History of the Crusades|volume=3<!--|ref={{sfnref|Setton|Hazard|1975}}-->|page=150}}</ref> In 1494 during [[Italian War of 1494–1495|his invasion of Naples]], a new Capetian pretender King [[Charles VIII of France]] planned a crusade to claim Constantinople.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J6v9jhUd-r8C|page=47|last=Geanakoplos|first=Deno|section=Byzantium and the Crusades, 1261–1354|title=The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries|year=1975|publisher=Univ of Wisconsin Press |isbn=9780299066703}}</ref> While his Neapolitan claim from Louis' line, the claim on Constantinople came from Byzantine prince [[Andreas Palaiologos]].

In 1396, [[King Ladislas of Naples]] sold the rights to the [[Principality of Achaea]] to [[Pedro de San Superano]], the leader of the [[Navarrese Company]], ending the principality's formal [[vassalage]] to the [[Capetian House of Anjou|Angevins]].{{sfn|Zečević|2014|p=66}} 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 his [[Maria II Zaccaria|wife]]) paid the owed sum, and became the new [[Prince of Achaea]] as per the original terms of the sale.{{sfn|Zečević|2014|p=79}}

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.{{sfn|Zečević|2014|p=80}} 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.{{sfn|Zečević|2014|p=92}} 
[[File:Coat of arms of Carlo I Tocco in Arta.svg|thumb|180px|Coat of arms of Carlo I Tocco as count of Cephalonia and ruler of Epirus]]
These [[feudal]] 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 the [[County Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos|Counts of Cephalonia and Zakynthos]], based on previous feudal contracts.{{sfn|Zečević|2014|p=79, 80}} 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 the [[Byzantine Emperor]] [[Manuel II Palaiologos]].{{sfn|Zečević|2014|p=92}}

==See also==
*[[List of Latin empresses]]
*[[List of Roman emperors]] 
*[[List of Byzantine emperors]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{Cite book|last=Zečević|first=Nada|title=The Tocco of the Greek Realm: Nobility, Power and Migration in Latin Greece (14th – 15th Centuries)|publisher=Makart|year=2014|isbn=978-8687115118|orig-year=1968}}

{{Latin Empire Monarchs}}

[[Category:Latin emperors of Constantinople| ]]
[[Category:Lists of monarchs|Latin Empire]]