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William IIIThe fifth and last king of the Kingdom of Sicily
Country:
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Content:
- William III of Sicily: The Last of the Hautevilles
- Contested Legitimacy and the Hohenstaufen Claim
- Henry VI's Conquest of Sicily
William III of Sicily: The Last of the Hautevilles
Early Life and Accession to the ThroneWilliam III was born as the second son of Tancred, King of Sicily, and Sibylla of Acerra. He became the heir apparent after the death of his elder brother Roger in 1193. Upon Tancred's death in 1194, William III ascended to the throne at the age of 9 months. Due to his young age, his mother, Queen Sibylla, acted as regent.
Contested Legitimacy and the Hohenstaufen Claim
Tancred's and subsequently William III's claim to the Sicilian throne was disputed. Tancred was an illegitimate son and was elected to the throne in 1190 after the death of the last legitimate male descendant of Roger II, William II the Good. During William II's reign, his daughter Constance was married to Henry VI of Hohenstaufen, who claimed the throne after William II's death as the rightful heir through Constance. However, Tancred had been elected by the barons as the legitimate successor.
Henry VI's Conquest of Sicily
Henry VI, who had become Holy Roman Emperor in 1190, refused to recognize Tancred's reign and invaded Sicily in 1191. Despite initial successes, his siege of Naples failed and he was forced to retreat. After Tancred's death, Emperor Henry VI renewed his campaign against William III. In 1194, Henry VI's forces, bolstered by the support of the allied Genoese and Pisan fleets, captured Naples and Salerno, effectively controlling most of southern Italy. By October 1194, Henry VI had landed in Messina and occupied the entire Sicilian kingdom.
