Cecile of France

Not to be confused with Cécile de France.

Cecile of France (1097 – 1145) was a Frankish princess who became countess of Tripoli. She was the daughter of King Philip I of France and Bertrade de Montfort.^[1]

Cecile
Lady of Tarsus and Mamistra, Countess of Tripoli
Countess Cecile kneeling before her half-brother King Fulk
Born	1097
Died	1145 (aged 47–48)
Spouses	Tancred, Prince of Galilee ​ ​ (m. 1106; died 1112)​ Pons, Count of Tripoli ​ ​ (m. 1112; died 1137)​
Issue	Raymond II, Count of Tripoli
Father	Philip I, King of France
Mother	Bertrade de Montfort

Cecile's first marriage was arranged while Prince Bohemond I of Antioch was visiting the French court seeking support against the Byzantine emperor, Alexios I Komnenos. She sailed for Antioch at the end of 1106 and became lady of Tarsus and Mamistra in Cilician Armenia. Cecile married Prince Tancred of Galilee, regent of Antioch, in late 1106.^[1]

While dying in 1112, Tancred made Pons of Tripoli promise to marry Cecile, and Tancred gave her the fortresses of Arcicanum and Rugia as dowry. They married in 1112.^[2] In 1133, Pons was besieged at his castle of Montferrand by Imad ad-Din Zengi, atabeg of Mosul, and Cecile appealed to her half-brother King Fulk of Jerusalem to come to his aid.^[3] Zengi abandoned the siege, but during a second siege in 1137, Pons was captured and killed.^[4] Cecile and Pons' son, Raymond II succeeded him.^[5] Cecile died c. 1145.^[6]

Children with Pons

• Raymond II, Count of Tripoli^[7]
• Philip^[8]
• Agnes, wife of Renaud II, Lord of Margat^[9]