3 – Peter (1216 – 1217)
As Henry died with no male heirs, Peter II of Courtenay, the youngest son of King Louis VI of France, was nominated as the fallen emperor’s successor. To say Peter was an ill-fated emperor would be an understatement. At the time of Henry’s death, Peter was in his home at Chateau de Druyes in France, so he had to leave to claim his throne. He wasn’t crowned as emperor until April 9, 1217, when Pope Honorius III consecrated him outside the walls of Rome.
Shortly after his coronation, Peter began implementing changes of policy. He recognized William VI of Montserrat’s right to the Kingdom of Thessalonica and reached an agreement with Venice. Peter said he would conquer the port of Dyrrachion, but soon after he arrived and began to lay siege, Theodore Doukas of Epiros arrived on the scene.
Peter reached another agreement; this time with Doukas. He would recognize Doukas’ claims to Dyrrachion despite the Venetian claim. However, Doukas realized there was a strong possibility that Peter would return at a later date and try to reclaim the port for Venice. As a result, Doukas made a calculated decision; he would capture Peter and get ready for the inevitable repercussions.
While Honorius III initially tried to secure the release of Peter, his anger at Doukas quickly cooled when a papal legate named Giovanni Colonna was released from the port. There were no further attempts to free Peter who was probably mistreated in captivity and could have died at any time from 1217 to 1219. As a consequence, Peter had the ignominious distinction of having never reached Constantinople nor did he have an opportunity to govern the empire in any meaningful way.