Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
The Republic of Lebanon/ Al-Jumhouriya al-Lubnan/Republique de Liban (Female Suffrage 1952/57) An independent state 1920 adMinisterd under French Mandate until 1943

See also Lebanon Ministers and Syria Heads of State

Acre

1243-46 Princess Alice de Campagne of Acre

1253-61 (†)  Regent Dowager Princess Paicance d’Antiochia of Acre
Regent for Conradin (1258-68)

1263-64 Regent Dowager Princess Isabella de Soissons of Acre   
She was regent for Conradin. Her mother, Alix de Champagne was regent of Jerusalem (1243-46).

1268-77 Princess Maria of Acre

Beirut

1264-83 Dame Isabella of Beirut
Isabella was the eldest daughter of John II of Ibelin, Lord of Beirut and Alice de la Roche of Athens. She had been previously married as a child to child-King of Cyprus, Hugh II. The marraige was not consummated. Following the death of her husband Hugh (Dec. 1267), Hugh III of Cyprus hoped to use her as an eligible heiress to attract some distinguished King to the East. Although a virgin-widow, her virginity of short duration, and she became notorious for her lack of chastity. Isabella undertook a brief liaison with Julian of Sidon. A papal bull was issued urging her to marry. As an act of defiance, Isabella gave herself and her lordship to an Englishman Hamo L'Estrange (or the Foreigner), a companion of Prince Edward of England (1272).. On Hamo's death (1273), she put herself and her fief under the protection of Bairbars. Hugh of Cyprus tried to carry her off. Isabella returned to Beirut, but this time with a Mameluke guard installed to protect her. On the death of Bairbars, Hugh resumed control of the fief. Isabella married twice more (3. Nicholas L'Aleman, and 4. William Barlais) before her death (1282). Beirut the passed to her sister Eschiva, wife of Humphrey of Montfort (d.1283).

1282-1312 Sovereign Dame Eschiva d’Ibelin of Beirut   
Succeeded sister, Isabella, and ruled jointly with various husbands, including Guy de Lusignan (d. 1300), Constable of Cyprus, the son of king Hugh III, who had unsuccesfully to control his cousin, King Hugh II's widow, her sister, Isabella. Eschiva's son, Hugh IV de Lusignan, succeeded to the throne of Cyprus, eventhough his father, Guy was only the fourth son of Hugh III, but his elder uncles (John I and Henry II), were eighter childless or their heirs were disqualified to inherit the throne.

Byblos

Around 400 Queen Batnoam
She succeeded king Paltibaal as ruler of the an ancient port today known as Jubayl.

The Druze Community

Before 1831-39 Prophetess Lady Hestor Stahorpe, The Druze in Lebanon
She left England in 1810, she traveled in the Levant, adopting Eastern male dress and a religion that was a composite of Christianity and Islam. She finally settled among the Druze of the Lebanon Mountains in an abandoned convent that she rebuilt and fortified. The indigenous population regarded her as a prophetess, as, in time, she came to regard herself; she incited them to resist an Egyptian invasion of Syria in 1831. European travelers, including A. M. L. de Lamartine and A. W. Kinglake, wrote accounts of their visits to her. She lived (1776–1839).

1861-... Acting Leader Bader Amin al-Din of the Druze
She took over as leader of the Jumblatt Clan after her husband, Said Beik Jumblatt, died in prison. He had ttried to reestablish the leadership of the Jumblatts, but was accused of fueling sectarian conflict between the Druze and the Maronites by the Ottomans, who sentenced him to life in prison, where he died of tuberculosis. Later her son, Nassib became leader. He managed to win over the Ottomans, who gave him the esteemed title of Pasha and appointed him governor of the Shouf in 1884. After the outbreak of World War I, Nassib fell out of favour due to his pro-British sympathies and was replaced by his nephew Fouad Beik Jumblatt

1921-circa 1950 Al-Sitt Nazira Jumblatt of the Druze Community
Acting as regent for son Walid Jumblad after the death of her husband the Prince or High Chief of the Druze Tribe.

Kalkis, Lebanon, Phoenikia and Kilikia

BCE 37 Princess Cleopatra VII
Both before and after co-reigning Queen of Egypt together with a number of brother-husbands, Cæcar and Antonius.

Sidon

Circa 539-530 or 490-475 or 470-455 BC De-facto Ruler Queen Amoashtart
According to the Sidonian inscriptions she was daughter of King Eshmunazor I and married to her brother, Tabnit. Since he died before the birth of his son Eshmunazor II, she (the queen mother (HMLKT) Amoashtart) assumed the interregnum until the birth, then the co-regency with her young son during his childhood.  Another source say that Eshmunazor II died as a minor under the regency of his mother and she reigned as regent many years. She was the priestess of Astarte.

Tripoli

1105-08 Regent Dowager Countess Elvira de Castilla of Tripoli     
1108-circa 23 Regent of Toulouse (France)
After the death of her husband Raimond IV de  Saint-Gilles of Toulouse, she became regent for their infant son, Alphonse Jordan (b. 1105), but the situation was difficult and she desided to move to Toulouse and transferred Tripoli to her husband's illegitimate son, Bertrand, who left for the Holy Land to claim his inheritance. She lived (circa 1080-after 1151).

1152 Regent Dowager Countess Hodierna of Jerusalem of Tripoli  
Hodierna was the third daughter of Queen Morphia (dp.1129) and King Baldwin II of Jerusalem (d.1131). She was the sister of Melisende, Alice and Joveta. Hodierna was married to Count Raymond II of Tripoli, the son and heir of Pons of Tripoli (c.1133), and became Countess of Tripoli (c.1143) following the death of her father-in-law. Hodierna was a headstrong and happy and carefree young woman who delighted in doing as she pleased. It was her oft-times reckless way of life that led to doubts about the legitimacy of her daughter Melisende. Hodierna's husband Raymond tried to keep her confined in seclusion, but this only led to increasing strained relations between the two. In 1152 Hodierna's sister, Queen Melisende of Jeruslem intervened and attempted to bring about a reconciliation between husband and wife. Hodierna and Raymond were reconciled, but fate had a way of intervening - Hodiern'a husband was murdered outside the gates of Tripoli only days after the reconciliation took place. Hodierna assumed regency of Tripoli for her 12 years old son Raymond III, though guardianship of the boy was given to King Baldwin III. Hordierna died circa 1161.

1252-5.. Regent Dowager Princess Lucienne de Cacammo-Segni of Antiochiaia and  Tripoli   
She was regent for her For son Boemond VI (1237-75), she was removed from the regency, but her son was weak and she contiued to be influential during his rain, and she managed to maintain the influence of her Roman favourites - much to the constenation of the Barons. Her sister, Plaisance, was regent of Cypern. Lucienne was daughter of Grafen Paolo von Cacammmo-Segni and the grand-niece of Pope Innocence III.

1287 Sovereign Countess Sibylla de Chatillon of Tripoli   
She attempted to succeed her husband, Bohemond VII (1257-87), but her sister-in-law was finally selected as his successor.

1288-1316 Countess Lucia de Poitiers
She was Princess of Antiochiaia 1288-89 until she was deposed by the Mameluks Succeeded her brother and ruled jointly with husband, Naroj de Toucy, Lord of Terza

 

Other principalities

1173-87 Princess Estiennette de Milly of Montreal
Together with her husbands

1264-77 Sovereign Dame Alice de la Roche of Roche-sur-l’Ognon   
She succeeded her husband, Jean II de Ibelin (1264) and succeeded by daughter Isabella.

Until after 1295 Hereditary Dame Beatrix de Champagne-Navarra of l'Isle-sous-Montreal  
She married Hugues IV, Duke of Bourgogne, Count de Chalon, etc, titular King of Thessalonica (1213-72) as his second wife. She was daughter of Theobaldo or Thibaut I "le Grand" of Navarre, Count de Champagne et de Brie (1201-53) and his third wife, Marguerite de Bourbon-Dampierre, mother of five children, her son was seigneur of Montreal until his death in 1294. She lived (1242-after 95).