Tancred (Italian: Tancredi; 1138 – 20 February 1194) was King of Sicily from 1189 to 1194. He was born in Lecce, an illegitimate son of Roger III, Duke of Apulia (the eldest son of King Roger II) by his mistress Emma, a daughter of Achard II, Count of Lecce. He is often referred to as Tancred of Lecce because by the reign of William II he had become count of Lecce and lord of a wide cluster of dominions in southern Apulia, sometimes also described in the sources as the "principality of Taranto". Recent scholarship has stressed that, long before he seized the throne, Tancred was already one of the most prominent nobles in southern Apulia, closely tied to the royal court and active in the government of the mainland provinces. Due to his short stature and unhandsome visage, he was mocked by his critics as "The Monkey King".
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