The parentage of Renaud is uncertain. The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names "Raynaldus de Castellione super Wainum fluviolum" when recording his arrival at Antioch and marriage to "uxor…relictam principis Raymundi". William of Tyre names him "Rainaldus de Castellione". Neither source specifies which Châtillon is referred to. The Chronicle of Ernoul names him "un chevalier, frere au signeur dau Gien sour Loire…Rainaus". Schlumberger interprets this passage as meaning that Renaud was the brother of Geoffroy de Donzy, whose family is recorded in the mid-12th century as holding the castle of Gien. He identifies "Castellione" as Châtillon-sur-Loing {Loiret}. The Donzy/Gien origin appears unlikely as none of the sources dealing with the Donzy family mention Renaud.... However, ... "Renaud son of Robert de Châtillon" was recorded in 1086 as nepos of Geoffroy [II] de Donzy. It is therefore likely that Renaud Prince of Antioch was related to this earlier Renaud.
Renaud went to Palestine with the army of Louis VII King of France in the Second Crusade, and stayed in Jerusalem in the service of King Baudouin III after the crusaders returned to France in 1149. He accompanied the king to Antioch in 1151.
He was installed as RENAUD Prince of Antioch on his marriage in 1153, by right of his wife. He confirmed Venetian privileges in Antioch as Prince in May 1153. He recaptured Alexandretta in 1153 from Thoros II Lord of the Mountains [Armenia-Rupen], on the strength of a promise of financing from Emperor Manuel I which was never paid, but handed the district to the Knights Templars. He made an alliance with Thoros and in 1156 they attacked Cyprus together, captured the island's governor Ioannes Komnenos, and laid waste to the island. He captured Harenc in Feb 1158, the town being given to Renaud de Saint-Valéry who held it as a vassal of Antioch. Emperor Manuel I invaded Cilicia in 1158, and Prince Renaud submitted to him rather than risk losing a battle. The emperor made his formal entry into Antioch 12 Apr 1159. Prince Renaud was taken prisoner by Majd ed-Din Governor of Aleppo in Nov 1160, and sent to Aleppo where he was kept in prison for 16 years. Raymond Count of Tripoli attacked Homs 1 Feb 1175, distracting Saladin from his siege of Aleppo, in return for which the ruler of Aleppo released his remaining Christian prisoners, including Renaud de Châtillon and Joscelin de Courtenay. After their release, he and Joscelin de Courtenay became the focus of the more progressive elements in Palestine, centred around recent arrivals and the Knights Templars.
Lord of Hebron and Montréal. "Rainaldus, quondam Antioochiæ princeps, nunc vero Hebronensis et Montis Regalis dominus" donated property to the Knights Hospitallers, with the consent of "Stephaniæ uxoris eiusque filiorum", by charter dated Nov 1177. A charter dated 1180 records earlier donations by "Guidonem de Miliaco…dominus Philippus Neapolitanus dominusque Guido Francigena et dominus Henricus Bubalus, predicti Guidonis filii" and the present donation by "Reginaldus quondam princeps Anthiochensis…Montisregalis et Hebron dominus" of property to the abbey of Notre-Dame de Josaphat with the consent of "uxor mea Stephania…et Hanfredi prefate dominie Stephanie filii et uxoris eius Elisabeth filie regis Jerusalem". He attacked a Muslim caravan making its way from Cairo to Palestine end 1186, which put an end to the four-year truce signed by Raymond Count of Tripoli the previous year. He was personally beheaded by Saladin after being captured. 1
Research Notes: