Andreas Palaiologos

Andreas Palaiologos, born on January seventeenth, fourteen fifty-three, was the eldest son of Thomas Palaiologos, the Despot of the Morea, and a nephew of the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI. Following his father's death in fourteen sixty-five, Andreas became the titular Despot of the Morea at the tender age of twelve. He later claimed the title of 'Emperor of Constantinople' in fourteen eighty-three, a title that had not been claimed by his father.

After the fall of Constantinople in fourteen fifty-three and the subsequent Ottoman invasion of the Morea in fourteen sixty, Andreas's family fled to Corfu. Eventually, they settled in Rome, where Andreas became the head of the Palaiologos family and the chief claimant to the Byzantine throne. He married a Roman woman named Caterina, but there is no concrete evidence of any descendants.

As time passed, Andreas faced increasing poverty, often attributed to a lavish lifestyle, though it was likely due to reduced financial support from the papacy. He traveled extensively across Europe, seeking assistance to reclaim Constantinople but found little backing. Following the death of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in fourteen eighty-one, Andreas attempted to organize an expedition to restore the Byzantine Empire, but his plans were thwarted when Bayezid stabilized his rule.

In a desperate bid for financial relief, Andreas sold his rights to the Byzantine crown in fourteen ninety-four to Charles VIII of France, hoping to leverage the French king's military might against the Ottomans. However, after Charles's death in fourteen ninety-eight, Andreas resumed claiming his imperial titles until his death in poverty in Rome in fifteen hundred two. He was buried in St. Peter's Basilica, and in his will, he bequeathed his titles to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, neither of whom adopted them.