 On the other hand, the emperor was able to strengthen his power base in the Duchy of Swabia, when he inherited the possessions of Henry the Lion's cousin Welf VI.During the election of a new Bishop of Lüttich he favored Albert de Rethel for Albert was a maternal-uncle of then-captive Empress Constance, whom both he and Constance had planned to be the next bishop of Liege, but the other candidate Albert of Louvain the brother of Duke Henry of Brabant gained more support.In January 1192 Henry claimed the election was under dispute and appointed his newly-made imperial chancellor Lothar of Hochstaden, provost of the church of St Cassius in Bonn and brother of Count Dietrich of Hochstaden instead, and in September 1192 he proceeded to Lüttich (Liège) to enforce the succession.