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			Queen Melisende
Queen Melisende of Jerusalem (b.1105-d.1160) was the eldest daughter of the Frankish King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and his Armenian wife Queen Morphia. She was born into the atmosphere of the new royal authority of the Franks as had been established in the wake of the successful conquest of Jerusalem by the First Crusaders. Melisende is one of the most fascinating women of the crusading era due to her influence throughout much of the twelfth-century over the important crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. In 1129 she married Fulk V of Anjou who had been brought from France at her father's request specifically to marry Melisende with the promise of becoming King upon Baldwin II's death. Yet upon Baldwin's death, the King  altered his agreement slightly to allow for the joint rulership of Fulk and Melisende , as well as allowing for the future rulership of the first born of their two sons, Baldwin III [The other son born later was Amalric I] Following the death of Melisende's father in 1131, they officially became joint rulers of Jerusalem, but in reality Fulk dominated the Kingdom during the early part of their reign. In the mid-1130s accusations of infidelity on the part of Melisende brought civil war between the married couple, as Fulk believed the accusations and provoked a war. The Queen's forces were ultimately successful and she won favorable terms which included greater authority in the affairs of the city. As a result, Fulk always sought her council before initiating anything of substance in the Kingdom until his death in 1143. During this period Melisende is perhaps best known for her patronage of the arts and she is credited with founding the large abbey at Bethany. After the death of Fulk, Melisende became regent for her son Baldwin III, who was only thirteen at the time of Fulk's death. When her son came of age, Melisende did not reliquish power to him as she was required, and in 1145 when Baldwin III was to assume his authority Melisende ignored the date and continued to rule. In 1152, Baldwin demanded from the high court of Jerusalem that the realm be divided and this was done, with Melisende in control of Judea and Samaria and her son Baldwin III in charge of the North. As the nobility increasingly gave their support to Baldwin III, Melisende eventually turned over control of her lands to her son, allowing for the consolidation of the Kingdom under Baldwin III. Queen Melisende and Baldwin III grew close again and she became his most trusted advisor, even serving as his regent during his occasional absences from the Kingdom until her death in 1160. Second Crusade- Crusades-Encyclopedia Baldwin II of Jerusalem- Crusades-Encyclopedia Queen Morphia- Crusades-Encyclopedia Fulk V of Anjou- Crusades-Encyclopedia Baldwin III- Crusades-Encyclopedia Almaric I- Crusades-Encyclopedia Kingdom of Jerusalem- Crusades-Encyclopedia (c) Andrew Holt- June 2005- Permission is granted for electronic copying and distribution in print form for educational and personal use. No permission is granted for commercial use.