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Melisende (1105 - c. 1160) was Queen of Jerusalem from 1131 to 1153.

Melisende was the eldest daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and the Armenian princess Morphia of Melitene. Jerusalem had recently been conquered by Christian Franks in 1099 during the First Crusade, and was ruled by a dynasty from the County of Boulogne in France. Melisende was the heir of this dynasty.

Inheritance

Melisende was designated as the successor of her father before 1128. Few women at this time inherited a throne in their own right; contemporaries of Melisende who did so included Empress Maud and Eleanor of Aquitaine. During her father's reign Melisende was styled filia regis et regni Jerosolimitani haeres ("daughter of the king and heir of the kingdom of Jerusalem") and took precedence above other nobles and Christian clergy in ceremonial occasions. Increasingly she was associated with her father on official documents, including in the minting of money, granting of fiefdoms and other forms of patronage, and in diplomatic correspondance. Baldwin raised his daughter as a capable successor to himself and Melisende enjoyed the suport of the Haute Cour, a kind of royal council comprising the nobility and clergy of the realm.

However, Baldwin also recognized that he would have to marry Melisende to a powerful ally, one who would protect and safeguard Melisende's inheritance as Queen and her future heirs. His intention was for a consort for his daughter. Baldwin chose Fulk V of Anjou, a renowned crusader and military commander, and the paternal grandfather of Henry Plantagent (Fulk's son Geoffrey was married to Empress Maud, Henry I of England's designated heir as England's next Queen regnant). Throughout the negotiations Fulk insisted on being joint ruler with Melisende. Baldwin aquiesced to these demands as Fulk was relatively rich (even for a crusader) and would bring much military expierence with him in defense of Jerusalem. Melisende and Fulk soon had a son and heir in 1130, the future Baldwin III. As an indication of Baldwin II's intentions to make Melisende sole queen and to strengthen her position, he designated Melisende as guardian for the young Baldwin, excluding Fulk altogether.

After Baldwin II's death in 1131, Melisende and Fulk ascended to the throne as joint rulers. However, with the aid of his crusader knights Fulk excluded Melisende from granting titles and other forms of patronage, and publicly dismissed her authority. This treatment of their Queen irritated the members of the Haute Cour, whose own positions would be eroded if Fulk countinued to dominate the realm.

Palace intrigue

The estrangement between husband and wife was a convenient political tool that Fulk used in 1134 when he accused Hugh II of Le Puiset, Count of Jaffa, of having an affair with Melisende. Hugh was the most powerful baron in the kingdom, and devotedly loyal to the memory of Baldwin II. This loyalty now extended to Melisende, though Hugh, by strict salic law, held a better claim to the throne. Hugh was a cousin of Melisende, and also a member of the royal family. Contemporary sources, such as William of Tyre, discount the infidelity of Melisende and instead point out that Fulk overly favoured newly arrived Frankish crusaders from Anjou over the native nobility of the kingdom. Had Melisende been guilty the church and nobility likely would not have later rallied to her cause.

In desperation Hugh allied himself with the Muslim city of Ascalon, but was soon defeated by Fulk's military prowess. The Patriarch negotiated lenient terms for peace, and Hugh was exiled for three years. Soon thereafter an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Hugh was attributed to Fulk or his suporters. This was reason enough for the queen's party to openly challenge Fulk, as Fulk's unfounded assertions of infeldility was a public affront that would damage Melisende's position entirely.

Through what amounted to a palace coup, the queen's supporters overcame Fulk, and from 1135 onwards Fulk's influence rapidly deteriorated. One historian wrote that Fulk's suporters "went in terror of their lives" in the palace. William of Tyre wrote that Fulk "did not attempt to take the initiative, even in trivial matters, without (Melisende's) knowledge". Husband and wife reconciled by 1136 and a second son, Amalric, was born. When Fulk was killed in a hunting accident in 1143, Melisende publicly and privately mourned for him.

Melisende's victory was complete. Again she is seen in the historical record granting titles of nobility, fiefdoms, appointments and offices, granting royal favours and pardons and holding court. Of Melisende, William of Tyre wrote "reseditque reginam regni potestas penes dominam Melisendem, Deo amabilem reginam, cui jure hereditario competebate." Melisende was no mere regent-queen for her son Baldwin III, but a Queen Regnant, reigning by right of hereditary and civil law.

Patroness of the church and arts

Melisende enjoyed the support of the church throughout her lifetime; from her appointment as Baldwin II's successor, throughout the conflict with Fulk, and later when Baldwin III would come of age. In 1138 she founded a large convent in Bethany where her younger sister Ioveta would rule as abess. In keeping with a royal abbey, Melisende granted the convent the fertile plains of Jericho. Additionally, the queen supplied rich furnishings and liturgical vessels, so that it would not be in any way inferior to religious houses for men. Acording to author and historian Bernard Hamilton, Melisende also gave large "endowments to the Holy Sepulchre, our Lady of Josaphat, the Templum Domini, the order of the Hospital, the leper hospital of Saint Lazarus, and the Praemonstratensians of Saint Samuel's."

Sometime between 1131 to 1143, the queen commissioned the Melisende Psalter. Though influenced by Byzantine and Italian traditions in the illuminations, the artists who contributed to it had a unique and decidedly Jerusalem style. The historian Bucher wrote that "Jerusalem during the second quarter of the twelfth century possessed a flourishing and well-established scriptorium which could, without difficulty, undertake a commission for a royal manuscript de grand luxe". Melisende must be given credit for sponsoring the artists in her realm, wrote Bernard Hamilton.

Second Crusade

With the fall of Edessa in 1143, the west called for a Second Crusade. The crusader expedition was led by French King Louis and the German Emperor Conrad II. Accompanying Louis was his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, with all her own vassal lords in tow. Eleanor had herself been designated by her father, William IX, to succeed him in her own right, just as Melisende had been designated to succeed her father.

The Second Crusade was a complete military and diplomatic disaster, plagued by in-fighting and poor planning, all of which would directly lead to the eventual fall of Jerusalem. Conrad had badly advised 16-year old Baldwin III to attack the Muslim city-state of Damascus. The other crusaders wanted to take Aleppo, which would aid them in retaking Edessa. Damascus and Jerusalem were on very good diplomatic terms and held a peace treaty between them. The result of this breach of treaty was that Damascus would never trust the Crusader states again, and the loss of a sympathic Muslim state was a blow that later monarchs of Jerusalem could not recover from.

Dispite the military and diplomatic setbacks caused by the Second Crusade, in Jerusalem the meeting with Melisende and Eleanor must have had an impact on both women. Melisende was indisputed queen by right, head of a nation and subject to no man. The palace was well appointed with all the Oriental splendor and comforts western that Europe's draughty castles and poor sanitation lacked. From fine quality Persian carpets and wall tapestries, fine silk sheets and clothing, mosaic floors, to bathing and goorming habits, the Jerusalem of Melisende must have seemed a kind of paradise to western Europeans. Eleanor, sure of herself and with the nerve of her youth and renowned beauty, must have been influenced by this. This meeting between the two queens and their simular expierenceses may have engendered a 'kindred spirit' friendship between them. Eleanor may have seen Melisende's successes as inspiration, influencing her dealings with her husbands and sons, and Melisende may have influced Eleanor's governing style when she went home to Poitou.

Melisende and Baldwin III

Melisende's relationship with her son was complex. As a mother she would know her son and his capabilities, and she is known to have been particulary close to her children. As a ruler she may have been reluctant to entrust decision making powers to an untried youth. Either way there was no political or social presure to grant Baldwin any authority before 1152, even though Baldwin reached majority in 1145. Baldwin III and Melisende were jointly crowned as co-rulers on Christmas Day, 1143. This joint crowning was simular to Melisende's own crowning with her father in 1128, and may have reflected a growing trend to crown one's heir in the present monarch's lifetime, as demonstrated in other realms of this period.

Baldwin grew up to be a capable military commander and an asset to the kingdom. By age 24 however, he felt he could take some responsibility in governance. Melisende had hitherto only partially associated Baldwin in her rule. Tension between mother and son mounted between 1150 and 1152, with Baldwin blaming the constable Manassas for alienating his mother from him. Crisis rached a boiling point early 1152 when Baldwin demanded the patriarch Fulcher to crown him in the Holy Sepulchre, without Melisende present. The Patriarch refused. Baldwin, in protest, staged a procession in the city streets wearing laurel wreaths, a kind of self-crowning.

Baldwin and Melisende agreed to put the decision to the Haute Cour. The Haute Cour decided that Baldwin would rule the north of the kingdom and Melisende the richer Judea and Samaria, and Jerusalem itself. Melisende aquiesced, though with misgivings. This dicision would prevent a civil war but also divide the kingdom's resources. Though later historians criticized Melisende for not abdicating in favor of her son, there was little impetus for her to do so. She was universally recognized as an exceptional steward for her kingdom, and her rule had been characterized as a wise one by church leaders and other contemporaries. Baldwin had not shown any interest in governance prior to 1152, and had resisted responsibilty in this arena. The Church clearly supported Melisende, as did the barons of Judea and Samaria.

Despite putting the matter before the Haute Cour, Baldwin was not happy with the partition any more the Melisende. But instead of reaching further comprimise, within weeks of the decision he launched an invasion of his mother's realms. Baldwin showed that he was Fulk's son by quickly taking the field; Nablus and Jerusalem fell swiftly. Melisende, her younger son Amalric, count of Jaffa, and others sought refuge in the Tower of David. Church mediation between mother and son resulted with Melisende granting the city of Nablus and adjacent lands for life, and a solemn oath by Baldwin III not to disturb her peace. This peace settelment demonstrated that though Melisende lost the "civil war" to her son, she still maintained great influence and avoided total obsurity in a convent.

Retirement

William of Tyre, writing on Melisende's 30-year reign, wrote that "she was a very wise woman, fully exprienced in almost all affairs of state buisness, who comepletely triumphed over the handicap of her sex so she could take charge of important affairs...", and " striving to emulate the glory of the best princes, (Melisende) ruled the kingdom with such ability that she was rightly considered to have equalled her predecessors in that reguard."

Sources

• Medieval Women, edited by Derek Baker, Ecclesiatical Hostory Society, 1978

• 1105 births
• 1160s deaths
• Kings of Jerusalem