Editing Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem (section)

====Civil war====
Baldwin began to move in early 1152. He demanded that the patriarch crown him on [[Easter]] without crowning Melisende, which would signify that Baldwin would from then on be the sole ruler.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=164}} Patriarch Fulcher refused,{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=164}} for the Church supported Melisende.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=165}} On [[Easter Monday]] Baldwin staged a solemn procession through Jerusalem, the seat of Melisende's power, wearing a [[laurel wreath]] instead of a crown.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=165}}{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=153}} He then summoned the [[High Court of Jerusalem|High Court]] and requested a division of the kingdom between him and his mother.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=153}} For Hamilton, this request was "criminally irresponsible" because the kingdom was too small to survive a division;{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=153}} yet Mayer argues that Melisende had ''[[de facto]]'' divided the kingdom over the previous two years.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=166}} At the meeting Melisende argued that the entire kingdom belonged to her by hereditary right, implying that Baldwin was the one usurping her right, but agreed to the division.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=166}} The queen retained the regions of [[Judaea]] and Samaria while Baldwin held Acre and Tyre.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=153}}{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=166}}

The division of the kingdom was short-lived.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=153}}{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=166}} Baldwin declared that the land he had been allocated was insufficient to financially support him as king. Realizing her son's intentions, Melisende moved from the unfortified town of Nablus to Jerusalem. Baldwin defeated Manasses at [[Majdal Yaba|Mirabel]] and exiled him, then swiftly occupied Nablus, and moved with his force onto Jerusalem. Some of the lords in Melisende's portion deserted her; those who remained loyal until the end included her son Amalric, Philip of Milly, and Rohard the Elder. Upon hearing of her elder son's advance, Melisende withdrew with her household and followers to the [[citadel]] in the [[Tower of David]]. Patriarch Fulcher at this point declared the Church's full support for the queen. He marched out with his clergy to admonish the king, only to return enraged after Baldwin rebuffed him.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=168}} The king set up camp outside the city, after which the citizens opened the gates to him. He then proceeded to bombard the Tower with [[siege engine]]s, but could not make progress because the besieged defended themselves valiantly.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=169}}

Despite being strongly fortified and well stocked, the Tower could not resist indefinitely, and so Melisende stood no chance of winning.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=169}}{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=153}} After several days a settlement was negotiated, possibly by churchmen.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=153}} Melisende might have been expected to retire to the convent of Bethany, but Hamilton posits that she held out for better terms, which saw her gain Nablus and adjacent lands for life along with her son's promise not to disturb her.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=154}} Nablus would provide a substantial income but, being unfortified, could not be turned into a centre of military power.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=169}} In these terms Hamilton sees evidence that, although she lost the war, Melisende retained powerful allies.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=154}} Mayer argues that Melisende agreed to abstain from politics, to rule Nablus not as queen but as any city lord would, and to act only with the king's consent.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=169}} The eight-year-long struggle between mother and son was thus over by 20 April 1152{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=169}}–as was Melisende's sixteen-year-long authority.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=154}}