Editing Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem (section)

==Reign==
===Succession===
[[File:Foulque Melsiende.jpg|thumb|The coronation of Fulk and Melisende was the first to be held at the Holy Sepulchre.|alt=An enthroned couple being crowned by a prelate]]
Prince Bohemond II of Antioch, husband of Melisende's sister Alice, died in 1130. He and Alice had had only one child, [[Constance of Antioch|Constance]], who was aged two on Bohemond's death. Alice attempted to seize power, but Baldwin marched to Antioch and prevented her.{{sfn|Runciman|1952|p=183}} He left Count Joscelin I of Edessa in charge of the principality until a marriage could be arranged for Constance.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=152}} The king fell seriously ill after returning. In August 1131 he had himself carried to the house of the [[Latin patriarch of Jerusalem]], wishing to die near the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]]. There he summoned Melisende, Fulk, and their infant son, Baldwin, and proceeded to confer the kingdom on the three of them. King Baldwin II died on 21 August. Fulk and Melisende were crowned king and queen in the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] on 14 September, the [[Feast of the Cross]]. They were the first monarchs to be crowned in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=149}}

Joscelin died soon after Baldwin II, and Alice took the opportunity to again seize power in Antioch. Fulk invaded at the invitation of the Antiochene barons and installed a new government in the principality.{{sfn|Barber|2012|pp=152–153}}

===Struggle with Fulk===
Early in her queenship, Melisende found herself deprived of the power she had possessed during her father's lifetime. Fulk did not associate her in any of his public acts for the first five years of the new reign.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=149}} He deliberately attempted to remove Melisende from power,{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=110}} which was in contravention of both their marriage contract and Baldwin II's last will.{{sfn|Mayer|1989|p=1}} Melisende's exclusion from power was not just a matter of protocol: without a role in the government she could not grant appointments and land.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=150}} In 1134, noblemen led by Melisende's second cousin and vassal Count [[Hugh II of Jaffa]] revolted against Fulk.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|pp=149–150}} The reasons are not entirely clear.{{sfn|Mayer|1989|pp=1–2}} Hamilton agrees with Mayer's conclusion that the conflict originated from Fulk's replacement of the kingdom's established nobility with newcomers from Anjou.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=150}}{{sfn|Mayer|1989|p=4}} According to Mayer, the noblemen may have expected to be protected by the queen from the king's designs if they succeeded in restoring her to the place in government which her father had intended for her to have.{{sfn|Mayer|1989|p=4}} The historian [[Malcolm Barber]] argues that Melisende must have been involved in the revolt, but concedes that her role is unknown.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=156}}

William of Tyre recorded the rumor that the queen was having an illicit relationship with the "young and very handsome" Count Hugh, drawing the king's ire.{{sfn|Mayer|1989|p=2}} Hamilton and Mayer both discount the gossip. Mayer argues that William himself did not believe the rumor{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=102}} and that a medieval queen, being constantly attended by the members of her household and the court, would have found it exceedingly difficult to have a secret lover.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=107}} Hamilton, on the other hand, argues that public opinion, spearheaded by the clergy, would have sided with Fulk and not, as it did, with Melisende if she had committed adultery.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=150}} Mayer suspects that the rumors may have been spread by Fulk to both get rid of Hugh and to have Melisende locked up in a monastery, circumventing Baldwin II's will.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=110}}
[[File:Atentat.jpg|thumb|A knight stabs Count Hugh, who is playing dice in the street. Royal involvement was widely suspected.|alt=Two seated men attacked]]
Hugh's stepson [[Walter I Grenier]], [[lord of Caesarea]], openly accused him of [[treason]] at court.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=149}} Mayer suggests that Walter may have been incited to make this accusation. Hugh denied the charge and was challenged to a [[trial by combat]], but did not appear. The king thus obtained a legal reason to confiscate Hugh's [[County of Jaffa]]. Fulk laid siege to Jaffa, but the patriarch intervened and mediated peace: Hugh would cede Jaffa to the king and receive it back after spending three years in exile. Before he could leave for Europe, Hugh was stabbed in the street by a knight.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=102}} After recovering he went into exile, where he died.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|pp=102–103}} The assassination attempt was widely suspected to have been ordered by King Fulk;{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=150}} though Fulk's involvement was never proven, his reputation was severely damaged.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=103}}

Melisende was incensed by Fulk's treatment of Hugh and the slight on her honor.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=150}}{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=109}} Fulk's men did not dare appear in her presence.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=103}} The queen directed most of her wrath at the [[viscount of Jerusalem|viscount]], [[Rohard the Elder]], whom she held most responsible for influencing Fulk.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=103}} Fulk even feared for his own life.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=106}} Mayer suggests that for this reason, Fulk stayed in Antioch in 1135.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=107}} The court was disrupted until third parties mediated a reconciliation between the king and queen. After persistent attempts, Fulk succeeded in obtaining Melisende's pardon for Rohard and his other supporters, who were then able to appear at court again.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=103}} From then on Fulk, in the words of William of Tyre, "did not attempt to take the initiative, even in trivial matters, without her knowledge".{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=150}}

===Co-rule with Fulk===
====Family affairs====
[[File:Egerton ms 1139!1 fse005r.jpg|thumb|upright|The Melisende Psalter is seen as an attempt by the king to win back his wife.|alt=An embroidered book cover]]
After their reconciliation, Fulk never again issued a charter pertaining to the Kingdom of Jerusalem without Melisende's consent.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=110}} He did not seek Melisende's consent where he did not have to, however. He based his [[regency]] for Melisende's niece Constance of Antioch on the decision of the barons of the principality, and Melisende had no claim to it.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|pp=109–110}} According to Barber, maintaining hostilities with Fulk was not in Melisende's interest after she was restored to power. He notes that Melisende needed to strengthen her succession, which had hitherto rested on only one son; and that she wished to influence Fulk's policies in Antioch, where her sister Alice once again seized power. Melisende did successfully intercede with Fulk not to interfere with Alice's actions. He returned from Antioch in late 1135, and the royal couple conceived another child.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=156}} A son, [[Amalric of Jerusalem|Amalric]], was born in 1136.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=151}} He became Melisende's favorite child.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=141}}

A tangible result of Melisende and Fulk's reconciliation is the luxurious [[Melisende Psalter]].{{sfn|Barber|2012|pp=160–161}} The psalter is a personal [[prayer book]] commissioned around 1135,{{sfn|Barber|2012|pp=160–161}} and interpreted by Folda as part of Fulk's energetic attempts to ingratiate himself with Melisende.{{sfn|Folda|2012|p=449}} It reflects the amalgamation of [[Western culture|Western]], [[Greek culture|Greek]], and [[Armenian culture]]s in the crusader states.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=160}} Folda argues that the psalter points to the recipient's artistic taste, interests, and sensibilities as queen of a diverse population.{{sfn|Folda|2012|p=459}}

Melisende's intervention did not guarantee Alice's fortunes for long: she lost her regency in Antioch, this time permanently, when [[Raymond of Poitiers]] arrived to marry her still-underage daughter, Constance, in 1136.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=167}} The queen was also determined to make provisions for her youngest sisters, Hodierna and Ioveta, who were children when their father died. Hodierna married the count of Tripoli, Raymond II, sometime before 1138. Barber believes that the union was arranged by Melisende in an attempt to link the ruling houses of all the crusader states. Ioveta, who had grown up in a convent, took vows as a [[nun]] {{circa}} 1134.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=157}} According to William's chronicle, Melisende judged that Ioveta was of too high birth to be a mere nun and decided that she should be made an [[abbess]] instead.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=151}} Barber finds it difficult to tell how much Melisende was motivated by affection in her relationships with her sisters, particularly noting that "there is no way of knowing" whether Ioveta wished to live a monastic life or if Melisende induced her to negate the political threat which Ioveta may have represented as the sister born during their father's kingship.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=157}}
{{clear}}
{{chart top|Melisende's close family and relationship with Frankish leaders{{sfn|Runciman|1952|loc=Appendix III}}}}
{{family tree/start|align=center}}
<!--- Runciman names Melisende of Montlhéry's parents, but the identification is wrong. Best to leave that generation out. --->
{{tree chart |border=0| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|-|-|q|-|v|-|-|-|.|}}
{{tree chart |border=0| | | | | | | | |Gabriel| | | |Hugh|v|Melisende| | | | | |Alice| |Isabella|Hugh=[[Hugh I of Rethel]]|Melisende=Melisende of Montlhéry|Alice=Alice of Montlhéry|Isabella=Isabella of Montlhéry|Gabriel=[[Gabriel of Melitene]]}}
{{tree chart |border=0| | | | | | | | | |!| | | |,|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|-|-|.| | | |!| | | |!|}}
{{tree chart |border=0| | | | | | | | |Morphia|v|Baldwin| | | | | | | |Hodierna| |Hugh| |Joscelin|Baldwin=[[Baldwin II of Jerusalem]]|Morphia=[[Morphia of Melitene]]|Hodierna=Hodierna of Rethel|Hugh=[[Hugh I of Jaffa]]|Joscelin=[[Joscelin I of Edessa]]}}
{{tree chart |border=0| | | |,|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|^|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | |!| | | |!| | | |!|}}
{{tree chart |border=0| | |Melisende| | | |Alice| | | |Hodierna| |Ioveta| |Manasses| |Hugh| |Joscelin|Melisende=Melisende of Jerusalem<br>m. [[Fulk V of Anjou]]|Alice=[[Alice of Antioch|Alice of Jerusalem]]<br>m. [[Bohemond II of Antioch]]|Hodierna=[[Hodierna of Jerusalem]]<br>m. [[Raymond II of Tripoli]]|Ioveta=[[Ioveta]] of Jerusalem|Manasses=[[Manasses of Hierges]]|Hugh=[[Hugh II of Jaffa]]|Joscelin=[[Joscelin II of Edessa]]}}
{{tree chart |border=0| |,|-|^|-|.| | | |!| | | |,|-|^|-|.|}}
{{tree chart |border=0|Baldwin| |Amalric| |Constance| |Raymond| |Melisende|Baldwin=[[Baldwin III of Jerusalem]]|Amalric=[[Amalric of Jerusalem]]|Constance=[[Constance of Antioch]]|Raymond=[[Raymond III of Tripoli]]|Melisende=[[Melisende of Tripoli]]}}
{{chart/end}}
{{chart bottom}}

====Ecclesiastical relations====
[[File:609 - Jerusalem - Church of the Virgin.JPG|thumb|The Jehosaphat church was favored by Melisende. She and her mother were buried in the niches on the left and the right, respectively.|alt=Interior of an underground church]]
Folda proposes that in the early 1130s, Melisende contributed to the renovation of the Convent of Saint Anne, where her sister Ioveta lived.{{sfn|Folda|2012|p=465}} The only narrative description of Melisende's patronage, however, is that of the construction of a convent in [[Bethany]],{{sfn|Folda|2012|p=443}} which was close enough to Jerusalem for the queen to maintain contact.{{sfn|Barber|2012|pp=157–158}} In February 1138 she and Fulk persuaded the patriarch and the [[canons of the Holy Sepulchre]] to cede the church at Bethany and its dependent villages so that a new religious community could be built there. The [[Convent of Saint Lazarus]], as it came to be known, was in construction for six years. Melisende so generously endowed the convent with estates, golden and silver sacred vessels with precious stones, silks, and [[ecclesiastical robe]]s that she made it richer than any other monastery or church in the kingdom.{{sfn|Barber|2012|pp=158–160}} Initially Melisende installed an elderly abbess. When the abbess died, Ioveta succeeded as Melisende intended, and Melisende sent further gifts, namely books, ornaments, and chalices.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=160}} In the construction and endowment of Bethany's convent Hamilton sees a "spectacular" example of Melisende's power of patronage.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=151}}

In 1138 the king and queen started associating their elder son, Baldwin, in their acts.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=151}} Fulk continuously worked to secure the borders of the kingdom against the [[Fatimids]] of Egypt{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=162}} and the Turkish [[atabeg of Mosul]], [[Imad al-Din Zengi|Zengi]].{{sfn|Barber|2012|pp=163–164}} Melisende, meanwhile, maintained a firm control over the Church.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=177}} From the late 1130s she oversaw a further expansion of religious institutions, including the endowment of the [[Temple of the Lord]] with extensive land in [[Samaria]],{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=177}} several grants of land to the Holy Sepulchre,{{sfn|Runciman|1952|p=232}} and grants to the [[Abbey of Saint Mary of the Valley of Jehosaphat]], the [[Order of the Hospital]], the [[leper hospital of Saint Lazarus]], and the [[Premonstratensians]] of the [[Church of Saint Samuel, Mountjoy|Church of Saint Samuel]] at [[Nabi Samwil|Mountjoy]].{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=156}} Barber considers her responsible for the promotion of the Temple's [[Prior (ecclesiastical)|prior]], [[Geoffrey (abbot of the Temple of the Lord)|Geoffrey]], to abbot in 1137.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=177}}

Melisende consistently supported the Syriac Church and ensured that they recovered the property which they had lost upon the Frankish conquest.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=178}}{{sfn|Runciman|1952|p=232}} She worked to improve relations with the Armenian Church as well; its leader, the [[Catholicos of All Armenians|catholicos]], attended a [[synod]] of the Latin Church in Jerusalem in 1140. The Greek Orthodox [[Mar Saba|Monastery of Saint Sabas]] also received an endowment from Melisende.{{sfn|Runciman|1952|p=232}} Her lavish gifts became legendary and earned her a reputation as a devoutly religious woman, but Mayer argues that she was primarily a shrewd politician and that through her donations she was buying the Church's political support.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=131}}

===Sole rule===
====Accession and consolidation====
{{multiple image
 | width = 150
 | image1 = FoulquesofAnjou-death.jpg
 | alt1= People riding, a man thrown under a horse 
 | image2 = Fulko melisenda plac.jpg
 | alt2 = A woman crying over a lying man
 | image3= Balduin3.jpg
 | alt3 = Mother and son crowned, surrounded by people
 | footer = Fulk hunting with Melisende and being thrown from his horse (left), Melisende mourning Fulk (center), and Melisende's coronation with Baldwin III (right)
}}
In late 1143 the court was at Acre, enjoying a period of peace. On 7 November Melisende expressed a wish to have a picnic. While they were riding in the countryside, Fulk galloped off in pursuit of a hare. His horse stumbled and threw him off, and the heavy saddle struck him on the head. He was carried unconscious to Acre, where he died on 10 November.{{sfn|Runciman|1952|p=233}} Melisende made a public demonstration of grief and then proceeded to take full charge of the government.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=152}} There was no [[royal election]] because the joint reign initiated in 1131 continued with Melisende and her son, Baldwin III.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=113}}

Melisende, who had been [[consecrated]], [[anointed]], and crowned in 1131, underwent a second coronation on [[Christmas]] 1143, this time together with Baldwin III, who was also consecrated and anointed on this occasion.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=114}} The rites were performed by the patriarch, [[William of Messines]].{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=174}} All power was in Melisende's hands;{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=152}} Baldwin was 13 at the time and Melisende became his guardian.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=114}} The queen is commonly said to have acted as her son's [[regent]], but neither she nor the chronicler William of Tyre saw her rule as a regency. Citing William's statement that royal power came to Melisende through hereditary right, Hamilton concludes that she was "not a regent but the [[queen regnant]]".{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=152}} Baldwin started issuing charters in 1144 at the latest, when he issued one without reference to Melisende; henceforth all were issued jointly by the mother and son, leading Mayer to believe that Melisende forbade that any charters be issued in her son's name only.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=115}}

Melisende's first action, as had been her husband's or of any contemporary ruler, was to appoint supporters to [[officers of the Kingdom of Jerusalem|the kingdom's offices]].{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=176}} As a woman, Melisende could not command the army.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=152}} She appointed her first cousin [[Manasses of Hierges]], who had recently arrived in the kingdom, to conduct military affairs in her name as [[constable of Jerusalem|constable]].{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=176}} By choosing Manasses rather than empowering one of her subjects, Melisende ensured the preservation of royal authority.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=152}} Besides Manasses, the queen's inner circle comprised the [[lord of Nablus]], [[Philip of Milly]]; the prince of Galilee, [[Elinand of Tiberias]]; and the viscount, Rohard the Elder.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=176}} Philip's family had been undermined early in Fulk's reign, and Barber believes that this may explain Philip's loyalty to Melisende. Elinand commanded more knights than any other lord in the kingdom. Rohard had incurred the queen's wrath in the early 1130s by supporting her husband's attempt to exclude her, but he was a key figure in the city of Jerusalem and, apparently, both were content to make peace. Through the support of Philip, Elinand, and Rohard, Melisende controlled Jerusalem and the regions of [[Samaria]] and [[Galilee]], all of which contained parts of the royal domain.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=177}}

====Church management====
[[File:Campanário dos Cruzados, Igreja do Santo Sepulcro, Jerusalém.jpg|thumb|upright|The Holy Sepulchre (12th-century bell tower pictured) saw a reconstruction under Melisende.|alt=A church bell tower]]
After Melisende and Baldwin III were crowned, work started on enlarging the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.{{sfn|Folda|2012|p=461}} Folda argues that the project saw copious support from Queen Melisende and her cooperation with Patriarch [[Fulcher of Angoulême|Fulcher]].{{sfn|Folda|2012|p=462}} The historian Nurith Kenaan-Kedar credits the [[Armenian architecture|Armenian characteristics]] of the [[Cathedral of Saint James, Jerusalem|Cathedral of Saint James]] in Jerusalem to Melisende's support and influence.{{sfn|Folda|2012|p=470}}

Melisende received a letter of encouragement from the famed monk [[Bernard of Clairvaux]] in 1144 or 1145, but in his next letter to the queen Bernard mentioned hearing "certain evil reports" of her.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=175}} Barber suggests that the "evil reports" might be the claim of an anonymous Premonstratensian monk from France, who wrote that in 1148 Melisende had poisoned Count [[Alfonso Jordan]] of Toulouse and arranged for the capture of his son [[Bertrand of Toulouse (son of Alfonso Jordan)|Bertrand]] by the Muslims. The monk wrote that the queen did this to ensure that Alfonso Jordan, a relative of the counts of Tripoli, would not threaten the possession of Tripoli by her brother-in-law Raymond and sister Hodierna.{{sfn|Barber|2012|pp=175–176}} Melisende was on good terms with the Premonstratensians, however, and Barber attributes the monk's hostility to the "endemic [[misogyny]] of the monastic world".{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=175}}

In filling the offices with trusted men Melisende had her eye on the [[chancellor of Jerusalem|chancery]] too.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=117}} She had no desire to retain [[Elias (bishop of Tiberias)|Elias]],{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=117}} who had been her husband's confidant,{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=116}} so she arranged for him to become [[bishop of Tiberias]], a promotion he could not have refused.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=117}} In 1145 Melisende appointed [[Ralph (bishop of Bethlehem)|Ralph]], another newcomer, to succeed Elias as chancellor.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=177}} In January 1146 the [[archbishop of Tyre]], [[Fulcher of Angoulême]], was elected to the patriarchate, succeeding William of Messines, who had died in September 1145.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=126}} Melisende insisted that Ralph be appointed to the vacated see of Tyre. Barber holds that Fulcher must have risen to the patriarchate with Melisende's support, yet he led the opposition to her choice of Ralph.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=178}} The conflict over the see of Tyre marked the only time Melisende was at odds with the Church.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=131}}

====Holy war====
Immediately after his coronation Baldwin III sought to assert himself in warfare, the one field in which he had the advantage over his mother, and in 1144 he quelled a revolt at [[Wadi Musa]].{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=117}} The queen and the constable faced their first crisis already in November when Zengi of Mosul [[siege of Edessa (1144)|besieged Edessa]].{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=179}} The Edessenes appealed to the young king for help, but it was Melisende who made the decisions.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=117}} She called a council, and it was decided that Manasses, Philip, and Elinand should lead a relief force.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=180}} Mayer believes that the young king was not sent because Melisende resented his success at Wadi Musa;{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=117}} he argues that the queen did not wish to see her son gain a reputation as a military leader lest it lead to him becoming a threat to her political leadership.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=118}} Barber suggests that Melisende did not send Baldwin because she thought that the gravity of the situation required experienced adults. In any case, the army did not reach Edessa in time:{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=180}} the city fell to the Turks, who spared its Armenian and Greek population, but "killed the Franks wherever they could" according to the chronicler [[Michael the Syrian]].{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=179}} Immediately upon receiving the news Melisende contacted Antioch about sending an embassy to break the news to the [[pope]] and to request [[Second Crusade|a new crusade]].{{sfn|Runciman|1952|p=247}} Baldwin III [[came of age]] on his fifteenth birthday in early 1145,{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=114}} but the occasion was not publicly celebrated.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=152}}

Zengi was assassinated in September 1146.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=182}} Count [[Joscelin II of Edessa]] [[Siege of Edessa (1146)|attempted to retake his former city]], and King Baldwin invaded the [[Hauran]], but both were defeated by Zengi's son [[Nur al-Din Zengi|Nur al-Din]].{{sfn|Barber|2012|pp=182–184}} Mayer is certain that Melisende blamed Baldwin for the failure to take the Hauran, saying that it may explain how Melisende was able to reduce Baldwin's position by associating her younger son, Amalric, in a subsequent charter. The inclusion of Amalric was, in Mayer's words, "an application of the principle ''[[divide et impera]]''", and served to increase Melisende's power at Baldwin's expense.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=124}}
[[File:2nd Crusade council at Jerusalem.jpg|thumb|Three kings met at Acre (pictured above) to plan the siege of Damascus (pictured below).|alt=Three seated kings; knights marching on a walled city]]
The news of the fall of Edessa shocked Europe,{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=184}} and [[Pope Eugene III]] began calling for a crusade.{{sfn|Barber|2012|pp=184–185}} Kings [[Louis VII of France]] and [[Conrad III of Germany]] travelled to the Levant with their relatives, vassals, and troops, accompanied by [[papal legate]]s.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=188}} The crusaders were [[Council of Acre|met near Acre]] on 24 June 1148{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=127}} by a contingent from Jerusalem consisting of Queen Melisende, King Baldwin, Patriarch Fulcher, the archbishops and the bishops, the masters of the [[Knights Hospitaller]] and [[Templar]], and the leading noblemen; it was the most impressive gathering of dignitaries ever held in the Latin East.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=188}} A decision to attack [[Damascus]] had already been reached in April by Baldwin, Conrad, and Fulcher in a much smaller meeting, which Melisende apparently did not attend.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=127}} Damascus was a great Muslim-held city,{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=150}} and its capture would have served Jerusalem better than capturing distant Edessa.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=189}} The patriarch usually took Melisende's side over Baldwin's and would have advocated her opinion, but right at this time the two were at odds over the appointment of her chancellor, Ralph, to the see of Tyre.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=127}} Mayer surmises, while admitting that it cannot be known for certain, that Melisende must have been opposed to the decision to attack Damascus because it had so far been a valuable ally against Nur al-Din and because the conquest of such a great city would have earned Baldwin enough prestige to challenge her supremacy.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=128}}

During the ensuing [[Siege of Damascus (1148)|siege of Damascus]] the crusaders were falsely advised by certain persons who had been bribed to betray them,{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=189}} leading to a swift and humiliating defeat.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=188}} Mayer considered the possibility that Melisende first supported the expedition only to then engineer its failure in a bid to destroy Baldwin's military and political reputation, noting that it would have been a politically reckless game. The outcome was a major setback for Baldwin, but he was not completely crushed.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=128}} In 1149, after the death of Prince Raymond in [[battle of Inab|another disastrous defeat]] of the Christians by Nur al-Din, Baldwin hastened to assume responsibility for Antioch.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=129}} Melisende used her son's failure at Damascus, and possibly his journey to Antioch, to further reduce his position: from 1149 she no longer issued charters jointly with him,{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=129}} but merely allowed him to consent.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=130}}

====Rupture with Baldwin III====
[[File:Baudouin III sermonnant Mélissende.png|thumb|Baldwin III arguing with Melisende, depicted in a 14th-century edition of William of Tyre's ''Historia''|alt=A crowned man gesturing towards an enthroned woman]]
The dispute with the Church over the appointment of her chancellor, Ralph, to the see of Tyre reached its peak by 1149 and became a serious issue for Melisende as rift grew between her and Baldwin.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=131}} To retain the Church as an ally she either dismissed Ralph from the chancery or forced him to resign.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|pp=131–132}} She could not appoint a new chancellor without her co-ruler's consent, however, and the chancery thus collapsed.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|pp=135–136}} Mother and son henceforth employed separate [[scribe]]s, which avoided an open break in their co-reign, but marked an unprecedented division of royal power.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=136}}

The death of her trusted and most important vassal Elinand, prince of Galilee, {{circa}} 1149 was a setback for Melisende.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=136}} After the capture of the count of Edessa in 1150, Baldwin summoned the lords to march with him to Antioch, but those loyal to Melisende refused.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=148}} This was, in Mayer's mind, the queen's attempt to prevent Baldwin from making any military success, and specifically from fulfilling the traditional role of the kings of Jerusalem in protecting the northern crusader states.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|pp=148–149}} Baldwin went anyway with the small force he could muster.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=149}}

Mayer considers it clear from the surviving charters that from 1150 Melisende was preparing for a showdown with Baldwin: she set up her own administrative machinery and gathered the lords loyal to her.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=147}} In 1150 she procured for her cousin and constable, Manasses, the hand of [[Helvis of Ramla]], widow of her supporter Barisan of Ibelin. This angered Barisan's sons, [[Hugh of Ibelin|Hugh]], [[Baldwin of Ibelin|Baldwin]], and [[Balian of Ibelin|Balian]], because it led to them losing land in Ramla.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=176}} Baldwin, for his part, held Manasses responsible for his estrangement from his mother.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=153}} Melisende further consolidated her position against Baldwin in 1151 when she made her younger son, Amalric, count of Jaffa.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=162}} He became her most important partisan besides the Church.{{sfn|Mayer|1972|p=175}}

====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}}