Editing Fulk, King of Jerusalem (section)

== King of Jerusalem ==
[[File:Coronation of Fulk and Melisende.jpg|thumb|Coronation of Fulk and Melisende, Paris, BN MS Fr. 779, fol. 123v (Central France, 1270-79)]]Baldwin II of Jerusalem died on 21 August 1131. The coronation of Fulk and Melisende took place on 14 September, the [[Feast of the Cross|Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross]], in the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre|Church of the Holy Sepulcher]]. It was the first time that a ruler of Jerusalem had been crowned in this way.{{Sfn|John|2017|p=495}} On the occasion of his coronation, the Egyptian ruler [[Kutayfat]] sent Fulk an ivory object described as "the ivory tau".{{Sfn|Riley-Smith|1997|pp=55-66}} Fulk subsequently sent the ivory tau back to his palace at [[Château d'Angers|Angers]] with instructions that it should be used to ceremonially receive counts of Anjou.{{Sfn|Paul|2012|p=125-128}}  

From the start Fulk assumed sole control of the government, excluding Melisende altogether. He favoured fellow countrymen from Anjou to the native nobility.<ref name=":0" /> The other [[Crusader states]] to the north feared that Fulk would attempt to impose the suzerainty of Jerusalem over them, as Baldwin II had done. 

As Fulk was far less powerful than his deceased father-in-law, the northern states rejected his authority. Melisende's sister [[Alice of Antioch]], exiled from the Principality by Baldwin II, took control of Antioch once more after the death of her father.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Barber |first=Malcolm |title=The Crusader States |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2012 |isbn=9780300189315}}</ref>  In 1132, she allied with [[Pons of Tripoli]] and [[Joscelin II of Edessa]] to prevent Fulk from marching north. Fulk and Pons fought a brief battle before peace was made and Alice was exiled again.

In Jerusalem as well, Fulk was resented by the second generation of Jerusalem Christians who had grown up there since the First Crusade. These natives focused on Melisende's cousin, the popular [[Hugh II of Le Puiset]], [[count of Jaffa]], who was devotedly loyal to Melisende. Fulk saw Hugh as a rival, and it did not help matters when Hugh's own stepson accused him of disloyalty. 

In 1134, in order to expose Hugh, Fulk accused him of infidelity with Melisende. Hugh rebelled in protest. Hugh secured himself to Jaffa and allied himself with the Muslims of [[Ascalon]]. He was able to defeat the army set against him by Fulk, but this situation could not hold. The patriarch [[William of Malines|Willam of Malines]] interceded in the conflict, perhaps at the behest of Melisende. Fulk agreed to peace and Hugh was exiled from the kingdom for three years, a lenient sentence.

However, an assassination attempt was made against Hugh, resulting in him being stabbed by a Breton knight. Fulk, or possibly his supporters were suspected to be responsible.<ref name=":3" /> The ordeal revealed the church's support for Melisende, which is associated with her rise to prominence. Author Historian Bernard Hamilton wrote “...as the patriarch’s intervention showed, the full support of the church."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hamilton |first=Bernard |title=The Latin Church in the Crusader states: the secular church |date=1980 |publisher=Variorum Publications |isbn=978-0-86078-072-4 |location=London}}</ref> 

Contemporary author and historian [[William of Tyre]] wrote of Fulk: "He never attempted to take the initiative, even in trivial matters, without (Melisende's) consent." The result was that Melisende held direct and unquestioned control over the government from 1136 onwards. Sometime before 1136, Fulk reconciled with his wife, and a second son, [[Amalric of Jerusalem|Amalric]], was born.