Contemporaries of Melisende who did rule, however, included Urraca of Castile ( 1080 – 1129 ), Empress Matilda ( 1102 – 1169 ), and Eleanor of Aquitaine ( 1122 – 1204 ).

The Church clearly supported Melisende, as did the barons of Judea and Samaria.

Amalric, who had been given the County of Jaffa as an apanage when he reached the age of majority in 1151, remained loyal to Melisende in Jerusalem, and when Baldwin invaded the south, Amalric was besieged in the Tower of David with his mother.

Melisende grew up in Edessa until she was 13, when her father was elected as the King of Jerusalem as successor of his cousin Baldwin I.

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.

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.

The crisis reached a boiling point early 1152 when Baldwin demanded the patriarch Fulcher to crown him in the Holy Sepulchre, without Melisende present.

John of Ibelin, Lord of Beirut ( 1177 — 1236 ) became Lord of Arsuf in 1207 when he married Melisende of Arsuf ( born c. 1170 ).

In 1153 he became constable of Jerusalem when Baldwin III became sole ruler after a struggle with his mother Melisende.

There was a major dispute during the regency of Melisende for her son Baldwin III, when Melisende refused to give up the regency after Baldwin came of age.

The four sisters were close ; Hodierna may have asked Melisende to arrange for the assassination of Alphonse I of Toulouse, son of Raymond IV of Toulouse, in 1148, when Alphonse came to claim the County of Tripoli.

Hodierna remained by Melisende's side when Melisende lay dying in 1161.

Manasses supported Melisende against Baldwin III when Baldwin attempted to claim full power in 1152.

Amalric was the second son of Melisende of Jerusalem and Fulk of Jerusalem, and succeeded his older brother Baldwin III.

Amalric was born in 1136 to King Fulk, the former count of Anjou who had married the heiress of the kingdom, Melisende, daughter of King Baldwin II.

After the death of Fulk in a hunting accident in 1143, the throne passed jointly to Melisende and Amalric's older brother Baldwin III, who was still only 13 years old.

In 1152 Baldwin had himself crowned sole king, and civil war broke out, with Melisende retaining Jerusalem while Baldwin held territory further north.

Melisende was defeated in this struggle and Baldwin ruled alone thereafter.

He was poisoned at Caesarea, either by Eleanor of Aquitaine, the wife of Louis, or Melisende, the mother of Baldwin III, king of Jerusalem suggesting the draught.

Baldwin was married to the Armenian noblewoman Morphia of Melitene, and had four daughters: Hodierna and Alice, who married into the families of the Count of Tripoli and Prince of Antioch ; Ioveta, who became an influential abbess ; and the eldest, Melisende, who was his heir and succeeded him upon his death in 1131, with her husband Fulk V of Anjou as king-consort.

Queen Melisende, now regent for her elder son Baldwin III, appointed a new constable, Manasses of Hierges, to head the army after Fulk's death, but Edessa could not be recaptured, despite Zengi's own assassination in 1146.

After meeting in Acre in June, the crusading kings Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany agreed with Melisende, Baldwin III and the major nobles of the kingdom to attack Damascus.

In Jerusalem, the crusaders were distracted by a conflict between Melisende and Baldwin III.

Melisende continued to rule as regent long after Baldwin came of age.

In 1153 Baldwin had himself crowned as sole ruler, and a compromise was reached by which the kingdom was divided in two, with Baldwin taking Acre and Tyre in the north and Melisende remaining in control of Jerusalem and the cities of the south.

Baldwin and Melisende knew that this situation was untenable.

Melisende surrendered and retired to Nablus, but Baldwin appointed her his regent and chief advisor, and she retained some of her influence, especially in appointing ecclesiastical officials.

When Baldwin died childless in 1162, a year after his mother Melisende, the kingdom passed to his brother Amalric, who renewed the alliance negotiated by Baldwin.

* March 31 – King Baldwin III of Jerusalem exiles his mother Melisende, with whom he has been jointly reigning, to Nablus.

* August 19 – Baldwin III of Jerusalem takes control of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from his mother Melisende, and also captures Ascalon.

Baldwin raised his daughter as a capable successor to himself and Melisende enjoyed the support of the Haute Cour, a kind of royal council composed of the nobility and clergy of the realm.

However, Baldwin II also thought 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.

Her sister Melisende and her nephew Baldwin came north to intervene in 1152.

Hugh had a close relationship with Melisende, but he "... was rumoured to be on too familiar terms with the queen ..." ( William of Tyre, 14. 16 ) and came into conflict with a jealous Fulk.

However, Melisende also appointed Manasses of Hierges, constable of Jerusalem, as an advisor, and the two essentially excluded Baldwin from power.

The two candidates presented to him were Raymond's sister Melisende, and Princess Maria of Antioch.

They had two daughters, Sybilla ( born 1198 ) and Melisende ( born 1200 ), and one son, Amalric ( 1201 – 1205 ).

John Kontostephanos, the chief dragoman ( interpreter ) Theophylact, and the akolouthos of the Varangian Guard Basil Kamateros were sent to Jerusalem to seek a new wife, and the two princesses Maria of Antioch and Melisende of Tripoli, a daughter of Count Raymond II of Tripoli by Hodierna of Jerusalem, were offered as candidates.

Had Melisende been guilty the Church and nobility likely would not have later rallied to her cause.

Though later historians criticized Melisende for not abdicating in favor of her son, there was little impetus for her to do so.

Melisende later entered a convent, where she died fairly young.

Raymond and Hodierna's daughter Melisende was later a candidate to marry Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus.

Palaeographical comparisons to other texts produced in Jerusalem suggest it was written in the 1140s ( or even the 1150s ), but the later texts may have used the Melisende Psalter as a source.