Both of her parents stood as role models for the young Princess Melisende, half Frankish and half Armenian, growing up in the Frankish East in a state of constant warfare.

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.

Melisende ended up on the losing side by 1152, but she was given a small fief to rule in Nablus, where she and Hodierna were able to influence the election of the Latin Patriarch.

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.

Conrad and Louis advised 16-year old Baldwin III to attack the Muslim city-state of Damascus, though Melisende, Manasses, and Eleanor wanted to take Aleppo, which would aid them in retaking Edessa.

According to Matthew of Edessa Baldwin supposedly also promised him the crown of Jerusalem, but Matthew might be confusing Alice with her elder sister Melisende of Jerusalem, who also married a westerner, Fulk V of Anjou, around the same time.

In 1144, Queen Melisende sent him to relieve the siege of Edessa, but he arrived after the city had already fallen.

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.

This peace settlement demonstrated that though Melisende lost the " civil war " to her son, she still maintained great influence and avoided total obscurity in a convent.

William of Tyre, writing on Melisende's 30-year reign, wrote that " she was a very wise woman, fully experienced in almost all affairs of state business, who completely 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 regard.

Queen Melisende of Jerusalem resided in Nablus from 1150 to 1161, after she was granted control over the city in order to resolve a dispute with her son Baldwin III.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

This was disputed by another branch of the Lusignan family: Maria of Antioch, daughter of Bohemond IV of Antioch and Melisende of Lusignan ( herself a daughter of Isabella I and Amalric II ), claimed the throne as the oldest living relative of Isabella I, but for the moment her claim was ignored.

Melisende ( 1105 – 11 September 1161 ) was Queen of Jerusalem from 1131 to 1153, and regent for her son between 1153 and 1161 while he was on campaign.

She was named after her paternal grandmother, Melisende of Montlhéry, wife of Hugh I, Count of Rethel.

Hodierna's daughter, Melisende of Tripoli, was named in honor of the queen.

As the eldest child, Melisende was raised as the Crown Princess, her father's successor.

During her father's reign Melisende was styled as daughter of the king and heir of the kingdom of Jerusalem, and took precedence above other nobles and Christian clergy in ceremonial occasions.

Baldwin II perceived that Fulk, an ambitious man with grown sons to spare, was also a threat to Baldwin II's family and interest, and specifically a threat to his daughter Melisende.

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 a cousin of Melisende, and also a member of the royal family.

When Fulk was killed in a hunting accident in 1143, Melisende publicly and privately mourned for him.

Melisende did not step down when Baldwin came of age two years later, and by 1150 the two were becoming increasingly hostile towards each other.

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.

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.

This scandal allowed Melisende and her supporters to gain control of the government, just as her father had intended.

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.

Baldwin II suspected that once he had died, Fulk would repudiate Melisende, set her and her children aside in favor of Elias, Fulk's younger but full grown son from his first marriage as an heir to Jerusalem.

When Melisende bore a son and heir in 1130, the future Baldwin III, her father took steps to ensure Melisende would rule after him as reigning Queen of Jerusalem.

Strengthening her position, Baldwin II designated Melisende as sole guardian for the young Baldwin, excluding Fulk.

Later, William of Tyre wrote of Melisende's right to rule following the death of her father that the rule of the kingdom remained in the power of the lady queen Melisende, a queen beloved by God, to whom it passed by hereditary right.

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

" Melisende was no mere regent-queen for her son Baldwin III, but a Queen Regnant, reigning by right of hereditary and civil law.

Eleanor had herself been designated by her father, William X, to succeed him in her own right, just as Melisende had been designated to succeed her father.