By 11 70 onwards, when he's writing his history, from, we think around 11 67, he's extremely well placed to know exactly what's going on within the kingdom. He seems to be quite close to king amauric. They have quite a few conversations out history. But for melison's reign, while he tells us that this is the point where he is an eye witness to the kingdom of jerusalem and its events, he is probably in the west pursuing his university education. So he is the best weeveing eye west of europe, or the west bet of europe. E.M. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the most powerful woman in the Crusader states in the century after the First Crusade. Melisende (1105-61) was born and raised after the mainly Frankish crusaders had taken Jerusalem from the Fatimids, and her father was King of Jerusalem. She was married to Fulk from Anjou, on the understanding they would rule together, and for 30 years she vied with him and then their son as they struggled to consolidate their Frankish state in the Holy Land.
The image above is of the coronation of Fulk with Melisende, from Livre d'Eracles, Guillaume de Tyr (1130?-1186)
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France
With
Natasha Hodgson
Senior Lecturer in Medieval History and Director of the Centre for the Study of Religion and Conflict at Nottingham Trent University
Katherine Lewis
Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Huddersfield
and
Danielle Park
Visiting Lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London
Producer: Simon Tillotson