"Jerusalem's Melissa"

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Melissanthe (1105 – 11 September 1161) from the House of Retel was queen of Jerusalem (1131 – 1153) and regent of her minor son (1153 – 1161).

Life Story
She was the eldest daughter of Baldwin II of Jerusalem and Armenian Morphia, daughter of Gabriel the lord of Melite. It was named after the grandmother of the Melissanthe of Montlery, wife of Hugo I Earl of Retel. He had three younger sisters: Alice, Odierna, and Joveta. Jerusalem was conquered by the Crusaders in 1099 and shortly after, the reign was exercised by her family of origin from the county of Retel: her father married Morfia, daughter of Armenian Gabriel lord of Meliteni, after a diplomatic agreement.

Childhood

Melissanthus grew up in Edessa. When her father was elected king of Jerusalem she was 13 years old and the two of her three younger sisters had already been born. Her mother was unable to give birth to a son, but because Baldwin II loved her, he refused proposals made to divorce her, as reported by Armenian historian Matthew of Edessa. An indication of the love her father had for his wife is the fact that he waited until Christmas of 1119 to become his coronation with her. Formia did not actively engage in politics, but had decisive interventions when her husband needed help:
when Baldwin II was arrested prisoner during a campaign (1123), Mormia sent a group of Armenian mercenaries, to find out where her husband is and began negotiations on his release. He eventually managed to release him, after first giving as a hostage (guarantee that he would pay the ransom) Joveta's younger daughter and then paid a large sum as a ransom. Her parents became the standards for Melissanthe's life, which grew up in constant war conditions.

Melissanthe, although daughter, grew up from her father as successor to the throne and future queen: she participated in issuing coins, awarding titles and diplomatic relations. She participated with her father, with the rest of the nobles and the clergy at all ceremonies. Women in the families of the Franks were in a very good position at the time, because their wives were constantly in countless dangers with epidemics and wars; They let their wives exercise power in case they themselves were on a campaign. More typical examples, apart from Melissand, were Urracah of Castile, Empress Matilde, and Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Her marriage to Fulcon V of Anjou
Baldwin II sought for his daughter Melissanti a capable and dynamic husband from a noble family. He asked Louis VI of France to propose to him a strong vassal. The priorities he gave for Melissa's husband were: to be Frank like most Crusaders, to have ties to