Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem (Summer Repeat)

In Our Time

BBC

History

4.6 • 9.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 August 2023

⏱️ 54 minutes

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Summary

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

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself.
0:03.7	My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a Load of Sport Podcasts.
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0:28.8	dedicated sports fans across the UK.
0:31.2	So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more.
0:40.5	In our time is on its annual break and we'll be back on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds on
0:46.0	the 14th of September. Until then each week we're offering an episode from our archive of nearly
0:51.3	1000 programmes which I hope you'll enjoy. Have a good summer.
0:56.0	Hello, Melisand was Queen of Jerusalem in the 12th century AD and held power there alongside
1:01.9	three different kings, her father, her husband and her son and sometimes against them.
1:07.6	The Crusader States were a new Frankie's project, begun as they captured Jerusalem in 1099
1:12.9	and vitally she balanced the interests of the first Crusader settlers and the new arrivals
1:17.6	from France as the states were threatened by infighting as well as by their Islamic neighbours.
1:22.9	With me to discuss Melisand Queen of Jerusalem, Natasha Hodson, senior lecturer in medieval history
1:29.0	and director of the Centre for the Saudi Religion and Conflict and Nottingham Trent University.
1:33.9	Daniel Park visiting lecturer at Royal Holloway University of London and Catherine Lewis,
1:39.2	senior lecturer in history at the University of Huddersfield. Catherine Lewis, what brought the
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