Duke Frederick left Austria in April or late spring 1197 for the German Crusade of 1197 in the company of Wolfger, Bishop of Passau and his uncle, Henry I, Duke of Mödling. Frederick had stopped by Linaria to rest before moving on. When they left Apulia to reach Sicily, they were encouraged further, after two ships sunk at sea, with the Abbots of Werd and Beuern. By June, they were welcomed at Emperor Henry's court in Sicily. There the Emperor took full command and instructed Conrad of Mainz to oversee the passage of the Crusader fleet. In September, they sailed under the leadership of Conrad, Archbishop of Mainz &amp; Chancellor of Germany from Messina and arrived weeks later to Acre, where command of the German forces was assumed under Conrad of Mainz and Marshal Henry of Kalden, whose presence brought the displeasure of the French forces under Queen Isabella of Jerusalem. The German Princes, however, Frederick included, had denied the authority of Marshal Henry and had called for an election of a Commander. They called for Duke Henry I of Brabant to lead the assault against the Ayyubids under Al-Adil. Their forces rallied, and they marched on to Tyre, taking the city easily and then the wealthy city of Sidon before then invading Beirut and entering it on 24 October. Suddenly, news spread that King Henry I of Jerusalem had died from falling off the balcony of his palace in Acre. The German forces returned immediately to Acre and Duke Henry of Brabant acted as Regent. Time was not wasted and preparations were beginning to be made for Almaric of Cyprus to be made King of Jerusalem. Urged by the German Princes, Amalric married Isabella and was crowned in Acre King of Jerusalem in 1198.