Baldwin V of Jerusalem

Baldwin V (1177 or 11781186) was the king of Jerusalem who ruled with his uncle Baldwin IV of Jerusalem from 1183 to 1185. After his uncle died, he was the only king from 1185 to his own death in 1186. Baldwin IV's leprosy meant that he could not have children. He spent his time asking his family members to become the next king. His nephew was selected, and Baldwin IV had him crowned as co-king. He wanted to stop the child's stepfather, Guy of Lusignan, from becoming king. Guy was very disliked. When Baldwin IV died, Count Raymond III of Tripoli ruled the kingdom for the child king. Baldwin V died of unknown causes in 1186. The next ruler was his mother, Sibylla, who then made Guy king.

Background
Baldwin of Montferrat was born in December 1177 or January 1178. His mother was Sibylla. She was King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem's sister. Baldwin was named after him. Baldwin's father, William of Montferrat, died in June of 1177. The king was expected to die young because he had leprosy. He also could not marry or have children because of this. By July 1178, the king supported his sister as his new heir presumptive. Her son, Baldwin of Montferrat, was next in line to the throne.

The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a kingdom in the Levant ruled by Catholic Franks. It was frequently threatened by the neighbouring Muslim rulers. Because of the king's disease, it was important for Sibylla to marry a new husband soon. She married Guy of Lusignan in early 1180 and had four daughters with him. Baldwin IV wanted Guy to become the next king. But the king soon knew that Guy was a bad option. Guy was also not liked by the nobles of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Kingship
In 1183, King Baldwin IV and his council discussed who could become the next king instead of Guy. Sibylla's supporters were not present. Agnes of Courtenay, Sibylla and Baldwin IV's mother, suggested that Baldwin be made co-king with Baldwin IV. The boy had the next best claim after Sibylla. His grandmother's suggestion was liked. Baldwin V was crowned and anointed in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on 20 November 1183. He received homage from all of the nobles except for his stepfather, Guy.

The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Heraclius, went to Western Europe in mid-1184. He was joined by the grand masters of the Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar. They went to ask for military aid. The kingdom needed protection against Muslim attacks. It became clear in late 1184 or early 1185 that Baldwin IV was dying. He asked the High Court of Jerusalem - a group of nobles who made important decisions - to select a regent for his nephew. Both the king and the nobles wanted to stop Guy from ruling for Baldwin. They selected Raymond, but made Joscelin of Courtenay, Baldwin's granduncle, the child's guardian. Baldwin V was not a healthy child. The squire Ernoul said that Raymond didn't want custody of the king. Raymond did not want to be blamed if the child died. But the historian Bernard Hamilton does not think that this was Raymond's idea. Joscelin had no claim to the throne and wanted to keep Baldwin alive. The High Court thought that Raymond might have wanted to make himself king. They limited his power to stop this from happening.thumb|Balian carrying Baldwin V to banquet after the boy's coronation
After the question of regency was answered, Baldwin V and Raymond received homage as king and regent. The young king then took part in a crown-wearing ceremony in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on his uncle's orders. From there the boy was carried to a banquet on the shoulders of Balian of Ibelin, "Because he was the tallest of the great lords present". Balian was really chosen to carry the young king because he did not like Guy. He was also the stepfather of Isabella, Baldwin IV and Sibylla's half-sister. Isabella was the only other possible option for the throne. Balian showed that Isabella's family's supported the boy king. Baldwin IV died by 16 May 1185. He left Baldwin V as the only monarch.

The kingdom faced no Muslim threats during Baldwin V's reign. Raymond succeeded in getting a truce from Saladin. Western princes did to come to help Jerusalem. This was probably because they could not be offered the kingdom. Only the king's paternal grandfather, William V of Montferrat, moved to the East. He made sure that the child's rights would be protected. Raymond was not very powerful. Important government positions were taken by Guy's supporters. They hated that Guy was not regent for his stepson.











Death and aftermath
Baldwin V died of unknown causes in Acre between May and mid-September 1186. The exact date is not known. The historian Steven Runciman thinks he died in late August.

The historian William of Newburgh wrote that Baldwin was poisoned by Raymond of Tripoli. But William did not like the count. Hamilton considers Raymond murdering Baldwin was unlikely. The king was in the care of his granduncle Joscelin of Courtenay.

Baldwin V's death caused another crisis. Joscelin gave Baldwin's body to the Templars, who took it to Jerusalem for his funeral. Raymond did not go to the funeral. Historian Malcolm Barber thinks that he was getting supporters to claim the throne. But Joscelin and many other important nobles were present. Baldwin became the seventh king of Jerusalem to be buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He was also the last. Baldwin's mother, Sibylla, made herself the next ruler. She made her husband, Guy, king. Jerusalem was conquered by Saladin in 1187. Baldwin's mother and half-sisters died in 1190, leaving his half-aunt, Isabella I, as the new queen. Baldwin V's tomb, likely paid for by Sibylla, survived until 1808. It was destroyed in a fire.

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Category:1170s births
Category:1186 deaths
Category:Kings and Queens of Jerusalem