Fulk, King of Jerusalem

**Fulk V** (1092–1143), called *"le Jeune"* (the younger), was a French nobleman who was the Count of Anjou from 1109 to 1129. He was the Count of Maine (*jure uxoris*) 1110–1129. Fulk was a crusader, Knight Templar and was the King of Jerusalem (*jure uxoris*) from 1131 to his death.

## Early career 
Fulk le Jeune, born in 1092, was the younger son of Fulk IV le Réchin and his fifth wife Bertrade de Montfort. She was the daughter of Simon de Montfort, Count de Montfort l'Amaury. As an infant he was probably taken with his mother to be raised at the French court. He was at the French court in 1106 when the news arrived of his half-brother, Geoffrey IV, Count of Anjou's death. King Philip I then made his step-son, Fulk V, the Count of Anjou. The French king then made Duke William of Aquitaine Fulk's guardian as Fulk was not yet old enough to rule on his own. However the duke put Fulk in prison. In 1113 Henry I arranged to meet with Fulk V at Alençon. There they arranged a peace agreement. To seal the agreement they made a marriage alliance. Fulk's infant daughter, Matilda, was promised in marriage to Henry's nine-year-old son, William Adelin. Henry then attacked the lands of Robert de Bellême; joined by Fulk V. Bellême was defeated and Henry I returned to England. Fulk V returned to Anjou to deal with a revolt in Angers.

In 1116 Louis IV raided into Normandy again. Louis had supported Henry I's nephew, William Clito as the Duke of Normandy. By 1117 King Louis IV of France, Count Baldwin VII of Flanders and Fulk V of Anjou were all supporting William Clito against Henry I of England. According to Orderic Vitalis he joined the Knights Templar. When he returned to Anjou Fulk left 100 knights behind for a year to help defend the Kingdom. He continued to pay the Templars a substantial yearly donation for the rest of his life.
 
Fulk le Jeune returned to Anjou in early 1121. He learned that William Adelin, his new son-in-law William had drowned in the shipwreck of the White Ship. The treaty with Anjou then died with Henry's son. But Henry delayed her return and kept part of her dowry. By 1122 she was back in Anjou. As Henry dealt with his rebel Norman barons one by one, by 1124 Fulk V was William Clito's only supporter. Henry now did everything he could to get the pope to annul the marriage between William Clito and Sibyl. On 26 August 1124 Pope Calixtus II annulled the marriage of William Clito and Sibyl because they were too closely related. A week later the couple was married. king Baldwin II had no sons but he had four daughters. He offered the hand of his oldest daughter, Melisende, to Fulk le June along with the crown of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. After the wedding of his son Geoffrey, Fulk le Jeune and his children all met at the Fontevraud Abbey where his daughter Matilda became a nun. They said their farewells and Fulk le Jeune set off for Jerusalem. He and Melisende were married. As a part of their marriage contract at the death of her father, King Baldwin II, Fulk and Melisende were to rule Jerusalem together. As a dowry Fulk and Melisende received the two most valuable ports in the kingdom, Tyre and Acre. Many had served several of the Kings of Jerusalem. Their loss of favor with the new king caused a great deal of resentment. Fulk called on Count Hugh to appear before him but Hugh refused. But Fulk realized he could not exclude Melisende and from then on allowed her to share in ruling the kingdom. In 1134 Fulk raided into Hauran (in present-day Syria and Jordan). But he was forced to retreat when Seljuks countered by attacking Jerusalem. In September the two sides agreed to a peace.

In 1136 Fulk began building castles around the fortress city of Ascalon. This was to prevent raids on Jerusalem by the Egyptian Fatimids. He also built a castle at Beth Gibelin and placed it in the care of the Knights Hospitaller. In 1137 Fulk was besieged at Montferrand. The Patriarch of Jerusalem marched an army to relieve the fortress. The Seljuks knew of this and quickly offered Fulk favorable terms. He decided to take back the city and began attacking the walls. Too powerful for Fulk to deal with he decided to surrender Antioch to the Emperor. The Prince of Antioch, Raymond of Poitiers, had to surrender to the Emperor in person. Then, with the Byzantine flag above the city and Raymond still the Prince, the Emperor returned to Constantinople. She ruled as queen and as regent for their oldest son Baldwin III.

## Family 
In 1110, Fulk married Ermengarde of Maine (died 1126), the daughter of Elias I of Maine. Together they had:
* Geoffrey V (1113–1151), succeeded his father as count of Anjou.
* Elias II (died 1151), succeeded his father as the count of Maine.
* Sibylla (1112–1165), married first William Clito. She married second Thierry, Count of Flanders.
* Matilda (died 1154), married William Adelin. As his widow she became a nun and later abbess at Fontevraud Abbey.

His second wife was Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and Morphia of Melitene. Together they had:
* Baldwin III, King of Jerusalem.
* Amalric I, King of Jerusalem.

## Notes 
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