23 June 1186 – Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem.
Guy de Lusignan was in a somber mood that day. For most people this moment would be one of total joy. Guy had, after all, accomplished the highly improbable.
He was born the third son of a lesser French Count. He was fortunate not to wind up in a monastery. Instead, through sheer determination, raw courage and blind luck, he was at this moment being crowned the uncontested King of Jerusalem.
The sun shown and the Patriarch chanted in Latin, raising the crown high before placing it onto Guy’s head. As the tremendous weight of the ceremonial ornament caused him to momentarily buckle, Guy’s thoughts wandered back to the preceding days, the events that led to this moment.
He was Regent of the Kingdom and titled the Prince Consort, married to the Queen Mother Sybille and mentor to the young King Badouin Monferrato.
The Regency was approaching its end and Guy was trying very hard to impart on his young charge the importance of the Kingdom itself, after all the throne rested on truly sacred ground. Even Rome was only the second city of God.
He had also been busy stressing the fragility of the Kingdom. The nation could call upon around 20,000 soldiers – so long as all the vassals obeyed the summons, which rarely happened. By comparison, the Ayyubid Empire of Saladin, which totally surrounded Jerusalem, could call up over 100,000 troops and Saladin’s Emirs always obeyed him. At the same time, the country was too poor to sustain even 5,000 men in the field for more than a few months without emptying the treasury and the periodic crusades only really served to fill Jerusalem with over-eager and over-bearing Westerners only too happy to infuriate and assault powerful local Muslims and then depart, leaving the Kingdom of Jerusalem to deal with the long term consequences. Occasionally, the Crusading orders would appropriate whole provinces to support their private wars. Private wars which usually failed and lost these lands to Muslims, further weakening the nation. Guy had spent his whole regency devoted to nothing more than the strengthening and preservation of God’s Kingdom. He wanted to see that work continue, but Badouin scared him.
The young man had grand plans. He planned to invade Antioch immediately, to assert the Kingdom’s old claims on the Prince. He planned to make war on the Ayyubids in order to recreate Edessa. He planned to add a new dominion in Egypt. He even planned to tackle the Emperor of Constantinople. No matter how much Guy tried, the young man could not – or would not – understand the costs of such plans. “Money can always be acquired” is not responsible fiscal policy.
Finally, Guy came to a horrible decision. He had surrendered his life to this Kingdom. He would not step aside and let this foolish youth destroy what he had worked so hard for. Jerusalem was too fragile to survive such a fool-hardy ruler.
Contacting the Old Man of the Mountain was easy enough. The Hospitaliers, though forbidden by the Pope, had a longstanding relationship with him. For a supply of gold and a series of “safe-houses” throughout the kingdom, the deal was struck. It had to appear an accident, much to the Old Man’s chagrin. His subjects preferred much more public and flamboyant executions. The young man suffered an unfortunate fall from a window.
Badouin falls from the tower - the Lusignan Tapestry
Guy was not a monster, he felt terrible guilt over the boy’s death, but he had done what needed to be done. He watched over the Kingdom of Jerusalem. That the young man’s death would terminate the line of kings and leave him, effective ruler for the last decade, as the only viable ruler did factor into his decision, but if young Badouin had shown any real promise, Guy assured himself, he never would have resorted to murder.
Guy rose unsteadily to his feet, Marshal of the Realm Gerard de Ridefort, an old friend and confidant, rose and helped support the massive crown. To the sounds of horns and chanting, Guy turned and strode confidently out of the church, now the true King of Jerusalem. The crowds outside cheered as his officials generously distributed special silver pennies struck just for this occasion. Once he had waved and walked through the throngs about the church, Girard pulled the crown off of his head. Guy replaced it with the lighter diadem he had always insisted young Badouin wear. Along with the rest of the Royal court Guy de Lusignan mounted his horse and rode back to The Citadel, the armored heart of the city and the kingdom.
Guy Crowned King of Jerusalem - Lusignan Tapestry
As always, there was much work to be done.
Guy de Lusignan was in a somber mood that day. For most people this moment would be one of total joy. Guy had, after all, accomplished the highly improbable.
He was born the third son of a lesser French Count. He was fortunate not to wind up in a monastery. Instead, through sheer determination, raw courage and blind luck, he was at this moment being crowned the uncontested King of Jerusalem.
The sun shown and the Patriarch chanted in Latin, raising the crown high before placing it onto Guy’s head. As the tremendous weight of the ceremonial ornament caused him to momentarily buckle, Guy’s thoughts wandered back to the preceding days, the events that led to this moment.
He was Regent of the Kingdom and titled the Prince Consort, married to the Queen Mother Sybille and mentor to the young King Badouin Monferrato.
The Regency was approaching its end and Guy was trying very hard to impart on his young charge the importance of the Kingdom itself, after all the throne rested on truly sacred ground. Even Rome was only the second city of God.
He had also been busy stressing the fragility of the Kingdom. The nation could call upon around 20,000 soldiers – so long as all the vassals obeyed the summons, which rarely happened. By comparison, the Ayyubid Empire of Saladin, which totally surrounded Jerusalem, could call up over 100,000 troops and Saladin’s Emirs always obeyed him. At the same time, the country was too poor to sustain even 5,000 men in the field for more than a few months without emptying the treasury and the periodic crusades only really served to fill Jerusalem with over-eager and over-bearing Westerners only too happy to infuriate and assault powerful local Muslims and then depart, leaving the Kingdom of Jerusalem to deal with the long term consequences. Occasionally, the Crusading orders would appropriate whole provinces to support their private wars. Private wars which usually failed and lost these lands to Muslims, further weakening the nation. Guy had spent his whole regency devoted to nothing more than the strengthening and preservation of God’s Kingdom. He wanted to see that work continue, but Badouin scared him.
The young man had grand plans. He planned to invade Antioch immediately, to assert the Kingdom’s old claims on the Prince. He planned to make war on the Ayyubids in order to recreate Edessa. He planned to add a new dominion in Egypt. He even planned to tackle the Emperor of Constantinople. No matter how much Guy tried, the young man could not – or would not – understand the costs of such plans. “Money can always be acquired” is not responsible fiscal policy.
Finally, Guy came to a horrible decision. He had surrendered his life to this Kingdom. He would not step aside and let this foolish youth destroy what he had worked so hard for. Jerusalem was too fragile to survive such a fool-hardy ruler.
Contacting the Old Man of the Mountain was easy enough. The Hospitaliers, though forbidden by the Pope, had a longstanding relationship with him. For a supply of gold and a series of “safe-houses” throughout the kingdom, the deal was struck. It had to appear an accident, much to the Old Man’s chagrin. His subjects preferred much more public and flamboyant executions. The young man suffered an unfortunate fall from a window.
Badouin falls from the tower - the Lusignan Tapestry
Guy was not a monster, he felt terrible guilt over the boy’s death, but he had done what needed to be done. He watched over the Kingdom of Jerusalem. That the young man’s death would terminate the line of kings and leave him, effective ruler for the last decade, as the only viable ruler did factor into his decision, but if young Badouin had shown any real promise, Guy assured himself, he never would have resorted to murder.
Guy rose unsteadily to his feet, Marshal of the Realm Gerard de Ridefort, an old friend and confidant, rose and helped support the massive crown. To the sounds of horns and chanting, Guy turned and strode confidently out of the church, now the true King of Jerusalem. The crowds outside cheered as his officials generously distributed special silver pennies struck just for this occasion. Once he had waved and walked through the throngs about the church, Girard pulled the crown off of his head. Guy replaced it with the lighter diadem he had always insisted young Badouin wear. Along with the rest of the Royal court Guy de Lusignan mounted his horse and rode back to The Citadel, the armored heart of the city and the kingdom.
Guy Crowned King of Jerusalem - Lusignan Tapestry
As always, there was much work to be done.
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