Spring – King
Baldwin III and his mother, Queen
Melisende, are called to intervene in a dispute between Baldwin's aunt
Hodierna and her husband
Raymond II, count of
Tripoli. Hodierna decides to take a long holiday, and travels to
Jerusalem, while Raymond escorts her out on the road southwards. On the way back to Tripoli, a group of
Assassins stabs him to death at the southern gate of the city. The garrison rushes to arms and pours into the streets, slaying every Muslim in their way, but the Assassins manage to escape; the motive of their act is never known.[1]
Baldwin III demands more authority and blames
Manasses, ruler of
Ramla, for interfering with his legal succession as ruler of Jerusalem. He demands a second coronation from Patriarch
Fulcher separated from Melisende. Fulcher refuses, and as a kind of self-coronation Baldwin parades through the city streets with laurel wreaths on his head. Before the High Court (Haute Cour) the decision is made to divide the kingdom into two districts.
Baldwin III begins a civil war against Melisende and launches an invasion in the south. He captures the castle of
Mirabel, which is defended by Manasses. Baldwin spares his life and is exiled,
Nablus thereupon surrenders soon after. Melisende seeks refuge in the
Tower of David with her younger son, the 16-year-old
Amalric. Baldwin enters Jerusalem, he allows his mother to retain Nablus and the neighbourhood as her dower.[2]
February 15 – King
Conrad III dies after a 14-year reign at
Bamberg. He is succeeded by his 29-year-old nephew
Frederick I (Barbarossa), duke of
Swabia, who is crowned as
King of the Germans at
Aachen several days later, on
March 9. Frederick becomes sole ruler of
Germany and receives the royal insignia, despite the fact that Conrad has a 6-year-old son,
Frederick IV, who becomes duke of Swabia.
March 21 – King
Louis VII repudiates his marriage to
Eleanor of Aquitaine and has it annulled on grounds of misconduct and consanguinity – returning her lands and titles. Within 6 weeks, Eleanor re-marries
Henry of Anjou, who had claimed the counties of
Anjou and
Maine, and the province of
Touraine upon the death of his father
Geoffrey Plantagenet (the Fair), the previous year. With the addition of Eleanor's lands, he now controls territory stretching unbroken, from
Cherbourg to
Bayonne.[4]
April 6 – King
Stephen has his nobles swear fealty to his son
Eustace, as the rightful heir of the English throne.
Theobald, archbishop of
Canterbury, and other bishops refuse to crown Eustace favouring Henry of Anjou to claim the throne instead. Stephen confiscates their property and Theobald is forced into exile in
Flanders.
Stephen besieges
Newbury Castle and holds the young
William as a hostage to ensure that his father,
John Marshal, keeps his promise to surrender the castle. When John refuses to comply, Stephen threatened to have the young boy
catapulted over the walls. After this, William remains a crown hostage for many months.[5]
Spring – King
Baldwin III and his mother, Queen
Melisende, are called to intervene in a dispute between Baldwin's aunt
Hodierna and her husband
Raymond II, count of
Tripoli. Hodierna decides to take a long holiday, and travels to
Jerusalem, while Raymond escorts her out on the road southwards. On the way back to Tripoli, a group of
Assassins stabs him to death at the southern gate of the city. The garrison rushes to arms and pours into the streets, slaying every Muslim in their way, but the Assassins manage to escape; the motive of their act is never known.[1]
Baldwin III demands more authority and blames
Manasses, ruler of
Ramla, for interfering with his legal succession as ruler of Jerusalem. He demands a second coronation from Patriarch
Fulcher separated from Melisende. Fulcher refuses, and as a kind of self-coronation Baldwin parades through the city streets with laurel wreaths on his head. Before the High Court (Haute Cour) the decision is made to divide the kingdom into two districts.
Baldwin III begins a civil war against Melisende and launches an invasion in the south. He captures the castle of
Mirabel, which is defended by Manasses. Baldwin spares his life and is exiled,
Nablus thereupon surrenders soon after. Melisende seeks refuge in the
Tower of David with her younger son, the 16-year-old
Amalric. Baldwin enters Jerusalem, he allows his mother to retain Nablus and the neighbourhood as her dower.[2]
February 15 – King
Conrad III dies after a 14-year reign at
Bamberg. He is succeeded by his 29-year-old nephew
Frederick I (Barbarossa), duke of
Swabia, who is crowned as
King of the Germans at
Aachen several days later, on
March 9. Frederick becomes sole ruler of
Germany and receives the royal insignia, despite the fact that Conrad has a 6-year-old son,
Frederick IV, who becomes duke of Swabia.
March 21 – King
Louis VII repudiates his marriage to
Eleanor of Aquitaine and has it annulled on grounds of misconduct and consanguinity – returning her lands and titles. Within 6 weeks, Eleanor re-marries
Henry of Anjou, who had claimed the counties of
Anjou and
Maine, and the province of
Touraine upon the death of his father
Geoffrey Plantagenet (the Fair), the previous year. With the addition of Eleanor's lands, he now controls territory stretching unbroken, from
Cherbourg to
Bayonne.[4]
April 6 – King
Stephen has his nobles swear fealty to his son
Eustace, as the rightful heir of the English throne.
Theobald, archbishop of
Canterbury, and other bishops refuse to crown Eustace favouring Henry of Anjou to claim the throne instead. Stephen confiscates their property and Theobald is forced into exile in
Flanders.
Stephen besieges
Newbury Castle and holds the young
William as a hostage to ensure that his father,
John Marshal, keeps his promise to surrender the castle. When John refuses to comply, Stephen threatened to have the young boy
catapulted over the walls. After this, William remains a crown hostage for many months.[5]