Dei gratia Ierosolimorum regina. Articulating the Proprietary Queen of Jerusalem's Rulership in Solemn Royal Documents

<p dir="ltr">Between 1131 and 1228, the crown of Jerusalem was held by five women. While it is agreed that women could succeed to the Jerusalemite throne, there remains contention regarding the role of these proprietary queens within the government of their kingdom. Through a comparative diplomatic analysis of seventy-eight surviving royal charters produced during the life and reigns of these five queens of Jerusalem, this article argues that these women retained and exercised royal power and authority within their kingdom, and offers an exploratory survey of how the rulership of the proprietary queens of Jerusalem was formally and publicly articulated. Through its analysis, this article notes key changes in documentary practice and production, namely the disappearance of “ego” documents issued by the queen herself, together with the unfailing refence by the king consort to his wife’s assent to his actions. These changes appeared in the aftermath of the loss of Jerusalem in 1187: a shift in (geo)political reality which resulted in a shift in the nature of female royal rulership within the kingdom – from one of both active participation and legitimisation of the king consort to one of passive participation through the legitimisation of the king consort.</p>