King of Jerusalem
Crowned at about thirteen, he ruled Jerusalem under the advance of leprosy.
Baldwin IV inherited Jerusalem at about thirteen, already bearing the disease that would shorten his life. He rode against Saladin, governed a divided court, and arranged the succession while leprosy steadily took his strength.
Baldwin’s tutor, William of Tyre, recorded that the young prince did not feel pain when other boys pinched his right arm during play. The numbness proved to be an early sign of leprosy.
When his father, Amalric I, died in 1174, Baldwin was crowned at about thirteen years old. He came to the throne knowing that the disease would shape both his reign and the succession after him.
Saladin’s power was rising beyond the kingdom’s borders. Within them, rival nobles pressed their own claims, while Baldwin’s illness made it unlikely that he would leave an heir.
There was little time for a quiet apprenticeship. Baldwin had to command armies, manage rival factions, and settle the succession while his health continued to decline.
In November 1177, Saladin invaded the kingdom with a much larger army. Baldwin gathered the forces available to him and met the invaders near Montgisard.
The Frankish charge broke Saladin’s army and drove it from the field. Baldwin was still a teenager. The victory checked the invasion, though it did not end the long struggle for Jerusalem.
As the disease advanced, Baldwin became severely incapacitated. In 1183 he had his young nephew crowned as Baldwin V, an attempt to secure the succession before his own death.
Baldwin died in 1185, probably at about twenty-four or twenty-five years old. His eleven-year reign had been shaped from beginning to end by the knowledge that his time was short.
At a glance
Born in the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Crowned King of Jerusalem after the death of Amalric I.
Defeated Saladin’s invading force at Montgisard.
Had his nephew Baldwin V crowned to protect the succession.
Died, probably at about twenty-four or twenty-five years old.
Watch the story
A brief account of Baldwin’s reign, from his coronation to Montgisard and the final years of his illness.
Sources & further reading
The design standard
Leprosy narrowed Baldwin’s life year by year, yet the work of the crown remained before him: the defense of Jerusalem, the rivalries of its court, and the unresolved question of succession.
He was given eleven years to reign. In them he took the field, governed through physical decline, and prepared the kingdom for the ruler who would follow him. That is the measure of the crown he carried.
Available now
Baldwin IV — The Leper King Heavyweight Tee