Leader of the First Crusades and Ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem: Who is Godfrey of Bouillon?

Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish nobleman known mainly for being one of the prominent leaders during the First Crusades. As a result of this successful military expedition to the Holy Land, Godfrey became the first ruler of the newly established Kingdom of Jerusalem. It is said that Godfrey refused to accept the title "King" and instead chose the title 'AdvocatusSanctiSepulchri', meaning 'Defender/Protector of the Holy Sepulchre'.

Godfrey's early life

Godfrey of Bouillon, born in 1060, is the second son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, and his wife is Ida, daughter of Godfrey III (Bearded), Duke of Lower Lorraine. While Godfrey of Boullion's older brother, Eustace III, was about to take over the family's property in England as the heir of the Boulogne administration, Godfrey was declared the heir of his uncle, Godfrey IV (The Hunchback). When his uncle was assassinated in 1076, Godfrey inherited the lands of Verdun, which included the Duchy of Lower Lorraine, and the Marquisate district of Antwerp.

Godfrey of Bouillon (1060 – 18 July 1100) was a pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade, and the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, although he avoided the title of king, preferring that of prince (princeps) and Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri, or Advocate of the Holy Sepulchre.

But not all these lands fell into Godfrey's hands immediately. For example, while Godfrey was the heir to the Duchy of Lower Lorraine, this duchy was taken by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and given to his son, Conrad II of Italy. This land would later be given to Godfrey in 1089 as a reward for his loyalty to the emperor.

As a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire, Godfrey sided with the emperor in the Papal War, when Henry IV fought against Pope Gregory VII. As a reward for his support of the emperor, Godfrey became Duke of Lower Lorraine in 1089.

Godfrey obeys the military call

On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II was in Clermont (in the Auvergne region of modern-day France) where he preached the crusade. This was where the men of Christendom were first called to arms to help other Christians in the East. Both peasants and nobles, inspired by the pope's message, bought crosses or provided financial support to fund this enterprise. Godfrey was one of the nobles who answered the Pope's call to arms. Accompanying him is his younger brother Baldwin, who will first become the Count of Edessa and later take over the Kingdom of Jerusalem from his brother.

In the end, Alexius managed to persuade the crusade leaders to pledge their allegiance to him and obtain a promise to accept him as their overlord when they recaptured Byzantine territory from the Turks. In return, the emperor promised to provide support and supplies to the Crusaders during their march to Asia Minor,

In mid-1099, Godfrey (and defectors from the Crusader army) arrived before Jerusalem. Despite the differences among the crusade leaders, they managed to stay together during their advance through enemy territory, winning a number of battles against the Turks and conquering a fair amount of land. The Crusaders now began to besiege the holy city before their eyes, which was then under the rule of the Fatimid Caliphate and their ultimate goal. About a month later, Jerusalem fell to the Crusaders.

Godfrey remained in the East for the rest of his life and died in Jerusalem in 1100. However, the circumstances surrounding his death are unclear as there are many conflicting historical accounts on the subject. It is stated that the cause of Godfrey's death could be: being shot with an arrow, an illness, or poisoning (possibly with a poisoned apple).