Edessa has been lost by 1152 and Antioch and Tripoli have no leaders; only Jerusalem has a true king, but even here a dispute is brewing.

Baldwin has been of age to rule by himself for seven years, and he begins to assert himself in political affairs.

Though he has not previously expressed an interest in the administration of the country, he now demands more authority.

He and his mother have become increasingly estranged since 1150, and Baldwin blames the constable Manasses for interfering with his legal succession.

Baldwin in early 1152 demands a second coronation from Patriarch Fulcher, separate from his mother.

The patriarch refuses and as a kind of self-coronation Baldwin parades through the city streets with laurel wreaths on his head.

Baldwin and Melisende agree to put the matter before the Haute Cour, or royal council.

The Haute Cour returns a decision that will divide the kingdom into two administrative districts.

Baldwin will retain Galilee in the north, including the cities of Acre and Tyre, while Melisende is to hold the richer Judea and Samaria, including Nablus and Jerusalem itself.

Supporting Melisende in the south are Manasses, and Baldwin's younger brother Amalric, who holds the County of Jaffa within Melisende's jurisdiction.

Neither Baldwin nor Melisende are pleased with the decision, as Baldwin wants to rule the entire kingdom and realizes it will divide the country's resources, but in order to prevent a civil war Melisende agrees to the compromise.

Within weeks of the division, Baldwin launches an invasion of the south.

Manasses is defeated at the castle of Mirabel and exiled, and Nablus falls quickly as well.

To prevent further violence, Jerusalem opens its gates to Baldwin.

Melisende and Amalric seek refuge in the Tower of David.

Throughout the siege the church negotiates with Baldwin.

The peace that is settled allows for Melisende to hold Nablus for life, with a solemn oath by Baldwin not to disturb her peace.

Baldwin names his supporter Humphrey II of Toron as the new constable.

The Fatimid rulers of Ashkelon had fortified the city in 1150 with fifty-three towers, as it is their most important frontier fortress.

The city is captured in August 1153  after a five month siege by a crusader army led by King Baldwin III of Jerusalem.

It is now added to the County of Jaffa to form the County of Jaffa and Ascalon, which becomes one of the four major seigneuries of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Baldwin’s capture of Ascalon, which will prove to be the last major conquest of the Franks, has extended the crusaders' coastline southward but has brought Egypt into the sphere of conflict.

Raynald of Châtillon, a member of the Second Crusade who had left France for the Holy Land in 1147, had put himself at the service first of Baldwin III of Jerusalem and then of Constance of Antioch, whose husband had died in 1149.

Constance, having fallen in love with Raynald, had married him in secret in 1153 without consulting her first cousin and liege lord, Baldwin III.

Raynald had thus become Prince of Antioch.

Neither King Baldwin nor Aimery of Limoges, the Latin Patriarch of Antioch, had approved of Constance's choice of a husband of such low birth.

At the instigation of Emperor Manuel, Raynald attacks Armenian Cilicia in southeastern Anatolia, but he subsequently makes peace with Thoros II of Cilicia.

Raynald claims in 1156 that Constantinople’s emperor Manuel I Komnenos had reneged on his promise to pay Raynald a sum of money, and vows to attack the island of Cyprus, an imperial possession, in revenge.

When Patriarch Aimery refuses to finance this expedition, Raynald has the Patriarch seized, stripped naked, covered in honey, and left in the burning sun on top of the citadel.

When the Patriarch is released, he collapses in exhaustion and agrees to finance Raynald's expedition against Cyprus.