Robert of St. Albans

Contents

Robert of St Albansα (Latin: Robertus de Saneto Albano; died 1187) was an English Templar Knight who converted to Islam from Christianity in 1185.[1][2][3] In 1187, he led an army for Saladin[4] against the Crusaders during the Battle of Hattin as well as the reconquest of Jerusalem,[5] which was at the time under the control of the Franks.[6]

Robert married the niece of Saladin.[7] In 1187, Robert fought for Saladin against the Crusaders during the Battle of Hattin and the Siege of Jerusalem.[2][8][9][10] Robert died the same year outside of Jerusalem.[2] It was stated that: “He devastated the country around Nablus and was killed outside Jerusalem in 1187.”[11]

According to Roger of Howden, Robert promised to deliver Saladin the city of Jerusalem, married his niece, became a Prince and was made a leader of Saladin's army.[1][12][13] However, the historian Helen J. Nicholson calls into question the validity of Howden's account, stating that it "reads like a fairy tale".[14]

References

  1. 1.[1.2]Roger of Hoveden (1869). Stubbs, William (ed.). Chronica Magistri Rogeri de Houedene: 2 (in Latin). London: Longmans, Green, and Co. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  2. 2.[2.2][2.3]Richard, Jean (2003). "The adventure of John Gale, Knight of Tyre". In Edbury, Peter; Phillips, Jonathan (eds.). The Experience of Crusading Volume 2. Defining the Crusader Kingdom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521781515. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  3. 3.Siedschlag, Beatrice Nina. English Participation in the Crusades, 1150-1220. p. 49.
  4. 4.Freeman, Edward Augustus. The Reign of William Rufus and the Accession of Henry the First. Vol. 2. p. 123.
  5. 5.Childress, David Hatcher. Pirates and the Lost Templar Fleet. p. 94.
  6. 6.Daraul, Arkon. A History of Secret Societies. p. 46.
  7. 7.Edbury, Peter W. M; Phillips, Jonathan P.; Riley-Smith, Jonathan Simon Christopher. The Experience of Crusading. Vol. 1. p. 195.
  8. 8.Freeman, Edward Augustus. The Reign of William Rufus and the Accession of Henry the First. Vol. 2. p. 123.
  9. 9.Childress, David Hatcher. Pirates and the Lost Templar Fleet. p. 94.
  10. 10.Daraul, Arkon. A History of Secret Societies. p. 46.
  11. 11.Edbury, Peter. The Experience of Crusading. Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press. p. 195.
  12. 12.Röhricht, Reinhold (1898). Geschichte Des Königreichs Jerusalem (1100-1291) (in German). Innsbruck: Universitätsverlag Wagner. p. 411. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  13. 13.Keightley, Thomas (1848). "The Templars". Secret societies of the Middle Ages with Illustrations. New Edition. London: C. Cox. p. 201. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  14. 14.Nicholson, Helen J. (1993). "The representation of the military orders in literary sources and legand". Templars, Hospitallers and Teutonic Knights: Images of the Military Orders, 1128-1291. Leicester: Leicester University Press. pp. 84–85. ISBN 0718514114. Retrieved 27 November 2025.