The kingship of Jerusalem was partially elected and partially hereditary. During the height of the kingdom in the mid-12th century there was a royal family and a relatively clear line of succession. Nevertheless the king was elected, or at least recognized, by the Haute Cour. In the Haute Cour the king was considered primus inter pares, and in his absence his duties were performed by his seneschal.
The royal palace was centred on the Citadel, centred on the Tower of David. The Kingdom of Jerusalem introduced French feudal structures to the Levant: the king personally held several fiefs incorporated into the royal domain (these varied from king to king). He was also responsible for leading the kingdom into battle, although this duty could be passed to the constable. While several contemporary European states were moving towards centralized monarchies, the king of Jerusalem was continually losing power to the strongest of his barons. This was partially due to the young age of many of the kings, and the frequency of regents from the ranks of the nobles.
After the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, the capital of the Kingdom was moved to Acre, where it remained until 1291, although coronations took place in Tyre. Even in this period the kingship was often simply a nominal position, held by a European ruler who never lived in Acre. For some of the last hundred years of the kingdom, the kingship was held by the Lusignan family, simultaneously kings of Cyprus.
After the end of the kingdom, Henry II continued to use the title "King of Jerusalem." After his death the title was claimed by both his direct heirs, the Kings of Cyprus, and by the Angevin Kings of Naples, whose founder, Charles of Anjou, had bought the rights to the throne from a childless supposed heiress. The Angevin claim passed down through their heirs, the Dukes of Lorraine, into the modern day House of Habsburg, and was also claimed by the Aragonese Kings who conquered Naples itself in the 15th century.
Currently, the title of King of Jerusalem is claimed by King Juan Carlos I of Spain as the successor to the royal family of Naples. The House of Savoy, as heirs of the royal family of Cyprus, have also made claims on the title at times.
None of these, however, have actually claimed a physical kingdom.
Cypriot claimants
Henry II (1285) 1291-1306 d. 1324, remains as king of Cyprus
