Maria's daughter, Isabella, was unviable because she was only two years old. Diplomatic role Maria found herself in an unusual situation after Amalric's death; she was the queen dowager, but the new king, Baldwin IV, had a living mother, Agnes of Courtenay. She thus had no right to rule the kingdom as regent for the underage monarch. Having no role at court, Maria retired from public life with her daughter. When Count Raymond III of Tripoli assumed regency, Agnes returned to court. Soon after his accession it became clear that Baldwin was indeed afflicted with leprosy, meaning that he could not father an heir. Amalric's daughters, Sibylla and Isabella, therefore became crucial figures. After reaching the age of majority in 1176, Baldwin started planning an invasion of Egypt, ruled by the Muslim sultan Saladin, who had encircled the crusader states during Raymond's regency. Baldwin sought the help of Manuel, who wanted a Byzantine protectorate in the crusader states in return. Having retired from public life, Maria could not be relied upon to act as the emperor's representative in Jerusalem, and so Manuel proposed the restoration of the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem instead. Baldwin's cousin Count Philip I of Flanders arrived in Jerusalem in 1177 and was tasked by his liege, King Louis VII of France, with discussing a Franco-Byzantine alliance with Emperor Manuel on his way back to Europe. Philip was expected to assist in the Egyptian campaign, but prevaricated when he realized that he would not be granted sovereignty over conquered territory. In 1178 he visited his aunt Maria in Nablus to seek her advice about the Byzantine court. The queen dowager must have been in contact with the Byzantines in the Levant and aware of their intention to cancel the expedition due to their allies' failure to cooperate. It is likely she who explained to Philip that the High Court would pin the blame on him, thereby damaging his standing with Manuel. Philip quickly announced his readiness to assist, but the Byzantines doubted his sincerity and broke off the alliance. Ibelin alliance In late 1177, Queen Maria married Balian of Ibelin. The match may have been a consolation prize to the House of Ibelin, as Balian's brother Baldwin had been denied marriage to Maria's stepdaughter, Sibylla, who was heir presumptive to the throne. The acquisition of Maria's fief of Nablus made the Ibelin brothers the most powerful