▁German ▁( which ▁suggests ▁that ▁he ▁spoke ▁only ▁French , ▁Latin ▁and ▁maybe ▁F lem ish ). ▁In ▁ 1 2 0 9 , ▁as ▁a ▁prince ▁of ▁the ▁Empire , ▁he ▁accompanied ▁Otto ▁to ▁Rome ▁for ▁his ▁coron ation ▁in ▁St ▁Peter ' s ▁Bas il ica ▁as ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Emperor . ▁ ▁At ▁Camb rai , ▁his ▁position ▁was ▁complex . ▁As ▁bishop , ▁he ▁pres ided ▁over ▁an ▁extensive ▁dioc ese ▁which ▁covered ▁a ▁large ▁part ▁of ▁present - day ▁Belg ium , ▁including ▁important ▁cities ▁like ▁Br uss els ▁and ▁stretch ing ▁as ▁far ▁north ▁as ▁Ant werp . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁sec ular ▁lord ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Camb rai ▁and ▁prince ▁of ▁the ▁independent ▁princip ality ▁of ▁Camb rés is , ▁which ▁surrounded ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁formed ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁Rel ations ▁between ▁the ▁b ish ops ▁and ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Camb rai ▁had ▁often ▁been ▁t ense , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 2 1 2 ▁the ▁town spe ople ▁obtained ▁a ▁char ter ▁from ▁Otto ' s ▁rival , ▁Frederick , ▁King ▁of ▁Sic ily , ▁grant ing ▁them ▁rights ▁and ▁privileges ▁which ▁cur ta iled ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁bishop ▁and ▁the ▁church . ▁ ▁The ▁defeat ▁of ▁Otto ▁and ▁his ▁al lies ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁B ouv ines ▁in ▁ 1 2 1 4 ▁meant ▁that ▁from ▁then ▁on ▁the ▁major ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁France , ▁under ▁the ▁vict orious ▁King ▁Philip ▁II ,