Anna Yaroslavna, daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, went down in history as the only queen of France born in Kiev. She lived a rich and unusual life, saw wealth, marriage of convenience, unearthly love, felt the pain of loss. In addition to all this, historians note the very significant contribution that she made to the creation of the prestigious appearance of her native lands.
Background
In ancient times, one of the most important roles in the formation of the foreign policy of any state was played by profitable marriage unions. So, the family of the great ruler of Kievan Rus - Yaroslav the Wise (1015-1054) was no exception. Thanks to this tactical step, rapprochement with many European kingdoms took place. It was on women's shoulders that this duty was most of all assigned. By entering into such a marriage, women had a direct impact on friendly relations between countries, and with their help many international problems were solved.
One example is the marriage of Maria Vladimirovna (sister of the prince) to the king of Poland, Casimir: in exchange for a large inheritance, 800 Russian prisoners were released from captivity. And the marriage of Izyaslav to King Gertrude’s sister helped to strengthen these friendships more firmly.
The family of the future queen
Prince Yaroslav himself was married to the daughter of the Swedish king Ingigerde (1019-1050). As expected, a good dowry was obtained for such an alliance. During their life together, they had three daughters and five sons. The mother was directly involved in the upbringing and education of her children. And the father taught them to live in peace and love among themselves. Thanks to this zeal, all their heirs received a very good education. Anna Yaroslavna, daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, who had a difficult fate, was very diligent and diligent. After all, it is she who will eventually have to marry the head of another European state in order to ensure support for friendly and profitable foreign economic relations.
Anna's biography
To this day, historians cannot name the exact date of birth of the youngest daughter of the princely family, but many of them are inclined to 1024. Others indicate the year 1032 or 1036.
Princess Anna Yaroslavna spent all her young years in a palace in Kiev. She was a very diligent girl and from childhood showed abilities for history and learning foreign languages.
Of course, beauty and mind, united in the princess, were not disregarded by representatives of the opposite sex. Tales of her splendor conquered the French king Henry I of Capeting, who in 1848 sent representatives to faraway Kiev to obtain permission for marriage.
Long way
Having received a parental blessing, Anna Yaroslavna says goodbye to her family and goes on a long journey across Europe. Three years later, she arrives in France, in one of her oldest cities, Reims. We welcomed the long-awaited guest very solemnly. The king himself came to greet his future wife. This stranger, with whom she was to connect her life, was almost 20 years older, obese and always gloomy.
On May 19, 1051, a magnificent wedding ceremony was held. The coronation process took place in one of the oldest churches of the Holy Cross. At the very beginning of the reign, the future Queen of France showed firmness of character and took an oath on the Slavic Gospel, which she brought from her native Kiev, instead of the Latin Bible, as was customary in Europe.
At first, staying in a foreign land was not enough for her. In her letters, she constantly reproached her father for how she could send her own daughter to such a terrible place. However, time is the best assistant who helped her cope with the ordeal.
Family life
A year later, the young queen of France gave birth to the first heir to the throne - Phillip, and eventually - and two more sons: Roberto and Hugo. Therefore, all subsequent leaders of this state are considered its descendants. But everything was not so cloudless: Emma's only daughter died as a baby.
They lived, like many families, together. Henry often stayed on military campaigns, and his beloved wife was engaged in raising sons. The king himself relied almost entirely on his wise wife. This is evidenced by some government documents, which indicated that the signing took place with the consent or in the presence of the spouse. There was no evidence that the non-reigning monarchy had the right to sign, either before or after Anna in the history of France.
The wife of the French king was widowed on March 4, 1060, when she was 28 years old. After the death of Henry I, the question arose about the heir to the throne. The eldest son became Philip I, who was crowned during his father’s life. But at that time he was only eight years old, so Anna took control of France.
After burying her husband, she moves to the ancient castle of Senlis, which is located near Paris. There, the queen founded a convent and temple. Returning to normal life, she was completely immersed in caring for the state.
Second marriage
At 36, Queen Anna Yaroslavna still looked beautiful and was full of vital energy. The queen attended feasts and loved to stay on the hunt surrounded by a large number of courtiers. It was there that she drew attention to Count Raul de Crepes en Valois, who had long been madly in love with her. A passion flared up between them. But in their way there were very great difficulties. One of them is Anna's position in society, and the second is the count’s wife, who did not want to give a divorce.
But the great feeling of love knows no obstacles. The count decides on a desperate act - to abduct the queen, of course, with her consent. Having secluded themselves in the Castle of Crepe, they secretly marry. Pope Alexander XI becomes aware of this act of the Count, who was very angry when he learned about the fact of bigamy and ordered to return to his first wife. But the lover, Raoul, refused him, which was followed by his excommunication. In those days, it was a terrible punishment.
The current situation has become critical. It did not help that the king of France Philip I himself defended the newlyweds. Anna Yaroslavna, Queen of France, knew perfectly well that she was jeopardizing relations with Rome. Therefore, in order to avoid conflict, he renounces his status and ceases to take part in government affairs.
In her second marriage, she lived a happy 12 years at the Valois family estate. The only thing that bothered her at that time was the relationship with the children. The eldest son, Philip, had already become an adult and independent, and no longer needed maternal advice. And the sons of her husband from their first marriage disliked her, and did not hide this at all.
In 1074, Anna Yaroslavna was widowed a second time. Shortly before the death of her husband, their marriage was recognized by Pope Gregory VII. After Raoul’s funeral, she returns to Paris and settles at her son’s royal palace. Trying to forget about the pain of loss, he begins to engage in public affairs, signing decrees and orders. But now in the documents she indicated "the mother of the king."
Sadness on the soul
All this time, being far away, Anna Yaroslavna was looking forward to news from her home. And they were not always good. Immediately after she left Kiev, her mother died. Four years later, Prince Yaroslav the Wise died. During her lifetime, her father did not have enough firmness to decide on the appointment of one of his sons as his successor. He simply divided the lands between the brothers, which led to the rivalry between them for the princely throne.
Now, more than ever, Anna Yaroslavna felt loneliness and longing. Many relatives and loved ones have passed away. In order to at least somehow dispel, she goes to travel.
Anna decided to track down her brother Izyaslav Yaroslavich, who was defeated in the struggle for the throne. But all her attempts were unsuccessful. During the trip, she fell ill, and frustration in the search results was added to this, and all this simply broke her.
Eternal peace
Neither the date of death, much less the information about the burial place, has not reached our times. According to some historical statements, Anna died in France in 1075. Other sources cite a later date - 1082 - and suggest that Anna Yaroslavna, queen of France, returned to her homeland, where she was buried.