Anne of Kiev or Anna Yaroslavna,
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
: Анна Ярославна (c. 1030 – 1075) was a
Rus' princess who became
Queen of France
This is a list of the women who were queens or empresses as wives of French monarchs from the 843 Treaty of Verdun, which gave rise to West Francia, until 1870, when the Third Republic was declared.
Living wives of reigning monarchs technica ...
in 1051 upon marrying King
Henry I Henry I may refer to:
876–1366
* Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936)
* Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955)
* Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018)
* Henry I of France (1008–1060)
* Henry I the Long, Margrave of the ...
. She ruled the kingdom as
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
during the minority of their son
Philip I Philip(p) I may refer to:
* Philip I of Macedon (7th century BC)
* Philip I Philadelphus (between 124 and 109 BC–83 or 75 BC)
* Philip the Arab (c. 204–249), Roman Emperor
* Philip I of France (1052–1108)
* Philip I (archbishop of Cologne) (1 ...
from Henry's death in 1060 until her controversial marriage to Count
Ralph IV of Valois
Ralph IV (french: Raoul; born 1025, died 1074) was a northern French nobleman who amassed an extensive array of lordships lying in a crescent around the Île-de-France from the border of the Duchy of Normandy in the northwest to Champagne in the s ...
. Anne founded the
Abbey of St. Vincent at
Senlis
Senlis () is a commune in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France.
The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. It is known for its Gothic cathedral and other ...
.
Childhood
![Córki Jarosława](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/C%C3%B3rki_Jaros%C5%82awa.jpeg)
Anne was a daughter of
Yaroslav the Wise
Yaroslav the Wise or Yaroslav I Vladimirovich; russian: Ярослав Мудрый, ; uk, Ярослав Мудрий; non, Jarizleifr Valdamarsson; la, Iaroslaus Sapiens () was the Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death. He was al ...
,
Grand Prince of Kiev
The Grand Prince of Kiev (sometimes grand duke) was the title of the ruler of Kiev and the ruler of Kievan Rus' from the 10th to 13th centuries. In the 13th century, Kiev became an appanage principality first of the grand prince of Vladimir and ...
and
Prince of Novgorod The Prince of Novgorod (russian: Князь новгородский, ''knyaz novgorodskii'') was the chief executive of the Republic of Novgorod. The office was originally an appointed one until the late eleventh or early twelfth century, then bec ...
, and his second wife
Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden
Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden, also known as Irene, Anna and Saint Anna (1001 – 10 February 1050), was a Swedish princess and a Grand Princess of Kiev. She was the daughter of Swedish King Olof Skötkonung and Estrid of the Obotr ...
.
Her exact birthdate is unknown;
Philippe Delorme has suggested 1027,
while Andrew Gregorovich has proposed 1032, citing a mention in a Kievan
chronicle of the birth of a daughter to Yaroslav in that year.
Anne's exact place in the birth order of her siblings is unknown, although she was almost certainly the youngest daughter.
Little is known about Anne's childhood or education. It is assumed that she was literate, at least enough to write her name, because her signature in
Cyrillic exists on a document from 1061.
Delorme has pointed out that Yaroslav founded a number of schools in his kingdom and suggests that education was highly valued in his family, leading him to propose a significant level of education for Anne.
Gregorovich has suggested that Anne learned
French in preparation for her marriage to King
Henry I of France
Henry I (4 May 1008 – 4 August 1060) was King of the Franks from 1031 to 1060. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians. T ...
.
Engagement
The negotiations for Anne's marriage to the 18-years-older King Henry took place in the late 1040s, after the death of Henry's first wife,
Matilda of Frisia, and their only child. Due to the pressing need for an heir, and the Church's growing disapproval of
consanguineous marriages, it became necessary for Henry to seek an unrelated bride.
The
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...
was not unknown to the French. Yaroslav had married several of his children to Western rulers in an attempt to avoid the influence of the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
.
In the autumn of 1049 or the spring of 1050, Henry sent Bishop
Gauthier of Meaux,
Goscelin of Chauny, and other unnamed advisors to Yaroslav's court.
It is possible that there were two diplomatic missions to the Rus at this time, with Roger of Chalons also present.
[Raffensperger, pp. 94–97.] No record of the marriage negotiations or the
dowry
A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment ...
arrangements survives, although Anne reportedly left Kiev with "rich presents".
Gregorovich claims that part of the wealth she brought to France included the
jacinth jewel that Abbot
Suger
Suger (; la, Sugerius; 1081 – 13 January 1151) was a French abbot, statesman, and historian. He once lived at the court of Pope Calixtus II in Maguelonne, France. He later became abbot of St-Denis, and became a close confidant to King Lo ...
later mounted on a
reliquary of
St. Denis.
Anne left Kiev in the summer or fall of 1050 and traveled to Reims.
Queenship
Anne married Henry on 19 May 1051, during the feast of
Pentecost.
[Megan McLaughlin, 56.] Henry was nearly twenty years older than Anne.
Her wedding on 19 May 1051 followed the installation of
Lietbert as bishop of Cambrai, and Anne was crowned immediately following the marriage ceremony, making her the first French queen to celebrate her coronation in
Reims Cathedral
, image = Reims Kathedrale.jpg
, imagealt = Facade, looking northeast
, caption = Façade of the cathedral, looking northeast
, pushpin map = France
, pushpin map alt = Location within France
, ...
.
Anne and Henry were married for nine years and had three sons:
Philip, Robert (who died young), and
Hugh.
Anne is often credited with introducing the Greek name "
Philip" to royal families of
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
, as she bestowed it on her first son; she might have imported this
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
name from her
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...
culture.
There may also have been a daughter, Emma, perhaps born in 1055; it is unknown if she married or when she died.
Henry and Anne of Kiev are additionally said to have been the parents of the
beatified
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
figure
Edigna
Edigna (–1109) is a venerated figure in Puch, and is beatified in the Catholic Church. Her historical existence is debated.
Legend
According to legend, Edigna was a daughter of Henry I of France and Anne of Kiev, and was born . In 1074, at ...
.
As queen, Anne would have had the privilege of participating in the royal council, but there are almost no records of her doing so.
In one 1058 charter, Henry granted a privilege to a couple of villages associated with the
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...
of
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés doing so "with the approval of my wife Anne and our children Philip, Robert, and Hugh." Anne seems to have possessed territories in the same region under the terms of her
dower
Dower is a provision accorded traditionally by a husband or his family, to a wife for her support should she become widowed. It was settled on the bride (being gifted into trust) by agreement at the time of the wedding, or as provided by law. ...
.
In 1059, King Henry began feuding with the Church over issues related to
Gregorian Reform
The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, c. 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy. The reforms are considered to be na ...
.
During this time,
Pope Nicholas II sent Queen Anne a letter counselling her to follow her conscience to right wrongs and intervene against oppressive violence, while also encouraging her to advocate with her husband so that he might govern with moderation.
According to Delorme, some historians have interpreted this letter from the Pope as being indicative of Anne's conversion to
Roman Catholicism from
Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
.
Regency
![Анна Ярославна реверс](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/%D0%90%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%AF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%81.jpg)
Upon Henry's death on 4 August 1060, Philip succeeded to the throne.
Count
Baldwin V of Flanders, the husband of Henry's sister
Adela, was assigned as Philip's guardian.
Anne may still have played an active role in government at that point; an act from 1060 shows her name following Philip's, and her name appears in four times as many charters as Baldwin's.
She also hired Philip's tutor, who was known at court by a Greek title.
Queen Anne's only existing signature dates from this period; it appears inscribed on a document issued at
Soissons
Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital o ...
for the abbot of , now held in the
National Library of France
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
. The signature was most likely placed by a
Rus' assistant of the Queen. Under the king's rubric, there is a cross and eight letters in Cyrillic, probably meaning "Ana Reina",
the
contemporaneous French for "Queen Anne".
Evidence for Anne's role in government, however, disappears in 1061, around the time she remarried.
Her second husband was Count
Ralph IV of Valois
Ralph IV (french: Raoul; born 1025, died 1074) was a northern French nobleman who amassed an extensive array of lordships lying in a crescent around the Île-de-France from the border of the Duchy of Normandy in the northwest to Champagne in the s ...
.
This marriage was controversial because of the couple's
affinity (as Ralph was Henry's cousin), and it constituted
bigamy
In cultures where monogamy is mandated, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their marital status as married persons. I ...
, since Ralph was still technically married to his second wife,
Haquenez.
[
] Ralph was
excommunicated
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
for these transgressions.
King Philip's advisers may have encouraged him to turn away from his mother, perhaps mistrusting Ralph's influence.
Ralph began referring to himself as the king's stepfather in the late 1060s.
He died in 1074, leaving Anne a widow once again.
![DiplomaPhilip I AbbeyStCrepin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/DiplomaPhilip_I_AbbeyStCrepin.png)
In 1062, Anne gave a significant amount of money to restore a dilapidated chapel at Senlis, originally dedicated to Saint
Vincent of Saragossa
Vincent of Saragossa (also known as Vincent Martyr, Vincent of Huesca or Vincent the Deacon), the Protomartyr of Spain, was a deacon of the Church of Saragossa. He is the patron saint of Lisbon and Valencia. His feast day is 22 January in the C ...
. She bequeathed lands and income to the new establishment so that the organization could sustain itself.
She also wrote a letter explaining her reasons for dedicating the monastery. The letter betrays adherence to
Greek Orthodox
The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...
theology. For instance, the term "
Mary, mother of God
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
" is used rather than the more common "Our Lady", perhaps referring to the Eastern concept of the
Theotokos. Some scholars believe that Anne did not write this letter herself.
Death and aftermath
The exact date of Anne's death is unknown. Delorme believes that she died on 5 September—the day commemorated at Senlis—in 1075 (the year of her last signed document), while others have proposed 1080.
A ''
terminus ante quem
''Terminus post quem'' ("limit after which", sometimes abbreviated to TPQ) and ''terminus ante quem'' ("limit before which", abbreviated to TAQ) specify the known limits of dating for events or items..
A ''terminus post quem'' is the earliest da ...
'' is provided by a 1089 document of Philip I, which indicates that Anne had died by then.
In 1682, the
Jesuit antiquary
Claude-Francois Menestrier announced that he had discovered Anne's tomb at the
Cistercian Abbey of Villiers.
The discovery was subsequently disputed, as Villiers was not built until the thirteenth century, although it's possible Anne's remains had been moved there at some point following her death. Whatever monument may have been there was destroyed in the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, increased diplomatic contact between France and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
led to a revived antiquarian interest in Anne, and a number of short biographies were published.
In the 20th century, Anne became a symbol of
Ukrainian nationalism
Ukrainian nationalism refers to the promotion of the unity of Ukrainians as a people and it also refers to the promotion of the identity of Ukraine as a nation state. The nation building that arose as nationalism grew following the French Revol ...
.
On the other hand, a film was produced in the Soviet Union, "Yaroslavna, the Queen of France" (1978), which was not related with "Ukrainian nationalism" in any way. An opera called "Anna Yaroslavna", written by
Antin Rudnytsky Antin may refer to:
Places
* Antin, Hautes-Pyrénées, a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in France
* Antin, Croatia, a village in eastern Croatia
People Surname
* Benjamin Antin (1884–1956), New York politician
* Eleanor Antin (bor ...
, was first performed at
Carnegie Hall in 1969. In 1998, the Ukrainian government issued a postage stamp in her honour.
In 2005, the
Government of Ukraine sponsored the construction of a bronze statue of Queen Anne at Senlis, which was unveiled by President
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko ( uk, Віктор Андрійович Ющенко, ; born 23 February 1954) is a Ukrainian politician who was the third president of Ukraine from 23 January 2005 to 25 February 2010.
As an informal leader of th ...
on 22 June.
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
* Bauthier, Robert-Henri. 'Anne de Kiev reine de France et la politique royale au Xe siècle', ''Revue des Etudes Slaves'', vol.57 (1985), pp. 543–45
* Bogomoletz, Wladimir V. ''Anna of Kiev. An enigmatic Capetian Queen of the eleventh century. A reassessment of biographical sources''. In: ''French History''. Jg. 19, Nr. 3, 2005,
* Bouyer, Christian: ''Dictionnaire des Reines de France''. Perrin, Paris 1992, , S. 135–137.
*Dauxois, Jacqueline. ''Anne de Kiev. Reine de France.'' Paris: Presse de la Renaissance, 2003. .
* de Caix de Saint-Aymour, Amédée. ''Anne de Russie, reine de France et comtesse de Valois au XIe siècle''. Paris: Honoré Champion, 1896.
*
* Hallu, Roger. ''Anne de Kiev, reine de France''. Rome: Editiones Universitatis catholicae Ucrainorum, 1973.
*
*
*Lobanov-Rostovskii, Aleksandr Iakovlevich (1825). ''Recueil de Pièces Historiques sur la reine Anne ou Agnès, épouse de Henri Ier, Roi De France, et Fille de Iarosslaf Ier, Grand Duc de Russie''. Paris: Typ. De Firmin Didot, 1825.
Megan McLaughlin ''Sex, Gender, and Episcopal Authority in an Age of Reform, 1000–1122.'' Cambridge University Press, 2010.
*
*
* Sokol, Edward D.: ''Anna of Rus, Queen of France''. In ''The New Review. A Journal of East European History''. Nr. 13, 1973, S. 3–13.
* Treffer, Gerd: ''Die französischen Königinnen. Von Bertrada bis Marie Antoinette (8.–18. Jahrhundert).'' Pustet, Regensburg 1996, , S. 81–83.
* Ward, Emily Joan. "Anne of Kiev (c.1024-c.1075) and a reassessment of maternal power in the minority kingship of Philip I of France," published on 8 March 2016, Institute of Historical Research, London University.
* Woll, Carsten. ''Die Königinnen des hochmittelalterlichen Frankreich 987-1237/38 (= ''Historische Forschungen''. Band 24).'' Franz Steiner, Stuttgart 2002, , S. 109–116.
External links
translated at
Epistolae'
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anne of Kiev
1030 births
1075 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
House of Capet
French queens consort
11th-century women rulers
Regents of France
11th-century French people
11th-century French women
Kievan Rus' princesses
Remarried royal consorts
French people of Russian descent
French people of Ukrainian descent
People from Kyiv
Rurik dynasty
11th-century Rus' people
11th-century Rus' women
French people of Swedish descent
Queen mothers