Richeza of Poland ( pl, Ryksa Bolesławówna, sv, Rikissa; 12 April 1116 – after 25 December 1156), a member of the
House of Piast
The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great.
Branc ...
, was twice
Queen of Sweden
The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary system: see the Instrument ...
and once Princess of
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
through her three marriages.
Richeza was the daughter of
Bolesław III Wrymouth
Bolesław III Wrymouth ( pl, Bolesław III Krzywousty; 20 August 1086 – 28 October 1138), also known as Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed, was the duke of Lesser Poland, Silesia and Sandomierz between 1102 and 1107 and over the whole of Poland between ...
,
Duke of Poland
Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16th ...
, by his second wife,
Salomea of Berg
Salomea of Berg (german: Salome von Berg, pl, Salomea z Bergu; – 27 July 1144) was a German noblewoman and, by marriage with Prince Bolesław III Wrymouth in 1115, High Duchess of Poland until her husband's death in 1138.
Life
Salomea was th ...
. Tradition describes her as unusually beautiful.
First marriage
The Polish ruler Bolesław III Wrymouth entered in an alliance with King
Niels of Denmark against
Wartislaw I
Wartislaw I (''Warcisław I'') (around 1092 – August 9, 1135) was the first historical ruler of the Duchy of Pomerania and the founder of the Griffin dynasty.
Most of the information about him comes from the writings on the life of Otto of ...
,
Duke of Pomerania
This is a list of the duchies and dukes of Pomerania.
Dukes of the Slavic Pomeranian tribes (All Pomerania)
The lands of Pomerania were firstly ruled by local tribes, who settled in Pomerania around the 10th and 11th centuries.
Non-dynastic
...
(now in northwestern Poland and northeastern
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
). In order to seal this alliance, a marriage was arranged between Bolesław III's daughter Richeza with Niels' eldest son, Crown Prince
Magnus the Strong
Magnus the Strong ( sv, Magnus Nilsson; da, Magnus Nielsen Bricka, Carl Frederik, ''Dansk Biografisk Lexikon'', vol. XI aar – Müllner 1897, pp.45Available online/ref>) (about 1106 – 4 June 1134 in the Battle of Fotevik) was a Danish duke wh ...
. The wedding took place in
Ribe
Ribe () is a town in south-west Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 8,257 (2022). It is the seat of the Diocese of Ribe covering southwestern Jutland. Until 1 January 2007, Ribe was the seat of both a surrounding municipality and county. It ...
around 1127 and was celebrated with pomp and circumstances.
[Hans Olrik, "Richiza", ''Dansk Biografisk Leksikon'', http://runeberg.org/nfcc/0165.html] Richeza bore her husband two sons:
Knud in 1129 and Niels in 1130.
[Hans Gillingstam: ''Rikissa'' n ''Svenskt biografiskt lexikon band 30'', 2000, https://sok.riksarkivet.se/Sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=6754.]
As one of the heirs of his maternal grandfather King
Inge I, Magnus claimed Sweden. He was recognized King of
Götaland
Götaland (; also '' Geatland'', '' Gothia'', ''Gothland'', ''Gothenland'' or ''Gautland'') is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises ten provinces. Geographically it is located in the south of Sweden, bounded to the north by Svealand, wit ...
or parts thereof by the
Geats (''Götar'') in c. 1129 after the death of his mother's cousin King
Inge II. Then Richeza became
Queen consort of Sweden
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mothe ...
. However, Magnus' rule was not accepted by the
Svear, another tribe to the north of the Geats, who vetoed him and elected
Ragnvald Knaphövde Ragnvald Knaphövde was a King of Sweden whose reign is estimated to have occurred in the mid-1120sRagnvald knaphövde'' at the site of the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities, retrieved January 20, 2007. or c. 1130.Ragnvald Knaphöfde' in ''Nord ...
as the new King. According to the chronicler
Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus (c. 1150 – c. 1220), also known as Saxo cognomine Longus, was a Danish historian, theologian and author. He is thought to have been a clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, the main advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark ...
, Ragnvald was murdered by supporters of Magnus, who then won the realm ("imperium") as
King of Sweden
The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary system: see the Instrument ...
. However, there soon appeared another contender for the throne,
Sverker I, who had his power base in
Östergötland.
Richeza and her husband had their base in Denmark rather than Sweden. Alarmed by the popularity and Imperial support of his cousin
Knud ''Lavard'', Duke of
Schleswig
The Duchy of Schleswig ( da, Hertugdømmet Slesvig; german: Herzogtum Schleswig; nds, Hartogdom Sleswig; frr, Härtochduum Slaswik) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km ...
, both Magnus and his father King Niels acted against Knud, who was murdered by Magnus on 7 January 1131. Knud's half-brother
Erik rebelled against Niels and Magnus, but was defeated and took refuge in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
, where he convinced the local nobility and the
Holy Roman Emperor Lothair III to launch a retaliatory expedition against Niels. Meanwhile, Sverker I finally made the Swedes abandon Magnus in c. 1132, when he was busy with the civil war in Denmark; he then unified the country under his rule. Niels was defeated in the
Battle of Fotevik
Battle of Fotevik ( da, Slaget ved Fodevig) was fought between forces of King Niels of Denmark and his son Magnus Nilsson, against those of Erik Emune on 4 June 1134 at the bay of Fotevik in Skåne.
At his death, King Eric I of Denmark h ...
(4 June 1134), and also lost his son Magnus who was slain during the battle. Niels escaped to Schleswig, where he was killed by the citizens (25 June 1134). Now a widow, Richeza returned to Poland, apparently leaving her two sons behind in Denmark.
Second marriage
Once in Poland, Duke Bolesław III arranged a new marriage for his daughter. On 18 June 1136, Richeza married a member of the
Rurikid dynasty
The Rurik dynasty ( be, Ру́рыкавічы, Rúrykavichy; russian: Рю́риковичи, Ryúrikovichi, ; uk, Рю́риковичі, Riúrykovychi, ; literally "sons/scions of Rurik"), also known as the Rurikid dynasty or Rurikids, was ...
,
Volodar Glebovich, Prince of
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
and
Grodno, who at that time was in exile in the Polish court. The union was made in order to seal the alliance of Minsk and Poland against Denmark and the powerful
Monomakh Kievan dynasty. During this marriage, Richeza gave birth to three children: two sons, Vladimir (later Prince of Minsk) and Vasilko (Prince of Logoysk or
Lahojsk
Lahoysk ( be, Лаго́йск, Lahojsk, ; russian: link=no, Лого́йск, pl, Łohojsk) is a city in the Minsk Region of Belarus and the administrative center of Lahoysk District.
History
First chronicled in 1078, Lahoysk was the centr ...
), and a daughter,
Sophia, born ca. 1139/40.
Around 1145, the political advantages of the Polish-Minsk union began to disappear after the Monomach dynasty lost its hegemony among the Rurikid ruling branches. Likely this was the cause of the dissolution of the marriage of Richeza and Volodar. Richeza returned again to Poland, this time with her daughter Sophia, but left her two sons behind with her former husband. Volodar never remarried and died around 1186. She moved to Denmark when her son Knud or
Canute V was enthroned in 1146.
Third marriage
In c. 1148, Queen
Ulvhild Håkansdotter
Ulvhild Håkansdotter (Swedish: ''Ulfhild'', English: ''Wulfhild, Wolfhild''), (c. 1095–c. 1148), was twice Queen of Sweden (c. 1117–25 and c. 1134–48) and once Queen of Denmark (c. 1130–34) through her successive marriages to Inge II of ...
, Sverker I's wife and Richeza's old stepmother-in-law, died. Soon afterwards, the widowed King married Richeza, who arrived in Sweden with her daughter Sophia. The King likely married her with support from Richeza's first husband's allies in Götaland.
[Profile in Historiska-personer.nu](_blank)
The union produced one son, Bulizlaus or Burislev, who was named after his Polish maternal grandfather. The chronicles assign
Sune Sik Sverkersson as the youngest son of Sverker I, possibly born by Richeza.
In 1150, Richeza's oldest son Knud V, King of
Jutland
Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
, took refuge in Sweden after he was expelled from Denmark by
Sweyn III Grathe, King of
Zealand
Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020.
It is the 1 ...
. In this way, the marriage with Sverker I give Richeza the opportunity to help her son, and some historians assume that she partially married the Swedish King for this reason.
One year later (1151), Knud asked for the help of
Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion (german: Heinrich der Löwe; 1129/1131 – 6 August 1195) was a member of the Welf dynasty who ruled as the duke of Saxony and Bavaria from 1142 and 1156, respectively, until 1180.
Henry was one of the most powerful German p ...
, Duke of
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
and
Hartwig I,
Archbishop of Bremen
This list records the bishops of the Roman Catholic diocese of Bremen (german: link=no, Bistum Bremen), supposedly a suffragan of the Archbishopric of Cologne, then of the bishops of Bremen, who were in personal union archbishops of Hamburg (si ...
, but was defeated by Sweyn III's forces. Only after the mediation of the
King of the Germans Frederick Barbarossa during the
Imperial Diet in
Merseburg
Merseburg () is a town in central Germany in southern Saxony-Anhalt, situated on the river Saale, and approximately 14 km south of Halle (Saale) and 30 km west of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a dioces ...
was there made a settlement between both parties: Knud V renounced his claim and was compensated by lands in Zealand, while Sweyn III was made king of Denmark.
[
] After this decision, both Knud V and
Valdemar Knudsson (son of
Knud Lavard
Canute Lavard ( Danish: Knud Lavard; cognate with English Lord) (12 March 1096 – 7 January 1131) was a Danish prince. Later he was the first Duke of Schleswig and the first border prince who was both a Danish and a German vassal, a position ...
, the enemy of his own father Magnus) rebelled against Sweyn III, who was expelled in 1154: Knud V and Valdemar became co-rulers of Denmark.
In 1156 Knud V married
Helena, daughter of King Sverker I and his first wife Ulvhild; in consequence, Richeza became the step-mother-in-law of her own son. On
Christmas Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
of that year, Sverker I was murdered by a servant. When Knud V heard about the deed, he went to Sweden in order to console Richeza, but also to bring his half-sister Sophia of Minsk to Denmark to be married to Valdemar, to whom she had been betrothed since 1154. The marriage took place in 1157. On 9 August of that year, King Knud V was killed during a meeting with Valdemar I and Sweyn III. In 1158 Richeza's second son Niels, probably a monk in
Esrom Abbey, also died.
Death and aftermath
Richeza is known to have survived Sverker I's death, although the facts of her later life and her date of death are unknown: a
legend
A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...
says that she remarried the stable master who took part in the assassination of Sverker I.
Burislev, Richeza's son by Sverker I, is sometimes identified with
Burislev, a rival claimant to the Swedish throne against
Canute I after 1167. He acted in concert with another pretender
Kol, but was defeated and eliminated, according to a much later source in 1169. He is believed either to have been slain by Canute I's men or to have fled to Denmark or Poland some time before 1173.
However, medieval Swedish genealogies say that the claimants Kol and Burislev were in fact sons of
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
, a son of Sverker and Ulvhild.
[Nils Ahnlund, "Vreta klosters äldsta donatorer", ''Historisk tidskrift'' 65, 1945.] If so, the younger Burislev was given the prestigious name after his grandfather's second marriage without actually being related to Bolesław III. The only thing we know about Richeza's son Burislev is that his goods were inherited by his uterine sister Sophia of Minsk.
Richeza's daughter Sophia of Minsk,
Queen of Denmark
The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark was a ...
by her first marriage to Valdemar I, give Richeza her only known legitimate grandchildren: the later kings
Knud VI and
Valdemar II of Denmark
Valdemar (28 June 1170 – 28 March 1241), later remembered as Valdemar the Victorious (), was the King of Denmark (being Valdemar II) from 1202 until his death in 1241.
Background
He was the second son of King Valdemar I of Denmark and Sophi ...
; Sophie (Countess of
Orlamünde
Orlamünde () is a small town in the Saale-Holzland district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is part of the ''Verwaltungsgemeinschaft'' ("collective municipality") Südliches Saaletal.
Geography
The town centre stretches along the steep banks of th ...
); Margareta and Maria, nuns at
Roskilde
Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
;
Ingeborg (the later repudiated
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 ...
); Helena (Duchess of
Brunswick-Luneburg) and
Richeza, named after her grandmother and who, like her, became
Queen of Sweden
The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary system: see the Instrument ...
.
Bibliography
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richeza of Poland, Queen of Sweden
1116 births
12th-century deaths
Piast dynasty
Richeza 1125
Remarried royal consorts
Danish royal consorts
Polish princesses
Poland–Sweden relations
12th-century Polish people
12th-century Swedish people
12th-century Polish women
12th-century Swedish women