Anne of Kiev
| Anne of Kiev | |
|---|---|
Anne of Kiev (Saint Sophia's Cathedral, Kiev)
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| Queen consort of the Franks | |
| Tenure | 1051–1060 |
| Born | between 1024 and 1036 Kievan Rus' |
| Died | 5 September 1075 |
| Burial | Villiers Abbey, Le Ferte Alais, Essonne, France |
| Spouse |
Henry I of France Ralph IV of Valois |
| Issue |
Philip I of France Emma Robert Hugh I, Count of Vermandois |
| Dynasty | Rurik |
| Father | Yaroslav the Wise |
| Mother | Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden |
| Signature |  |
Anne of Kiev (born Kievan Rus', in Ukrainian: Анна Ярославна), Anna Yaroslavna, Anna of Rus also called Agnes; c. 1030 – 1075) was the queen consort of Henry I of France, and regent of France during the minority of her son, Philip I of France, from 1060 until 1065.
Anne founded St. Vincent Abbey in Senlis.
Anne was born between 1024 and 1032. Her parents were Yaroslav the Wise, Grand Prince of Kiev and Novgorod, and Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden, his second wife. There is not much information about her childhood, but she was evidently given a careful education, and could read and write (in the Cyrillic alphabet), which was rare even among royal princesses at the time.
In 1043-44, Anne was suggested to marry the German Roman Emperor, but the plan was never brought to fruition. After the death of his first wife, Matilda of Frisia, King Henry searched the courts of Europe for a suitable bride, but could not locate a princess who was not related in blood by the papal laws against consanguinity. In 1049, the King of France sent an embassy to distant Kiev, which returned with Anne (also called Agnes). Politically, there was not much gain as Kiev was too far away for any territorial gain for France, but the marriage was considered suitable in France because of the rank of Anne, because she was not related to Henry, and because she came from a fertile family and had herself many siblings. But she did bring wealth to the match, including a jacinth which Suger later mounted in the reliquary of St. Denis.
Anne and Henry were married at the cathedral of Reims on May 19, 1051. Immediately after the ceremony, she was crowned queen of France, followed by weeks of celebrations. She became the first French queen to be crowned at Reims. Only one year after the marriage, Anne fulfilled her task by giving birth to an heir to the throne, the future Philip I. Anne is often credited with introducing the Greek name "Philip" to royal families of Western Europe, as she bestowed it on her first son; she might have imported this Greek name (Philippos, from philos and hippos, meaning "loves horses") from her Eastern Orthodox culture.
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