Irene Komnene of Epirus

Irene
Empress consort of Bulgaria

Empress consort of Bulgaria
Tenure	1238–1241
Predecessor	Anna Maria of Hungary
Successor	Elisabeth Rostislavna

Born	Unknown
Spouse	Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria
Issue	Anna (or Theodora), Maria, Michael Asen I
Dynasty	Komnenos Doukas
Father	Theodore Komnenos Doukas
Mother	Maria Petraliphaina

Irene Komnene Doukaina or Eirene Komnene Doukaina (Greek: Ειρήνη Κομνηνή Δούκαινα, Bulgarian: Ирина Комнина) was an Empress of Bulgaria during the Second Bulgarian Empire and Byzantine princess. She was the third wife of tsar Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria. She was the mother of tsar Michael Asen I of Bulgaria.

Irene was daughter of despotēs Theodore Komnenos Doukas, ruler of Epirus, and Maria Petraliphaina (sister of the sebastokratōr John Petraliphas). In 1230 Irene and her family were captured by the troops of tsar Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria in the battle of Klokotnitsa and they were taken in Tarnovo, where Irene grew up in the Palace. Irene became known for her beauty and the widowed tsar fell in love with her. They married in 1237. According to a Byzantine author, Ivan Asen II loved Irene "no less than Antony loved Cleopatra", and she may have been his mistress for some years before their marriage in 1237. By marrying Irene, Ivan Asen II would have broken church canons, as his daughter, Maria Asanina Komnena, from his marriage to Anna (Anisia) was married to Irene's uncle, Manuel of Thessalonica. There is moot evidence that the Bulgarian church opposed the marriage and that a patriarch (called either Spiridon or Vissarion) was deposed or executed by the irate tsar.