Smiltsena Palaiologina
| Smiltsena Palaiologina | |
|---|---|
| Empress consort of Bulgaria | |
| Tenure | 1292–1298 |
| Born | Byzantine empire |
| Died | Byzantine Empire |
| Spouse | Smilets of Bulgaria |
| Issue | Ivan |
| House | Palaiologos |
| Father | Constantine Palaiologos |
| Mother | Irene Komnene Laskarina Branaina |
Smiltsena (Bulgarian: Смилцена) was the niece of Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos, and empress-consort (tsaritsa) of Tsar Smilets of Bulgaria.
Smiltsena was the daughter of Constantine Palaiologos, who was a half-brother of Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos, and his wife Irene Komnene Laskarina Branaina. In the histories she was called just Smiltsena (Bulgarian: the wife of Smilets), without a name being given.
Smilets ascended the throne of Bulgaria in 1292 and the new tsaritsa moved from her husband's provincial residence into the royal palace in Tarnovo. Her husband died in 1298 and was succeeded by their son Ivan II and Smiltsena took over the government as tsarina-regent because Ivan was still a child at the time. The widowed empress apparently defeated Smilets' brothers Radoslav and Voysil (Vojsil), who sought refuge in the Byzantine Empire and entered into Byzantine service. To meet this threat and the invasion of the Mongol prince Chaka, Smiltsena sought an alliance with Aldimir (Eltimir), the brother of the former ruler George Terter I, who had been deposed by her husband. Aldimir was accordingly married to Smiltsena's daughter Marina and, if this had not happened earlier, the widowed empress granted him the title of despotēs and invested him with a large dominion around Kran.
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