Date of Birth: 2 November 1154
House: Hauteville
Spouse(s): Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, son of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Beatrix of Burgundy
Predecessor: William III
Reign: 1194 – 1198
Brief: Born posthumously to Roger II, king of Sicily, a line of illegitimate children of Roger succeed him leaving Constance to develop relatively normally. She wasn't betrothed until she was thirty and when she was, it was to the future Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI. They married in 1186 and became a force to be reckoned with. After a coup shifted the Sicilian inheritance to another illegitimate line, Henry and Constance gathered an army, invading Sicily and Naples in 1190. Constance took up residence at Salerno, the mainland capital of the kingdom, while Henry ravaged the rebel forces. His army caught malaria, though, and were forced to retreat to Germany, leaving Constance alone in the south. Salerno betrayed Constance and handed her over to the usurper, Tancred. He agreed to return the queen in exchange for recognition as king of Sicily by the pope. Henry sent a small force to recapture the queen before any diplomacy could be finalized. Luckily, Tancred died suddenly in 1194 leaving the throne disputed between Constance and Tancred' son, William III. Meanwhile, Constance gave birth to a son, Frederick, at the age of 40, allowing many matrons to view the birth and the queen breast-feeding to ensure the child's legitimacy. Henry died in 1197 and Constance took direct control over Sicily for her young child, placing Frederick in the care of Pope Innocent III while relying on loyal advisors to manage her realm. Constance died suddenly in 1198, noting Innocent as the guardian of Frederick in her will.
Brief: Born posthumously to Roger II, king of Sicily, a line of illegitimate children of Roger succeed him leaving Constance to develop relatively normally. She wasn't betrothed until she was thirty and when she was, it was to the future Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI. They married in 1186 and became a force to be reckoned with. After a coup shifted the Sicilian inheritance to another illegitimate line, Henry and Constance gathered an army, invading Sicily and Naples in 1190. Constance took up residence at Salerno, the mainland capital of the kingdom, while Henry ravaged the rebel forces. His army caught malaria, though, and were forced to retreat to Germany, leaving Constance alone in the south. Salerno betrayed Constance and handed her over to the usurper, Tancred. He agreed to return the queen in exchange for recognition as king of Sicily by the pope. Henry sent a small force to recapture the queen before any diplomacy could be finalized. Luckily, Tancred died suddenly in 1194 leaving the throne disputed between Constance and Tancred' son, William III. Meanwhile, Constance gave birth to a son, Frederick, at the age of 40, allowing many matrons to view the birth and the queen breast-feeding to ensure the child's legitimacy. Henry died in 1197 and Constance took direct control over Sicily for her young child, placing Frederick in the care of Pope Innocent III while relying on loyal advisors to manage her realm. Constance died suddenly in 1198, noting Innocent as the guardian of Frederick in her will.
Date of Death: 27 November 1198
Successor: Frederick II
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
Successor: Frederick II
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
- Clovis I, king of the Franks (511)
- Maurice, emperor of Constantinople (602)
- Muhammad at-Taqi, imam of Shi'a Islam (835)
No comments:
Post a Comment