Anna Queen of Kyiv. Anna Yaroslavna Queen of France

The ban on marriages between relatives up to the seventh generation terribly complicated the life of kings in the 11th-12th centuries.

On a warm spring evening in 1045, King Henry I, son of Robert the Pious and Constance, was walking in a park near the Castle of Orleans in the company of his brother-in-law Baudouin.

Baudouin, privy to state affairs, followed him without breaking the silence. He knew that Henry was busy with the question that bothered him - whether he could finally find the desired wife.

Indeed, up until this day, the king’s family affairs were not going well.

At twenty-five years old, he was engaged to the daughter of the German Emperor Conrad II, but the young princess died without even having time to meet her betrothed. At thirty-five he married the niece of the German Emperor Henry III. But three months later the poor queen died. “Surely,” the king thought without a hint of irony, “I’ll never be lucky.”

Two years had already passed since he was a widower; this situation weighed heavily on him.

By the way, in 1045, judging by the chronicler’s words, there was an unusually warm spring, but it did not change the life of Henry I for the better...

A few days ago, the king had a lovely concubine, although this calmed his nerves a little, but could not relieve him of constant melancholy. For he wanted to find a wife, a legitimate wife, capable of becoming the queen of France, and making him happy with heirs...

So, this evening he walked with deep sadness in his soul under the shade of trees that were already beginning to turn green. The fragrant May night was approaching. The nightingale sang as beautifully as the troubadours sang their songs. And Henry, leaving his mistress with the court poets, sadly wandered around the park. Suddenly he stopped and, sighing heavily, said:

For two years I have been looking for a wife in vain. I will have to bring my wife from Turkey, although there are many beautiful girls in our country!!!

Have they all been introduced to you?

Yes. And among them I highlighted ten that I really liked. But I cannot marry them based on the existing law.

Baudouin knew about this law. It came from the church.

At a time when kings married mainly to increase their possessions, and for this purpose took their close relatives as wives, without caring about the bad consequences, the pope considered it necessary to prohibit marriages between relatives. But since life forced one to bypass this prohibition, the church banned all marriages between relatives up to the seventh degree of kinship, calling them incestuous. This measure brought many difficulties to the kings. The poor fellows, in fact, almost all were relatives, and now it has become very difficult, and for some sovereigns, almost impossible to create a worthy married couple. Now it’s clear why Henry I was so worried.

Continuing his way, he said:

Germany was my last hope. But now this relationship has also been proven.

He was right. After all, his former marriage was classified by the church as marriages between relatives, and all the relatives of the deceased queen were also his relatives up to the seventh degree of kinship, which means he could not take any of them as his wife.

I think,” advised Baudouin, “you could ask travelers departing for distant countries and whom you, of course, trust, to find out about all the princesses of marriageable age.” It would be strange if there was not a single woman you could marry.

Henry found this idea very cunning and immediately sent observers to all the kingdoms of the East. Then, wanting to forget about the troubles associated with marriage, he went to his concubine...

Four years passed, and poor Henry was still waiting for him to finally be informed about his bride.

Alas! All the princesses they talked about were his relatives. The unfortunate king was completely desperate. He became irritable, angry, rude and intemperate with his concubines, and when they showed the most tender feelings towards him, “it irritated him so much that he beat them cruelly,” writes the chronicler.

Unable to withstand such treatment, they ran away from him, leaving the inconsolable king alone with his grief.

Finally, in April 1049, one of the messengers, beaming with joy, entered the royal bedchamber. He looked tired, having come from a country far in eastern Europe.

Sit down,” said Heinrich, “tell me.” The traveler told the king that the Grand Duke Yaroslav, ruling in Kyiv, has a daughter Anna, who has no family ties with Henry, and in addition, she is amazingly beautiful.

The king ordered the messenger to bring wine, while he himself, sitting comfortably in a chair, questioned him for a long time about the daughter of the Grand Duke. The king learned that rumors about her beauty, intelligence, blond hair, and sensual mouth were reaching all the way to Constantinople. Henry's eyes lit up, and he immediately summoned Roger, Bishop of Chalons-sur-Marne:

Go to Kyiv,” he ordered him, “hand over the jewelry to Yaroslav from the French king and tell him that I ask him for the hand of his daughter.” I'm looking forward to seeing you.

Roger left immediately.

Grand Duke Yaroslav ruled a country more powerful than the French kingdom in the 11th century. In Kyiv, the bishop of Chalons-sur-Marne was given a luxurious reception. He slept little, but ate and drank heavily. Then, without much difficulty, having achieved the consent of the great prince, he left for France.

Henry was delighted that his proposal was received favorably. He ordered carriages to be prepared, filled with luxurious gifts, and instructed two bishops to go for the bride.

Anna arrived in Reims in the spring of 1051, bringing an impressive dowry in the form of large gold coins minted in Byzantium.

Heinrich was expecting her with great excitement and some anxiety. He asked himself whether he had done the right thing by going through with the engagement in absentia, whether he would have to regret the carelessly taken step for the rest of his days.

But as soon as he saw the daughter of the Grand Duke, his fears dissipated. She was so beautiful and graceful that he could not even imagine this. The king fell in love with her immediately.

According to legend, when she got off the carriage, the king, unable to control his feelings, rushed towards her and kissed her deeply. The princess did not resist his slightly hasty ardor. And the crowd watched with interest as the bride and groom hugged each other lovingly, despite the fact that they had not known each other before.

They say that when they finished kissing, Anna, blushing, whispered:

I hope that you are the king?

And he encouraged her with an affirmative answer.

* * *

The wedding took place in Reims on May 19, 1051. Henry was thirty-nine years old, Anna was twenty-seven.

The king was happy that he had finally found a lovely wife. His good mood returned again.

In 1052, Anna gave birth to a son named Philip. Subsequently, Henry, more and more fascinated by the Slavic beauty of his wife, allowed her to give him three more children.

Alas! This first Franco-Russian alliance was not destined to last. King Henry died suddenly on August 4, 1060 in the suburb of Vitry near Orleans in the ninth year of their marital happiness.

Anne immediately went to the castle at Senlis with her son Philip, who was proclaimed king during his father's lifetime, on May 23, 1059.

The young king was barely eight years old. Therefore Baudouin, Henry I's brother-in-law, was appointed regent of the kingdom. Anna lived on one of her estates away from political affairs. The chronicler says that she loved Senlis very much “for the clean air, for the pleasant entertainment, and the special pleasure that hunting gave her.” Soon the dowager queen had other amusements.

Despite her recent grief, Queen Anne held social receptions here, which attracted many people. Nobles from nearby castles often came to pay their respects to her, as the Viscount de Cay of Saint-Eymour tells us, “they paid tribute to her not only as a queen, but also as a woman.” By then she was thirty-five years old, and her beauty was a huge success. All the guests selflessly fell in love with her. But one of them, it seemed to her, tried to take possession of her more persistently than the others, and Anna gave him preference. This lucky man's name was Raoul, he was several years older than her and had numerous titles: Comte de Crepy, de Valois, de Vexin, d "Amiens, de Bar-sur-Aube, de Vitry, de Peronne and de Montdidier. Yes, this was one of the most powerful nobles of France... He took pleasure in saying that he was not afraid of either the royal armies or confessors.

Anna sometimes walked with him through the forest, admiring his stories about hunting or war and, perhaps, a little regretting that her dear companion was married...

One day in June 1063, when they were alone and admiring the fountain, he approached her and kissed her.

As soon as the moment of pleasant pleasure given to her by the count ended, the queen, without saying a word, ran away to the castle. Raoul, having just seen how beautiful the beauty Anna was, quickly returned to his residence in Crepy and instantly divorced his wife, the young and tender Hakenez.

Get out! - he told her simply.

But why? - exclaimed the unfortunate woman, who did not expect such words from him.

Because you’re cheating on me,” Raoul blurted out brazenly.

From now on free, Raoul returned to Senlis after some time, determined to bring the matter to a happy end. Having learned that the queen was walking through the forest, he immediately went there and found her picking flowers. Having embraced Anna, he put her on a horse, then jumped into the saddle himself and took the Queen of France with him, like a simple shepherdess.

Anna didn’t even think of uttering a single cry of despair. On the contrary, she laughed joyfully, pressing her cheek to the chest of her beloved count. And if someone at that time asked her how she felt about her abduction, she, of course, answered with only one phrase, however, it would have been sufficient in such a situation:

I'm delighted!

Raoul took Anna to Crepy, where the kind priest (at least he did not harass the lovers with the above-mentioned law) immediately married them. The queen's kidnapping and secret marriage caused a great scandal in the kingdom. The noble nobles were indignant, saying (however, there was some truth in their words) that the young princes needed their mother, that she abandoned them without a shadow of regret, rushing after a married man. They were interested in whether she now felt guilty of violating her marital fidelity, since only three years had passed since Henry’s death. Murmurs were heard everywhere:

She has no more dignity than a dog.

And Count Raoul should have been excommunicated...

For some time the two lovers were unaware of the evil rumors that were circulating about them throughout the kingdom. They were indifferent to the opinions of others, they were not interested in what kind of assessment their behavior might cause at court. Anna and Raoul spent most of their time in bed, in the heat of tender love, satisfying their passions...

One day, Hakenez, who was in the monastery, found out the real reason for the divorce. Rightly indignant at Raoul’s behavior, she made an attempt to justify herself. Without hesitation, she decided to go straight to Rome and complain to Alexander II, Pope of Rome.

The holy father received her cordially, listened to the story of her grief and limited himself to saying in a sweet voice:

I advise you, my daughter, to return to France. You needlessly left what was dear to you...

It seems that the pope did not believe her, and poor Hakenez left for her monastery with sadness in her heart.

Dad was still touched by the countess's story. He commissioned Gervais, the archbishop of Reims, to conduct an investigation. And when the facts were confirmed, he ordered Raoul to part with the queen and return to Hakenez. Naturally, the count refused.

Then the pope excommunicated him from the church and annulled his marriage with Anna. This verdict did not spoil the honeymoon for the two lovers. Not afraid of excommunication, they swore an oath to each other never to separate... By the way, they kept their word.

Unfazed by the hostility surrounding them, they traveled openly throughout the kingdom, hiding from no one and showing no sign of embarrassment or remorse. In the end, everyone reconciled and their marriage was recognized. Moreover, after a few years, King Philip of France considered it prudent to reconcile with his mother and her new husband. Raoul was even accepted into the royal service. Anne regained her title as queen after the death of the earl in 1074. She was held in high esteem, managing palace affairs. True, she was not involved in matters of national importance.

Some historians claim that she returned to Kievan Rus to die in her native land. But let us ask ourselves the question - what was this old woman to do in a country that she had left in her youth and in which she now knew no one?

Anne actually died in France, probably around 1076, and may have been buried at Villiers Abbey at La Ferté-Alais.

and I really wanted to feel like, if not a “real colonel,” then at least a professor and something of an honored figure:

quotes in blue

The events that will be discussed cover a two-hundred-year period - the 10th-11th centuries - in the history of France and Russia. Much has been written about this period and especially about the fate of the Russian princess Anna Yaroslavna (1032-1082) in recent decades. But, unfortunately, both journalists and writers approached the topic without sufficient scientific and historical analysis.

Holy truth.
It’s good that the professors of the Russian Federation paid attention to this.

In this article, an approach from the particular to the general, the method of deduction, is chosen. It allows us to more vividly and imaginatively present the picture of historical development through the description of individual events.

With the emergence of large feudal empires, strict continuity of power was required. It was then that the question of control over the institution of marriage arose. Whose word will be decisive in this case? King, priests? It turned out that the main word often remained with the woman, the continuer of the family. Expanding the family, caring for the growing offspring, their physical and spiritual development and the position they will occupy in life, as a rule, fell on the shoulders of women. That is why the choice of the bride, the future mother of the heirs, meant so much. The place and influence that the mother could acquire in the family, and not only thanks to her intelligence and talent, depended on this choice. Her origin also played a significant role.

Let's bet the first bird...

Harold the Bold, having made campaigns against Constantinople, Sicily and Africa, returned to Kyiv with rich gifts. Elizabeth became the hero's wife and Queen of Norway (in her second marriage, Queen of Denmark), and. These marriages were already known in France, when Princess Anna Yaroslavna was wooed by King Henry I (he reigned from 1031 to 1060).

Let's add that Harold also managed to spend time in prison in the town of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme...

Yaroslav the Wise taught children to live in peace and love among themselves. And numerous marriage unions strengthened ties between Russia and Europe. The granddaughter of Yaroslav the Wise, Eupraxia, was married to the German Emperor Henry IV. Yaroslav's sister, Maria Vladimirovna (Dobronega), - for King Casimir of Poland. Yaroslav gave his sister a large dowry, and Casimir returned 800 captured Russians. Relations with Poland were also strengthened by the marriage of Anna Yaroslavna’s brother, Izyaslav Yaroslavich, to Kazimir’s sister, the Polish princess Gertrude. (Izyaslav would inherit the great Kiev throne after his father in 1054.) Another son of Yaroslav the Wise, Vsevolod, married an overseas princess, the daughter of Constantine Monomakh. Their son Vladimir II immortalized the name of his maternal grandfather by adding the name Monomakh to his name (Vladimir II Monomakh reigned from 1113 to 1125).

This is all during the Crusades, by the way...

The matchmaking and wedding of Anna Yaroslavna took place in 1050, when she was 18 years old.

That's right, discussions about the princess's real age aside...

Ambassadors from the King of France, the recently widowed Henry I, went to Kyiv in the spring, in April. The embassy moved slowly. In addition to the ambassadors, who rode on horseback, some on mules, some on horses, the convoy consisted of numerous carts with supplies for the long journey and carts with rich gifts. Magnificent battle swords, overseas cloth, precious silver bowls were intended as gifts for Prince Yaroslav the Wise...

and all this on ships by sea, poor fellow Captain Montluc... :(

Anna Yaroslavna's arrival on the soil of France was celebrated solemnly. Henry I went to meet his bride in the ancient city. The king, at over forty years old, was obese and always gloomy. But when he saw Anna, he smiled.

Great:)

There is no one left who once arrived with young Anna Yaroslavna on French soil: some died, some returned to Rus'.

who returned to Rus'?

Anna decided to travel. She learned that her elder brother, Izyaslav Yaroslavich, having suffered defeat in the struggle for the Kiev throne, was in Germany, in the city of Mainz. Henry IV of Germany was friendly with Philip I (both were in conflict with the Pope), and Anna Yaroslavna set off, counting on a good reception. She resembled an autumn leaf torn from a branch and driven by the wind. Arriving in Mainz, I learned that Izyaslav had already moved to the city of Worms. Persistent and stubborn, Anna continued her journey, but fell ill on the way. In Worms she was informed that Izyaslav had gone to Poland, and his son had gone to Rome to visit the Pope. According to Anna Yaroslavna, Rus' should have looked for friends and allies in the wrong countries. Chagrin and illness broke Anna. She died in 1082 at the age of 50.

Anna (Agnesa) Yaroslavna or Anna of Kiev (born according to various sources: around 1024, around 1032 or 1036 - 1075/1089) - the youngest of the three daughters of the Kyiv prince Yaroslav the Wise from his marriage with Ingegerda of Sweden, the wife of the French king Henry I and the queen of France.

Anna grew up at the princely court in Kyiv and received a good education: already in her youth she knew Greek and Latin. On May 19, 1051, she married the widowed Henry I, with whom she subsequently had children.

Fresco in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, representing the daughters of Yaroslav the Wise. Anna is presumably the youngest.

When Henry, King of France, sent the Bishop of Chalons, Roger, to Rabastia for the daughter of the king of that country, named Anna, whom he was to marry, Abbot Odalric asked that bishop if he would deign to find out whether Chersonesos, in which , as they write, Saint Clement rests... The bishop fulfilled this. [The following is a story about the fate of the relics of St. Clement, discovered by Roger, to his surprise, in Kyiv, where he was heading as part of the embassy].

The ambassadors were instructed to obtain consent for her marriage to Henry, for even in France “the fame of the charms of the princess, namely Anna, the daughter of George (Yaroslav) reached.” The king ordered it to be conveyed that he was “fascinated by the story of her perfections.” Anna was beautiful (according to legend, she had “golden” hair), smart, and received a good education for that time, “studying books” in her father’s house.

It was very difficult to choose a bride for Henry I in Europe, since the Pope forbade Catholic kings to marry between relatives up to the seventh generation.

Departure of Princess Anna, daughter of Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise, to France to marry King Henry I.

In 1052 she gave birth to Philip, and then three more children.

The young queen immediately showed herself to be a far-sighted and energetic statesman. On French documents of that time, along with the signatures of her husband, there are also Slavic letters: “Anna Rina” (Queen Anna). Pope Nicholas II, surprised by Anna's remarkable political abilities, wrote to her in a letter:

“The rumor of your virtues, delightful girl, has reached our ears, and with great joy we hear that you are fulfilling your royal duties in this very Christian state with commendable zeal and remarkable intelligence.”

In 1060, after the death of her husband, Anna moved to the castle of Senlis, 40 km from Paris. Here she founded both a convent and a church (on the portico of the temple in the 17th century a stucco image of a Russian princess was erected, holding in her hands a model of the temple she founded). She was the teacher of her growing son and his leader in state affairs, but nominally the guardian was Count Baudouin of Flanders (only a man could be the guardian). Soon, forgetting her sorrow, she indulged in all the joys of life - hunting, feasts, etc. She was 36 years old, and she became even more beautiful.

Charter of the French King Philip I in favor of the Abbey of St. Crepin in Soissons, containing the autograph signature of Anna Yaroslavna, Queen of France, 1063.

They lived in harmony and happiness for another 12 (9) years in the Valois family estate.

In 1074, Anna was widowed again. Shortly before this, their marriage was recognized as legitimate by Pope Gregory VII.

During the lifetime of Count Valois, King Philip I made peace with his mother, entrusting her with the management of the palace household.

Having lost Raoul, she tried to forget herself, plunging back into state affairs. “Anna Rina” settled at her son’s court and again began to sign decrees and orders. In them, she no longer calls herself “queen” and “ruler,” but only “mother of the king,” but nevertheless, her confident signature is often found on business papers of the French court next to the “crosses” of illiterate royal officials.

We find the last mention of Anna in 1075 (her signature is on the document), after which nothing precise is known about her fate. According to one version, Anna was buried in the Abbey of Villiers in the town of Cerny near La Ferte Halle (Essonne department). However, it was destroyed during the French Revolution. Some historians believe that Anna returned to her homeland, but most likely she never left and died in France.

Subsequent kings of France were her descendants.

Philip I (1052–1108)
Emma (1055 - ca. 1109)
Robert (1055–1060)
Hugo the Great (1057–1102)

She did not become regent after the death of Henry I. Philip, while his father was still alive, at the age of eight, was proclaimed king on May 23, 1059. And by the decision of Henry I, Count Baudouin was appointed to lead the country until he came of age.

Her autograph has been preserved in Cyrillic under one of the acts: ANA RЪINA (that is, Latin Anna Regina, “Queen Anne”; perhaps the recording of the second word reflects the Old French language - roine, reine).

It is noteworthy that Anna is associated with the spread of the Greek-Byzantine name Philip, which was not used in Western Europe at that time. She named her eldest son, the future king of France, with this name. Due to its popularity among the people, the name subsequently became widespread. It was worn by five more French kings, and this name became a family name in other European dynasties.

Second marriage

In 1063, Anna married Raoul de Crepy-en-Valois (1010/1015-1074), Count of Valois, Crepy, Amiens, Vexin, etc. This marriage caused a scandal. Although Raoul had Carolingian blood in his veins, and his fiefs exceeded those of the French kings, he was nevertheless a vassal. After Raoul's death in 1074, Anne returned to court and was accepted as queen mother.

History of Russian Goverment

The life story of the Russian princess Anna Yaroslavna is unusual and multifaceted. It had everything: a dynastic marriage of convenience, wealth, power and an extraordinary love story, similar to the ballads of medieval minstrels.

The exact date of birth of Anna Yaroslavna, the youngest of the three daughters of the Kyiv prince Yaroslav the Wise and Ingegerda of Sweden, is unknown. Some historians date this event to 1024, others call it 1032 or 1036. Anna spent her childhood at the princely court in Kyiv. Yaroslav the Wise made sure that not only his sons, but also his daughters received an excellent education. After all, in the future the princesses were to enter into marriage alliances with European monarchs. From her youth, Anna Yaroslavna showed special abilities for science. She diligently studied foreign languages ​​and history.

Anna's father - Blessed Prince Yaroslav the Wise

In 1048, the French king Henry I of Capet sent a magnificent embassy to distant Kyiv, headed by Bishop Roger. The ambassadors were instructed to obtain consent to the marriage of Princess Anna with Henry, for even to France “the fame of the charms of the princess, namely Anna, the daughter of George (Yaroslav) reached.” The king ordered it to be conveyed that he was “fascinated by the story of her perfections.”

The consent of the parents and Anna herself to marry the French king was obtained. Soon, having said goodbye to her family forever, Anna Yaroslavna left her native Kyiv. Accompanied by a rich retinue, she set off on a months-long journey across Europe. Somewhere there, in distant France, she had to unite her fate with a stranger who was almost 20 years older than her.

Departure of Princess Anna, daughter of Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise, to France to marry King Henry I of Capet

In May 1051, Anna Yaroslavna, having made a long journey through Krakow, Prague and Regensburg, arrived in the city of Reims. Anna Yaroslavna's arrival on the soil of France was celebrated solemnly. Henry I went to meet his bride in the ancient city of Reims. The king, at over forty years old, was obese and always gloomy. But when he saw Anna, he smiled. On May 19, 1051, a magnificent wedding took place.

Henry I of Capet, husband of Anna Yaroslavna

It was in Reims that French kings were crowned since ancient times. Anna was given a special honor: her coronation ceremony took place in the same ancient city, in the Church of the Holy Cross. Already at the beginning of her royal journey, Anna Yaroslavna accomplished a civic feat: she showed persistence and, refusing to swear in the Latin Bible, took an oath in the Slavic Gospel, which she brought with her from Kyiv. The manuscript in Cyrillic went down in history under the name “Reims Gospel”. Legend has it that for many centuries, French kings swore an oath on this relic when ascending the throne.

Reims Gospel

The first years of Anna or Agnes of Kyiv (as they began to call her in the European manner) at the French court were quite difficult. In letters to her father, Anna Yaroslavna wrote that Paris was gloomy and ugly; she complained that she ended up in a village where there were no palaces and cathedrals, which Kyiv is rich in. “What barbaric country have you sent me to,” she reproached her father, “here the dwellings are gloomy, the churches are wretched, and the morals are monstrous.” However, Anna survived in difficult conditions. The young queen, beautiful, educated, and wise beyond her years, endeared herself to the court.

A year after the wedding, the young queen gave birth to the heir to the French throne, Philip, and then two more sons: Robert and Hugo. All subsequent kings of France were her descendants. But there were sorrows in her life, for example, Anna’s only daughter, Emma, ​​died in infancy.

Henry was constantly busy with military campaigns, and Anna was raising children. But the royal couple apparently lived very amicably. Henry relied on his wife in everything; she, in turn, was known as a wise and far-sighted ruler. On many state acts of that time, especially charters granting benefits or granting estates to monasteries and churches, the following was written next to the royal signature: “With the consent of my wife Anne,” “In the presence of Queen Anne.” As historians note, the history of France knew of no other cases in which a royal decree was signed not by the reigning queen, but by the king’s wife, either before or after Anna.

The courtiers noted Queen Anne's extraordinary intelligence, her kindness, patience, and ability to get along with people. Pope Nicholas II wrote to her in 1059: “The rumor about your virtues, our exemplary daughter, reached our ears, and we learned with great joy that in your most Christian state you carry out your royal duties with worthy zeal and excellent intelligence...”

Anna Yaroslavna was widowed at the age of 28. Henry I died on August 4, 1060 at the castle of Vitry-aux-Lages, near Orleans, in the midst of preparations for war with the English king William the Conqueror. But the coronation of Anna Yaroslavna's son, Philip I, as co-ruler of Henry I took place during his father's lifetime, in 1059. Henry died when the young King Philip was eight years old. Philip I reigned for almost half a century, 48 years (1060-1108). In his will, King Henry appointed Anna Yaroslavna as his son's guardian. However, Anna, the mother of the young king, remained queen and became regent, but, according to the custom of that time, she did not receive guardianship: only a man could be a guardian, and that was Henry I’s brother-in-law, Count Baudouin of Flanders.

After the death of her husband, Anna moved to the castle of Senlis, 40 km from Paris. Here she founded both a convent and a church (on the portico of the temple in the 17th century a stucco image of a Russian princess was erected, holding in her hands a model of the temple she founded).

At the end of the mourning, Anna completely devoted herself to her son and caring for the state, not suspecting that life was preparing an unusual gift for her.

The Dowager Queen of France was 36 years old. She was still pretty and full of vitality. Anna devoted her free time from government affairs to feasts and spent a lot of time hunting surrounded by numerous courtiers, among whom one stood out in particular: Count Raoul de Crepy en Valois. Count Raoul had long been in love with Anna. The Queen reciprocated his feelings. But their feelings faced two very serious obstacles. The first of these was Anna's status, and the second was the count's living wife, who stubbornly did not want to get a divorce. However, what obstacles could there be for Her Majesty of Love?

In the summer of 1065, there was no more scandalous topic of gossip in the royal courts of Europe than the kidnapping of the Queen of France by the Count of Valois. Anna was “kidnapped” (with her consent, of course) while hunting in the Senlis forest. The count took her to his castle at Crepy, having previously expelled his wife from there, and entered into a secret marriage with her. Raoul's wife Eleanor (Alpora) of Brabant complained about the count's bigamy to Pope Alexander II himself, who ordered Raoul to dissolve the marriage with Anna, but the lovers neglected this. Raoul wrote to the Pope that he respected his will, but would not give up on Anna, whom he considered his only true wife. Then the pope excommunicated the count from the church. At that time, this was considered a terrible punishment, since it was supposed to plunge the excommunicated person into hell after death.

Anna Yaroslavna's son - King Philip I of France

The situation was critical. But, on the side of the lovers, Anna’s son Philip, the king of France, who was attached to his mother and favorably treated the Count of Valois, stood up. But even his intercession did not shake the position of the Pope. Anna loved Raoul, but at the same time, she could not jeopardize the relationship between France and Rome. She renounced her royal status and no longer officially ruled, although, as before, she helped her son in state affairs.

Anna and Raoul lived in harmony for another 12 long (according to other sources 10) years in the Valois family estate. Anna Yaroslavna's life with her beloved was almost happy, she was only worried about her relationship with her children. The eldest son, King Philip, although he treated his mother with constant tenderness, no longer needed her advice and participation in royal affairs. And Raoul’s sons from his first marriage, Simon and Gautier, did not hide their dislike for their stepmother.

Anna Yaroslavna was widowed for the second time in 1074. Shortly before this, the scandalous marriage was recognized as legitimate by Pope Gregory VII. Not wanting to depend on Raoul's sons, she left the Montdidier castle and returned to Paris. Anna Yaroslavna tried to forget herself, plunging back into state affairs. She settled at her son’s court and again began to sign decrees and orders. In them, she no longer calls herself “queen” and “ruler,” but only “mother of the king,” but nevertheless, her confident signature is often found on business papers of the French court next to the “crosses” of illiterate royal officials.

At the age of fifty, she retired from worldly affairs to the convent and cathedral of Senlis (photo above). A rare full-length statue of Queen Anne, created in the 17th century, has been preserved here. On the pedestal are written words that speak very well of the importance of Anna Yaroslavna in history - “Anne de Kiev - reine de France”, which means - Anna from Kyiv - Queen of France.

Little is known from historical literature about the last years of Anna Yaroslavna’s life, so all available information is interesting. Anna eagerly awaited news from home. The news came different: sometimes bad, sometimes good. Soon after her departure from Kyiv, her mother died. Four years after the death of his wife, at the age of 78, Anna’s father, Grand Duke Yaroslav, died.

The old sick Yaroslav did not have the determination to leave supreme power to one of his sons. He did not use the European principle of co-government. He divided his lands between his sons, bequeathing them to live in harmony, honoring their elder brother. Vladimir received Novgorod, Vsevolod - Pereyaslavl, Vyacheslav - Suzdal and Beloozero, Igor - Smolensk, Izyaslav - Kyiv, and initially Novgorod. With this decision, Yaroslav laid the foundation for a new round of the struggle for the grand ducal throne. Izyaslav was deposed three times, and Anna’s beloved brother Vsevolod Yaroslavich returned to the throne twice.

Anna Yaroslavna now lived a sad life; no significant events awaited her anymore. My father and mother, many brothers, relatives and friends passed away. In France, her teacher and mentor, Bishop Gautier, died. The husband of Elizabeth's beloved sister, King Harold of Norway, died. There is no one left who once arrived with young Anna Yaroslavna on French soil: some died, some returned to Rus'.

Anna decided to travel. She learned that her elder brother, Izyaslav Yaroslavich, having suffered defeat in the struggle for the Kiev throne, was in Germany, in the city of Mainz. Henry IV of Germany was friendly with Philip I (both were in conflict with the Pope), and Anna Yaroslavna set off, counting on a good reception. Arriving in Mainz, I learned that Izyaslav had already moved to the city of Worms. Persistent and stubborn, Anna continued her journey, but fell ill on the way. In Worms she was informed that Izyaslav had gone to Poland, and his son had gone to Rome to visit the Pope. According to Anna Yaroslavna, Rus' should have looked for friends and allies in the wrong countries.Some historians believe that Anna returned to her homeland.

This is stated in the book “Under the Sky of Novgorod” published in 1988 in France. The novel, written by Regine Desforges, aroused enormous reader interest and turned into a real bestseller. The author tried to talk about the life and death of Anna Yaroslavna: “The residents of Saint-Lys saw the queen dressed in fur with great joy. Walking through the city streets, she stopped at stalls, talked with merchants and artisans, threw alms to beggars who followed her at a respectful distance, caressed children and tasted the milk that was milked in her presence. The Queen laughed at the jokes of her courtiers and attended mass with the common people.”

According to the author, Queen Anne enjoyed the respect and support of many influential knights, including the famous Duke of Normandy, nicknamed William the Conqueror, the conqueror of England. It was he, among other noble persons, who was present when Anna sailed to her homeland. With the consent of her son, the queen left France and went to Novgorod. It's hard to say what prompted her to make this decision. But R. Desforges did not build her version from scratch. Legend has it that Anna found herself back in Rus'.

However, she was not destined to reach Novgorod alive. On the way, she became seriously ill and died just outside the city walls. According to the queen's will, she was buried according to a pagan rite, placing her body on a set fire to a raft, which was launched on the water...