Russia and the West - The Daughters of Yaroslav the Wise
11th century fresco from the St Sophia cathedral in Kiev depicting the four daughters of the cathedral's founder, Yaroslav I the Wise, Grand Prince of Kiev and Novgorod. From left to right, Anna, Agatha, Elizabeth and Anastasia.
Through their father Yaroslav they were granddaughters of St Vladimir the Great and belonged to the Rurikid dynasty; through their mother, St. Anna of Novgorod (Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden), they descended from the earliest Swedish kings. The sisters are connected by their brother Vsevolod I Yaroslavich to all later princes and tsars of the House of Rurik.
Born sometime between 1024 and 1036, Anna Yaroslavna married King Henri I of France on 19th May 1051. As Queen of France, Anna was commended by the pope for her political aptitude, and in a singular case in the whole history of the French monarchy decrees were issued jointly under her name as well as her husband's. She is credited with importing the name Philip into western Europe for her eldest son. Anna was the first woman to act as regent of France during the minority of Philip I. Though literate in French she continued to sign her name in Cyrillic until the end of her life in 1075. All subsequent kings of France are her descendants.
Agatha Yaroslavna was born roughly around 1030. Following the Danish conquest of England by Canute, the infant heir of the Anglo-Saxon King Edmund Ironside, Edward the Exile, was spirited away to the east and raised in the court of Kiev, later taking Agatha as his wife. In 1056 Edward was recalled to England from exile- with Agatha and their children he arrived the following year to claim his throne and promptly died. Thereafter followed the Norman invasion and Agatha fled with her children to Scotland. She died sometime after 1070, likely having taken the veil as a nun. Of her three children, Edgar II Ætheling made an unsuccessful bid for the throne of England and was the last claimant of the Anglo-Saxon House of Wessex; Cristina became a nun and eventually abbess; and Margaret married Malcolm III King of Scots. In 1093 Malcolm fell in battle, Margaret died of grief a few days later, becoming Scotland's only royal saint. From St Margaret and King Malcolm was descended the House of Dunkeld, and so all later kings of Scotland and England.
Elizabeth Yaroslavna, born in 1025, married Harald III Hardrada, King of Norway, who famously wrote a number of poems lamenting her lack of affection. In 1066 she accompanied Harald on his invasion of England where he was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Elizabeth’s fate is unknown- it is possible she returned to Norway. Her daughter Ingegerd married first King Olaf I of Denmark, then King Philip I of Sweden.
Anastasia Yaroslavna, born around 1023, and the eldest of the daughters of Yaroslav, married Andrew of Hungary who had taken refuge in Kiev when his father was executed following a failed attempt on the life of King St Stephen I. In 1046 Andrew and Anastasia became King and Queen of Hungary with two sons, Solomon and David, and a daughter Adelaide. Andrew was overthrown by his brother Bela in 1060; three years later Bela was deposed by Solomon; Solomon was eventually overthrown by Geza, son of Bela, and died in battle against Byzantine Bulgaria. David most likely took holy orders and may have been a bishop. Adelaide became Duchess-consort of Bohemia and by her daughter Judith the ancestress of Poland’s kings and much of its nobility. Anastasia herself died as a nun in Austria sometime after 1075. Through her brother-in-law Bela she is connected to all the Arpad kings of Hungary.
Through their father Yaroslav they were granddaughters of St Vladimir the Great and belonged to the Rurikid dynasty; through their mother, St. Anna of Novgorod (Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden), they descended from the earliest Swedish kings. The sisters are connected by their brother Vsevolod I Yaroslavich to all later princes and tsars of the House of Rurik.
Born sometime between 1024 and 1036, Anna Yaroslavna married King Henri I of France on 19th May 1051. As Queen of France, Anna was commended by the pope for her political aptitude, and in a singular case in the whole history of the French monarchy decrees were issued jointly under her name as well as her husband's. She is credited with importing the name Philip into western Europe for her eldest son. Anna was the first woman to act as regent of France during the minority of Philip I. Though literate in French she continued to sign her name in Cyrillic until the end of her life in 1075. All subsequent kings of France are her descendants.
Agatha Yaroslavna was born roughly around 1030. Following the Danish conquest of England by Canute, the infant heir of the Anglo-Saxon King Edmund Ironside, Edward the Exile, was spirited away to the east and raised in the court of Kiev, later taking Agatha as his wife. In 1056 Edward was recalled to England from exile- with Agatha and their children he arrived the following year to claim his throne and promptly died. Thereafter followed the Norman invasion and Agatha fled with her children to Scotland. She died sometime after 1070, likely having taken the veil as a nun. Of her three children, Edgar II Ætheling made an unsuccessful bid for the throne of England and was the last claimant of the Anglo-Saxon House of Wessex; Cristina became a nun and eventually abbess; and Margaret married Malcolm III King of Scots. In 1093 Malcolm fell in battle, Margaret died of grief a few days later, becoming Scotland's only royal saint. From St Margaret and King Malcolm was descended the House of Dunkeld, and so all later kings of Scotland and England.
Elizabeth Yaroslavna, born in 1025, married Harald III Hardrada, King of Norway, who famously wrote a number of poems lamenting her lack of affection. In 1066 she accompanied Harald on his invasion of England where he was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Elizabeth’s fate is unknown- it is possible she returned to Norway. Her daughter Ingegerd married first King Olaf I of Denmark, then King Philip I of Sweden.
Anastasia Yaroslavna, born around 1023, and the eldest of the daughters of Yaroslav, married Andrew of Hungary who had taken refuge in Kiev when his father was executed following a failed attempt on the life of King St Stephen I. In 1046 Andrew and Anastasia became King and Queen of Hungary with two sons, Solomon and David, and a daughter Adelaide. Andrew was overthrown by his brother Bela in 1060; three years later Bela was deposed by Solomon; Solomon was eventually overthrown by Geza, son of Bela, and died in battle against Byzantine Bulgaria. David most likely took holy orders and may have been a bishop. Adelaide became Duchess-consort of Bohemia and by her daughter Judith the ancestress of Poland’s kings and much of its nobility. Anastasia herself died as a nun in Austria sometime after 1075. Through her brother-in-law Bela she is connected to all the Arpad kings of Hungary.
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