Empress Beatrice of Hohenstaufen
Encyclopedia
Beatrice of Swabia was Holy Roman Empress and German Queen as the first wife of Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
.
and his wife Irene Angelina
.
Her paternal grandparents were Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
and Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy
. Her maternal grandparents were Byzantine emperor Isaac II Angelos
and his first wife Herina.
Otto IV had by this point lost the support of his two main allies, Pope Innocent III
and John of England
. He had been forced to retire to his hereditary lands near Brunswick
. However the assassination left him the only King of Germany. He took advantage to make amends with the remaining members and supporters of the House of Hohenstaufen. Their new alliance was sealed with the betrothal of Beatrice to Otto IV.
On 11 November, 1208, Otto IV was again elected King of Germany in Frankfurt
. This time he was supported by members of both sides of the previous civil war. He was crowned Holy Roman Emperor
by Innocent III on 4 October 1209. Beatrice was only eleven years old and remained betrothed to Otto IV, approximately thirty-four years old.
They were married in Nordhausen
on 23 July 1212. The bride was fourteen years old and the groom about thirty-seven. However Beatrice soon fell sick and died only nineteen days after the marriage. She was childless at the time of her death.
Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto IV of Brunswick was one of two rival kings of the Holy Roman Empire from 1198 on, sole king from 1208 on, and emperor from 1209 on. The only king of the Welf dynasty, he incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated in 1215.-Early life:Otto was the third son of Henry the...
.
Family
She was the eldest daughter of Philip of SwabiaPhilip of Swabia
Philip of Swabia was king of Germany and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV.-Biography:Philip was the fifth and youngest son of Emperor Frederick I and Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy, daughter of Renaud III, count of Burgundy, and brother of the emperor Henry VI...
and his wife Irene Angelina
Irene Angelina
Irene Angelina was the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos by his first wife, perhaps named Herina, possibly a member of the Tornikes family.- Marriage and issue :...
.
Her paternal grandparents were Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
and Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy
Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy
Beatrice of Burgundy was the only daughter of Renaud III, Count of Burgundy and Agatha of Lorraine. She was the second wife and Empress of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor. Her maternal grandparents were Simon I, Duke of Lorraine and his wife Adelaide of Leuven. Beatrice was active at the...
. Her maternal grandparents were Byzantine emperor Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos was Byzantine emperor from 1185 to 1195, and again from 1203 to 1204....
and his first wife Herina.
Marriage
Her father Philip of Swabia had been elected King of Germany on 6 March 1198. Her husband Otto IV was elected rival King of Germany on 29 March, 1198. The two rival Kings continued to war against each other until the assassination of Philip on 21 June 1208. The assassin was Count Otto VIII of Wittelsbach who had asked for the hand of either Beatrice or one of her three younger sisters. His request had been denied and he reacted violently.Otto IV had by this point lost the support of his two main allies, Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
and John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
. He had been forced to retire to his hereditary lands near Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
. However the assassination left him the only King of Germany. He took advantage to make amends with the remaining members and supporters of the House of Hohenstaufen. Their new alliance was sealed with the betrothal of Beatrice to Otto IV.
On 11 November, 1208, Otto IV was again elected King of Germany in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. This time he was supported by members of both sides of the previous civil war. He was crowned Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
by Innocent III on 4 October 1209. Beatrice was only eleven years old and remained betrothed to Otto IV, approximately thirty-four years old.
They were married in Nordhausen
Nordhausen
Nordhausen is a town at the southern edge of the Harz Mountains, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Nordhausen...
on 23 July 1212. The bride was fourteen years old and the groom about thirty-seven. However Beatrice soon fell sick and died only nineteen days after the marriage. She was childless at the time of her death.