Helena Angelina Doukaina

Helena Angelina Doukaina (1242 – 1271) was Queen of Sicily as the second wife of King Manfred. Queen Helena was the daughter of Michael II Komnenos Doukas, Despot of Epirus, and Theodora Petraliphaina. Her marriage was an expression of the alliance of her father and the ruler of Sicily against the growing power of the Empire of Nicaea.
Marriage
She was married to Manfred of Sicily 2 June 1259, after the death of his first wife Beatrice of Savoy in 1257 and his own rise to the throne on 10 August 1258. D. J. Geanakoplos notes that this marriage was surprising, considering Manfred's father Frederick II had been in an alliance with John III Vatatzes, the late ruler of the Empire of Nicaea, but "one must consider that conquest of the Byzantine Empire had been a traditional Norman aim for almost a century, and that Manfred was now in a strong enough position in Italy to discard his father's alliance and to look to those who could assist him in his ambitions for Balkan domination." Few details of how this marriage was arranged have come down to us. "It would be of interest," Geanakoplos observes, "to know who took the initiative to promote the marriage alliance; whether Manfred's marriage preceded that of William of Achaea to Anna, another daughter of Michael II; and, most important, whether Manfred's Epirote possessions were secured from Michael II actually as a result of conquest or as a dowry."
Manfred had captured Dyrrhachium and its surrounding area within the following two years. Michael II still had a territorial claim at the city but at the time was preparing to besiege Thessalonica. Helena's dowry included all rights to Dyrrhachium and its surrounding area along with the island of Corfu. Corfu was the only clear territorial gain for Manfred.
Imprisonment
Manfred was killed at the Battle of Benevento on 26 February 1266 while fighting against his rival and successor Charles I of Sicily. Charles captured Helena and imprisoned her. She lived five years later in captivity into the castle of Nocera Inferiore where she died in 1271.
Children
Helena and Manfred had four children:
Beatrix of Sicily (c. 1260 – before 1307); imprisoned in Castel del Monte until released, later married Manfred IV of Saluzzo.
Frederick of Sicily (c. 1259 – last mentioned alive in 1312), first imprisoned in Castel del Monte, and from 1299 onwards in Castel dell'Ovo. He escaped prison and fled to Germany, spending time in several European courts before he died in Egypt.
Henry of Sicily (May 1262 – 31 October 1318), first imprisoned in Castel del Monte, and from 1299 onwards in Castel dell'Ovo. He was the last member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty.
Enzio (Azzolino) of Sicily (c. 1261 – c. 1301), first imprisoned in Castel del Monte, and from 1299 onwards in Castel dell'Ovo.
References
The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, Oxford University Press, 1991.
Jacqueline Alio, Queens of Sicily 1061-1266, Trinacria (New York), 2018.
John V.A. Fine Jr., The Late Medieval Balkans, Ann Arbor, 1987.
D.I. Polemis, The Doukai, London, 1968.
|-
1240s births
1271 deaths
Helena
Royal consorts of Sicily
13th-century Italian women
Helena
Helena Angelina
13th-century women rulers
People from Nocera Inferiore
13th-century Sicilian people