Constantine Doukas was born in late 1074 to Byzantine Emperor Michael VII and his wife Maria of Alania, as a porphyrogennetos, meaning he was born during his father's reign. Constantine was elevated to junior emperor in 1074 by Michael VII. Shortly after his birth, in August 1074, Constantine was betrothed to Olympias, the daughter of Robert Guiscard, the Norman Duke of Sicily. This arrangement was cancelled after Michael abdicated in 1078, whereupon Maria and Constantine retired to the Monastery of Petrion. Maria married Nikephoros III Botaneiates, who seized power after Michael's abdication, at the urging of Michael's uncle John Doukas, but was unable to convince him to elevate Constantine to junior emperor, thereby breaking the betrothal. Robert Guiscard therefore launched an invasion of the Byzantine Empire, using the broken betrothal as a pretext.