Constance V of Genovia

**Constance V** (2 June 1516 - 6 March 1567), also sometimes called **Constance of Navarre**, was **Queen of Genovia** from 1558 to 1567, **Holy Roman Empress**, **Queen consort of Germany**, **Bohemia**, **Hungary** and **Croatia** by marriage to Ferdinand I, **Archduchess of Austria** by marriage to Frederick VI and **Regent of Spain** from 1540 to 1552. She inherited the Genovian throne through her niece Marie. Her personal motto was *vivamus vitae plenissima, id est, semel tibi ago* ('live life to the fullest, it is only once you live') in addition to her husband's motto of *fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus* ('let justice be done, though the world perish').

## Early Life

Constance was born on 2 June 1516 to the 16-year-old Princess of Relante Anna. She was her eldest daughter. Constance was mainly raised at her grandfather's court and occasionally her uncle's court in Sicily. She had 3 siblings, Richard, Anne and Isadora. Anna wrote to her brother-in-law Eustace about Constance, telling him *"I gave birth on 2 June. My baby, who I have named Constance, will grow into the most intellectual princess in Genovia and will follow in my footsteps."*

In 1524, her grandmother died. Her grandfather, Richard V, sent Anna's family into sanctuary in Caligra. Constance didn't like being in sanctuary. The family was let out in 1526. Constance was then sent to Sicily to attend to her uncle Frederick's wife Sophia. She returned in 1528, and was quickly married off 2 years later.

## First Marriage

In 1529, Constance became of age. Many suitors asked for her hand, but were only singled down to two: Ferdinand of Austria and Frederick of Austria, both brothers and 13 years Constance's senior. Ferdinand was married, but wanted to annul his marriage to the Hungarian-Bohemian Princess Anne in order to marry Constance. Frederick disliked marriage, but he was pulled into it by his family, the Habsburg's, in order to gain more political influence. Both were valuable offers to Constance.

On 4 August 1529, Constance chose Ferdinand to be her husband. The Pope rejected Ferdinand's request for an annulment for his marriage to Anna of Bohemia and Hungary, and instead Constance was married to Frederick on 4 October 1530. Constance and Frederick disliked each other greatly, and both were unfaithful. Frederick began an affair with Napolesian Princess Millica of Napolist whilst Constance and Ferdinand began an affair shortly after she was married to Frederick. Upon marriage to Frederick, Constance became an Archduchess of Austria, and they had two children: Blanche of Genovia and Eleanor of Genovia, both were married to the grandsons of Ferdinand respectively. Frederick died in 1557, leaving Constance a widow.

## Accession

Constance was still second-in-line to the throne when her brother Richard ascended the throne as Richard VI. Constance's niece Marie then ascended the throne after Richard's death. Genovia was then split, with Marie ruling Western Genovia and Rose of Majorca ruling Eastern Genovia. During the first few months of Marie's reign, the Genovian Nobility had to deal with the power of the regency, which had gone to Constance's sister-in-law Maria. Constance wanted to be regent for her niece, so she fought against Maria for it. Maria won the regency, and Constance was named heir to Marie, evaluating her rank to Princess of Genovia. Marie I eventually died in 1558, and Constance was declared Constance V of Genovia, officially Constance V of Western Genovia. In 1561, Rose of Majorca abdicated and Constance became Queen of Eastern Genovia, uniting the two countries once more.

## Second Marriage and Holy Roman Empress

After Frederick's death in 1557, Constance immediately started plotting marriage to Ferdinand. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary had died in 1547, leaving Ferdinand a widow. In 1556, Ferdinand became Holy Roman Emperor upon the abdication of his brother Charles V, and immediately upon his succession began negotiating marriage to a Genovian Princess. That princess was Constance. When Constance became Empress Constance V of Genovia in 1558, she became completely valuable to Ferdinand. The two agreed to marry in 1559, and have it covered up by an alliance signed by both parties on 12 October 1558. On 25 February 1559, the two married in secret in Relante Exquisite, Genovia. The marriage was made public one week later, although suspicions that Constance was Ferdinand's morganatic wife started spreading. The marriage made Constance Holy Roman Empress. Constance and Ferdinand had three children: Constance of Austria, Amelia of Austria and Richard of Austria.