| Sophia of Minsk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Queen consort of Denmark | |
| Tenure | 1157–1182 |
| Died | 5 May 1198 |
| Burial | |
| Spouses | |
| Issue among others... | |
| House | Rurik |
| Father | Volodar of Minsk |
| Mother | Richeza of Poland |
Sophia of Minsk or Sophia of Polotsk (died 5 May 1198) was a Danish queen consort by marriage to King Valdemar I of Denmark, and a landgravine of Thuringia by marriage to Louis III, Landgrave of Thuringia.
Sophia was the daughter of Richeza of Poland, Dowager Queen of Sweden, from her second marriage to a man called "Valador", King in Poloni Land. The identity of her father is uncertain, it was either Volodar of Minsk [1] or Vladimir Vsevolodich , Prince of Novgorod and son of Vsevolod of Pskov. Both of them were Rurikids. The latter version would mean Valdemar was married to his first cousin once removed, as Sophia's possible father Volodar was a nephew of Valdemar's mother Ingeborg of Kiev. [2]
Sophia spent a part of her childhood in Denmark, where her mother had been married to a Danish prince in her first marriage, and returned with her daughter when her second marriage was terminated. Sophia was the half sister of Canute V of Denmark, the son of her mother by her first marriage: after her half brother became king of Denmark in 1146, her mother returned to Denmark with her daughter Sophia, who thus spent part of her childhood in Denmark at the court of her half brother the king.
In circa 1149, her mother married Sverker I of Sweden, in her third marriage. She took her daughter with her to Sweden, where Sophia subsequently spent the rest of her childhood at the Swedish royal court.
In 1154, at the age of circa fourteen, Sophia was betrothed to Valdemar as a symbol of alliance between Sweden and Denmark: she was at this time described as a pretty girl with promise of becoming a beauty. [3] In the marriage contract, she was secured an eighth of her half brother King Canute V's estates in Denmark. [3]
Sophia departed Sweden for Denmark after the conclusion of the engagement in 1154, but as she was not yet regarded old enough to marry by Nordic standards, she was sent to reside with a foster mother named Bodil until she was old enough to live with Valdemar. [3]
The wedding between Sophia and Valdemar was conducted in Viborg in 1157, three years later.
Queen Sophia was described as beautiful, dominant and cruel. According to traditional myth, she murdered Valdemar's mistress Tove and injured his sister Kirsten, but this is not confirmed. [4]
She was widowed in 1182.
As queen dowager, Sophia received a proposal from, and married, Louis III, Landgrave of Thuringia in about 1184, and was escorted to the border by her son and a grand entourage.
She was repudiated in 1190, and returned to Denmark.
Sophia had the following children with Valdemar I of Denmark:
Valdemar I Knudsen, also known as Valdemar the Great, was King of Denmark from 1154 until his death in 1182. The reign of King Valdemar I saw the rise of Denmark, which reached its medieval zenith under his son King Valdemar II.
Richeza of Poland, a member of the House of Piast, was twice Queen of Sweden and once Princess of Minsk through her three marriages. Tradition describes her as unusually beautiful.
Sverker the Elder, also known as Sverker I, was King of Sweden from about 1132 until his murder. Of non-royal descent, he founded the House of Sverker, the rulers of which alternated with the rival House of Erik over the next century.
Margaret Sambiria was Queen of Denmark by marriage to King Christopher I, and regent during the minority of her son, King Eric V from 1259 until 1264. She is the first woman confirmed to have formally ruled as regent of Denmark. She was the reigning fief-holder of Danish Estonia in 1266–1282.
Canute V Magnussen was a King of Denmark from 1146 to 1157, as co-regent in shifting alliances with Sweyn III and Valdemar I. Canute was killed at the so-called Bloodfeast of Roskilde in 1157. Nothing certain is known about his person and character.
Ingeborg of Norway was a Norwegian princess and by marriage a Swedish royal duchess with a position in the regency governments in Norway (1319–1327) and Sweden (1319–1326) during the minority of her son, King Magnus Eriksson. In 1318–1319, she was Sweden's de facto ruler, and from 1319 until 1326, she was Sweden's first de jure female regent. Her role in northern European history is considered of major importance.
Princess Sophia Hedwig of Denmark and Norway was a Danish princess, the daughter of King Christian V and his queen-consort, Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel.
Sophia of Denmark was Queen of Sweden as the consort of King Valdemar.
Rikissa of Denmark was Queen of Sweden as the wife of King Erik Knutsson, and the mother of King Erik Eriksson.
Helen, is the assumed name of a medieval Swedish princess and Danish queen, Queen consort of King Canute V of Denmark. The date of her birth is not known; her father was King Sverker I of Sweden and her mother has been assumed to be Sverker's first spouse, Queen Ulvhild.
Ingeborg Magnusdotter was Queen of Denmark by marriage to King Eric VI. She was the daughter of King Magnus Ladulås of Sweden and Helvig of Holstein.
Jutta of Saxony was Queen of Denmark as the wife of King Eric IV of Denmark. She was the daughter of Albert I, Duke of Saxony. She married king Erik in 1239, and became junior queen consort, since her husband was junior king, even though there was no senior queen at the time. She would become senior queen in 1242.
Christina Ingesdotter was a Swedish princess and a princess consort of Veliky Novgorod, Rostov and Belgorod, by marriage to Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev.
St. Bendt's Church is a church in Ringsted, Denmark, which was originally part of a Benedictine monastery that burnt down in the 18th century. Built in the Romanesque style, it is the oldest brick church in Scandinavia, dating back to about 1170 when it replaced a travertine church from about 1080. It is considered to be one of Denmark's architecturally finest churches. Furthermore, it is of special historical interest as it is the first Royal church in Denmark and it houses the tombs of many of Denmark's earlier monarchs and noblemen.
Ingeborg Mstislavna of Kiev was a Ruthenian princess, married to the Danish prince Canute Lavard of Jutland.
Jutta of Denmark also known as Judith (1246-1286/95) was a daughter of Eric IV of Denmark and his wife Jutta of Saxony. She was a younger sister of Queen Sophia of Sweden, and Queen Ingeborg of Norway, as well as an older sister of Agnes. Jutta was also mistress for a brief period of time to her brother-in-law Valdemar, King of Sweden. Jutta was a member of the House of Estridsen.
The House of Estridsen was a dynasty that provided the kings of Denmark from 1047 to 1412. The dynasty is named after its ancestor Estrid Svendsdatter. The dynasty is sometimes called the Ulfinger, after Estrid's husband, Ulf Jarl. The dynasty also provided three medieval rulers of Sweden and one of Norway. Their family coat of arms became the coat of arms of Denmark and thereby influenced the coat of arms of Tallinn and the coat of arms of Estonia.
Erik Eriksøn, also known as Eric Longlegs, (1272–1310), Lord of Langeland, was the second son of Eric I, Duke of Schleswig and younger brother of Valdemar IV, Duke of Schleswig.
Henrik Svendsen, better known as Henrik Skadelår or Henrik the Lame, was a Danish prince and pretender through his father, Svend Tronkræver, an illegitimate son of King Sweyn II. He died in the Battle of Fotevik before he could press his claim.
Events from the 12th century in Denmark.
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