Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 51

Imperial Consort Duan – The Jiajing Emperor’s beloved and unjustly executed Consort

Imperial Consort Duan was the favourite Consort of the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. However, she attracted the jealousy of two women. One would make her the scapegoat of an assassination attempt to kill the Emperor. The other would order her unjust execution. However, the Jiajing Emperor would take revenge for her death. Imperial Consort Duan’s story is truly tragic because she was an innocent victim in a harem struggle. It also tells the story of a father’s love for his daughter. He would build a monument for her that would become a national landmark.

Imperial Consort Duan’s birthdate is unknown. She was born in Wuxi in present-day Jiangsu Province.[1] She was of the Cao family. Her given name was Cao Luoying.[2] Her father was Cao Cha, who was a prominent local official and doctor.[3] Her mother is unknown. Cao Luoying had a close relationship with her father.[4] She was also known for her beauty and kindness.[5] She entered the Jiajing Emperor’s harem to become his concubine.

The Jiajing Emperor was tired of Empress Fang.[6] He quickly fell in love with Concubine Cao and showered his attention on her.[7] In 1536, Lady Cao bore him his eldest daughter named Zhu Shouzen.[8] She would become Princess of Chang’an.[9] She would die at the age of fourteen on 21 July 1549.[10] To celebrate the birth of Princess Chang’an, the Jiajing Emperor held a banquet to celebrate.[11] In 1537, the Jiajing Emperor promoted Concubine Cao to Imperial Consort Duan.[12] On 4 March 1539, Consort Duan gave birth to the Jiaging Emperor’s third daughter named Zhu Luge, who became the Princess of Ning’an. Princess Ning’an would later marry a commoner named Li He of Ningjin County. They would have one son named Li Cheng’en. She would die on 4 August 1607.[13]

Because Imperial Consort Duan was the Jiajing Emperor’s favourite, she attracted jealousy from Concubine Ning and Empress Fang.[14] One day, Imperial Consort Duan overheard Concubine Ning calling her “a saucy fox.”[15] Imperial Consort Duan told her words to the Jiajing Emperor.[16] He ordered Concubine Ning to be flogged and sentenced her to the hard labour of picking nectar.[17] The Jiajing Emperor told her that if Concubine Ning insulted Imperial Consort Duan again, then he would execute her.[18] Concubine Ning never forgave Imperial Consort Duan.[19] Concubine Ning conspired to kill the Jiajing Emperor with fifteen other palace maids whom he had brutally beaten and sexually abused.[20] She also planned to place the blame on Imperial Consort Duan.[21] This is why the assassination attempt occurred in Imperial Consort Duan’s chambers.[22]

One night in October 1542, the Jiajing Emperor was sleeping in Imperial Consort Duan’s chambers. Imperial Consort Duan got out of bed and left the room to take a bath.[23] As soon as she left, Concubine Ning took advantage of Imperial Consort Duan’s absence.[24] She and fifteen palace maids entered the room to assassinate the sleeping Emperor.[25] They tied a knot with a silken cord and hung it around his neck.[26] Then, they stabbed his groin with their hairpins.[27] Unfortunately, they tied an overhand knot and not a slipknot.[28] Therefore, it was not tight enough to kill the Jiajing Emperor.[29] Instead, it left him unconscious.[30]

One of the palace maids panicked when she realized she could not kill the Jiajing Emperor.[31] She ran to Empress Fang’s chambers and notified her of the assassination attempt.[32] Empress Fang quickly summoned a physician who saved the Emperor’s life.[33] The Jiajing Emperor remained unconscious for a day and a half.[34] Empress Fang immediately ordered the execution of all the women involved in the assassination attempt.[35]

Empress Fang saw an opportunity to get rid of her rival, Imperial Consort Duan. Imperial Consort Duan was not involved in the assassination attempt, nor did she know about it.[36] Empress Fang knew Imperial Consort Duan was innocent, but her jealousy caused her to order her execution.[37] Imperial Consort Duan, Concubine Ning, and fifteen palace maids were executed by “slow-slicing”[38] at Xiao Archway in Beijing.[39] Before her execution, Imperial Consort Duan kept pleading her innocence.[40] Concubine Ning then told her that she was relieved that Imperial Consort Duan would be dying with her.[41] She also said that she had finally achieved her revenge on Imperial Consort Duan.[42] The assassination attempt became known in history as the Palace Women’s Uprising of Renyin Year.

When the Jiajing Emperor finally regained consciousness, he noticed that Imperial Consort Duan was not by his side.[43] When he learned of Imperial Consort Duan’s fate, he was angry with Empress Fang and never forgave her.[44] In 1547, Empress Fang was trapped in a palace fire. The Jiajing Emperor took his revenge on Empress Fang for executing his beloved Imperial Consort Duan.[45] He refused to allow anyone to rescue her.[46] Empress Fang died of her burns.[47]

After Imperial Consort Duan’s unjust execution, Cao Cha stopped working.[48] Cao Cha spent all his money to build Zhaosi Hall and buried her there.[49] The archway bears no inscription, but the monument faces the capital.[50] This sends a clear message that Cao Cha mourned his innocent daughter.[51] Today, Zhaosi Hall has become a nationally protected cultural site.[52]

Imperial Consort Duan is a very sympathetic figure. She was wrongfully executed. Her story shows that having the Emperor’s favour could be deadly. Imperial Consort Duan’s burial site has become a national heritage site. The monument ensures the legacy of Imperial Consort Duan and her unwarranted execution.

Sources:

Gu 谷, Y. 岳飞 (13 July 2013). “无锡曹端妃无字牌坊穿越470年 系真实版”甄嬛传 [Wuxi Concubine Cao Duan’s wordless memorial archway travels through 470 years and is the real version of “Zhen Huan’s Biography]” China News. Retrieved on 18 August 2023 from https://www.chinanews.com.cn/cul/2013....

iMedia. (n. d.). “Is it true that 16 palace ladies strangled the Jiajing Emperor with ropes?”. Retrieved on 18 August 2023 from https://min.news/en/history/d0fc77333....

iMedia. (n. d.). “The princess of the Ming Dynasty: Even though she was born in Tianhuang, she was inevitably fateful”. Retrieved on 18 August 2023 from https://min.news/en/history/d789b6687....

iMedia. (n. d.). “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”. Retrieved on 18 August 2023 from https://min.news/en/history/4f8d77fe7....

Lin, Y & Lee, L. X. H. trans. (2014). “Fang, Empress of the Jiajing Emperor, Shizong, of Ming.” Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II: Tang Through Ming 618 – 1644. (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; A. D. Stefanowska, Ed.; S. Wiles, Ed.). NY: Routledge. pp. 59-60.

McMahon, K. (2016). Celestial Women: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Song to Qing. NY: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Wu, M. (n. d.). “When Concubines fought back: The plot to Eliminate a mad and sadistic Emperor”. Ancient Origins. Retrieved on 18 August 2023 from https://www.ancient-origins.net/histo....

[1] 谷 [Gu], 2013

[2] 谷 [Gu], 2013

[3] 谷 [Gu], 2013

[4] 谷 [Gu], 2013

[5] 谷 [Gu], 2013

[6] Lin and Lee, 2014

[7] iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”

[8] iMedia, n. d., “The princess of the Ming Dynasty: Even though she was born in Tianhuang, she was inevitably fateful”

[9] iMedia, n. d., “The princess of the Ming Dynasty: Even though she was born in Tianhuang, she was inevitably fateful”

[10] iMedia, n. d., “The princess of the Ming Dynasty: Even though she was born in Tianhuang, she was inevitably fateful”

[11] iMedia, n. d., “The princess of the Ming Dynasty: Even though she was born in Tianhuang, she was inevitably fateful”

[12] McMahon, 2016

[13] iMedia, n. d., “The princess of the Ming Dynasty: Even though she was born in Tianhuang, she was inevitably fateful”

[14] 谷 [Gu], 2013; Lin and Lee, 2014

[15] iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”, para. 37

[16] iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”

[17] iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”

[18] iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”

[19] iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”

[20] Lin and Lee, 2014

[21] iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”

[22] 谷 [Gu], 2013; iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”

[23] Lin and Lee, 2014; 谷 [Gu], 2013

[24] iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”

[25] Lin and Lee, 2014

[26] Lin and Lee, 2014

[27] Lin and Lee, 2014

[28] Lin and Lee, 2014

[29] Lin and Lee, 2014

[30] Lin and Lee, 2014

[31] Lin and Lee, 2014

[32] Lin and Lee, 2014

[33] Lin and Lee, 2014

[34] Lin and Lee, 2014

[35] Lin and Lee, 2014

[36] Lin and Lee, 2014

[37] Lin and Lee, 2014

[38] Wu, n. d., para. 9

[39] iMedia, n. d., “Is it true that 16 palace ladies strangled the Jiajing Emperor with ropes?”

[40] iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”

[41] iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”

[42] iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”

[43] iMedia, n. d., “Why did the beauties kill the Jiajing Emperor in his sleep?”

[44] Lin and Lee, 2014

[45] 谷 [Gu], 2013

[46] McMahon, 2016

[47] Lin and Lee, 2014

[48] 谷 [Gu], 2013

[49] 谷 [Gu], 2013

[50] 谷 [Gu], 2013

[51] 谷 [Gu], 2013

[52] 谷 [Gu], 2013

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New photo of King Charles and Queen Camilla to mark anniversary of coronation

A new photo has been released by Buckingham Palace to mark the first anniversary of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation.

The photo was taken in the garden of Buckingham Palace on 10 April, the day after their 19th wedding anniversary. The photo was taken by Millie Pilkington.

According to Buckingham Palace, “Their Majesties remain deeply grateful for the many kindnesses and good wishes they have received from around the world throughout the joys and challenges of the past year.”

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The Delhi Durbar Necklace and Cullinan VII Pendant

The Delhi Durbar Necklace and Cullinan VII Pendant is a “set with eight cabochon emeralds, three cushion-shaped, four oval and one lozenge-shaped, in cut-down gold and pave-set diamond collets, between six large brilliants in platinum claw settings, on a double platinum chain set with 94 small brilliants, the central emerald suspending a pave-set pear-shaped emerald on  a detachable chain of 12 graduated small brilliants, and a marquise brilliant (Cullinan VII) on a detachable chain of ten graduated small brilliants.”1

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The emeralds in the necklace were bought by the Duchess of Cambridge (Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel) shortly after her marriage in 1818. They were made into a necklace sometime in the 1820s, and she gave this necklace to her daughter, Princess Mary Adelaide, later Duchess of Teck, in 1857. Not all of the emeralds were used for the necklace, and Augusta bequeathed these to her daughter as well in 1889.

When Mary Adelaide died in 1897, the emeralds were left to her second son, Prince Francis of Teck. When he died in 1910, he left all the jewellery to his mistress, the Countess of Kilmorey. Francis’s sister, Queen Mary, then purchased them from the Countess.

The jeweller Garrard then created a new necklace as part of a parure created for the Delhi Durbar. Queen Mary’s husband bore the cost of this as a present for her birthday.

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The diamond is detachable and can be used with the Cullinan VIII brooch.

Queen Elizabeth II inherited the necklace in 1953 and usually combined it with the Vladimir tiara when it was hung with emeralds.

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Royal Wedding Recollections – Prince Friso of the Netherlands & Mabel Wisse Smit

On 30 June 2003, the engagement between Prince Friso, the second son of the then-reigning Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and Mabel Wisse Smit was announced.

While the intention had been to ask for official permission for the marriage, which was needed for Prince Friso to remain in the line of succession, stories about Mabel’s past with a drug lord threw a spanner in the works. Prince Friso later admitted they had not been entirely open about Mabel’s past and declined to ask for permission. As such, he would lose his right of succession upon their marriage and his membership of the Royal House.

On 24 April 2004, Prince Friso and Mabel were married in the Oude Kerk in Delft. He lost his title as Prince of the Netherlands but kept the personal title of Prince of Orange-Nassau with Royal Highness as a style of address, according to the royal decree of 19 March 2004. He was also given the hereditary title of Count and the family name of “Van Oranje-Nassau van Amsberg.” Any children would be Count/Countess of Orange-Nassau van Ambsberg.

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The wedding turned into an austere affair due to the death of Prince Friso’s grandmother, former Queen Juliana, a month earlier. Pastor Carel ter Linden blessed the marriage, and both of Prince Friso’s brothers, the current King Willem-Alexander and Prince Constantijn, were his witnesses, alongside friends Lodewijk Beijst, Dante Weijerman and niece Sophie von der Recke. Mabel’s witnesses were her sisters Eveline and Nicoline and her friends Princess Laurentien (the wife of Prince Constantijn), Willemijn Verloop and Andrea Knap-Kleekamp.

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Mabel wore a white satin gown with bows, made by designers Viktor and Rolf. Four people worked on it for over 600 hours, and it contained 246 handmade bows. She also wore a tiara created by Mellerio during the reign of King William III. Mabel became a Princess of Orange-Nassau by courtesy. They went on to have two daughters together, Luana (born 2005) and Zaria (born 20o6), before Prince Friso’s tragic death in 2013, 18 months after falling into a coma following being buried underneath an avalanche.

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The Year of Isabella I of Castile – The early years of Isabella

The future Queen Isabella I of Castile was born on 22 April 1451 as the eldest child of King John II of Castile and his second wife, Isabella of Portugal.

From his first marriage, her father had one surviving son, the future King Henry IV. He was 26 years older than his newborn half-sister. Nevertheless, a second son would have been preferred, and a brother named Alfonso followed on 17 November 145. With two brothers ahead of her in the succession, Isabella was not expected ever to become Queen.

Isabella probably had little memory of her father, as he died on 20 July 1454 when she was just three years old. Her older half-brother Henry now became the new King. Isabella, her mother and brother moved to Arévalo, where they lived in a two-story house. The town was known for its clean air, and “the plague was rarely known here.”1 For her mother, these were dark days, and she reportedly shut herself “in a dark room, condemning herself to silence.”2 They were soon joined in Arévalo by Isabella of Barcelos, young Isabella’s maternal grandmother. It was Isabella of Barcelos who oversaw Isabella’s early childhood and education. Isabella also became close to her brother, Alfonso.

It is not entirely clear what kind of education Isabella received, but she certainly received the usual female training in domesticity. She learned to speak Portuguese, and she rode horses. The family spent quite a few quiet years at Arévalo, but as King Henry’s wife Joan came close to giving birth, Henry wanted any potential challengers for the throne kept close by. The ten-year-old Isabella and seven-year-old Alfonso were recalled to court. Isabella later wrote, “Alfonso and I, who were just children at the time, were inhumanely and forcibly torn from our mother’s arms and taken into Queen Juana (Joan)’s power.”3

Isabella and Alfonso said goodbye to their mother and grandmother at the end of 1461 to travel to the court at Segovia. They went from childhood innocence to a court full of intrigue. Isabella learned quickly about courtly love and its limits. Isabella moved into the Queen’s household, which was separated from the King’s side by an animal house that housed lions. She probably saw very little of her half-brother. As the Queen’s due date neared, she was moved to the Alcazar palace in Madrid, and Isabella joined her there. On 28 February 1462, the Queen gave birth to a daughter – Joanna. Isabella acted as godmother for her newborn niece.

The baptism of Joanna as portrayed in Isabel (2017(Screenshot/Fair Use)

Joanna was their first child after seven years of marriage and would prove to be the only surviving child. However, it appears that several nobles already doubted Joanna’s legitimacy, not in the least because of jealousy towards Beltrán de la Cueva, who held the King’s favour. It is impossible to tell if Joanna was Beltrán de la Cueva’s daughter, but we know Joan conceived again within the year. Tragically, she lost the child, a boy, at six months.

Three months later, Henry had Joanna sworn in as the heiress to the throne, and Isabella and her brother Afonso were the first ones to swear. Isabella later claimed that she knew why some nobles said that they had sworn against their will. She wrote, “It was something she [the Queen] had demanded because she knew the truth about her pregnancy and was taking precautions.”4

Nevertheless, the allegations surrounding Joanna’s paternity were the perfect breeding ground for a rebellion.

Joanna was just two years old when a manifesto of complaints and grievances was issued against King Henry by several nobles. This led to the Representation of Burgos in 1464, where Henry was forced to recognise Alfonso as the legitimate heir.5 This was agreed upon with the condition that Alfonso would one day marry Joanna. However, Henry soon reconsidered, and this led to a ceremonial deposition in effigy in 1465, and the 11-year-old Alfonso was crowned as rival King. Meanwhile, Isabella was still at court with Henry and Joan.

After turning 12 in 1463, Isabella became a piece of the marriage chessboard. Her half-brother, King Henry IV, sought the support of Portugal while the nobles of Castile leaned towards Aragon. Sometime in April 1464, Isabella found herself on the way to the Portuguese border to meet with the 31-year-old King Afonso V of Portugal. However, this marriage did not take place.

In 1466, one of the rebels suggested a marriage with Isabella as the best way to get his family’s loyalty back. In this plan, Isabella was to marry Pedro Girón Acuña Pacheco, who was also 18 years her senior. Henry agreed to the match, but Isabella was horrified as she considered this match to be beneath her dignity. She sank to her knees and began to pray, begging God to free her from the match. As he rode towards the court, he fell ill and died, much to Isabella’s relief.

Isabella and Alfonso were reunited in 1467 when he triumphantly rode into Segovia as Queen Joan fled. She later wrote, “I stayed in my palace, against the queen’s will, in order to leave her dishonest custody that was bad for my honour and dangerous for my life.”6 She made Alfonso’s counsellors sign a document stating that she would not be forced into marriage before agreeing to come with them.

Isabella also asked to return to her mother at Arévalo, and at the end of the year, they celebrated Alfonso’s 14th birthday with the three of them. They stayed there until they were forced to flee due to an outbreak of the plague at the end of June 1468. Alfonso fell ill at Cardeñosa, and for four days, he fought for his life. His death was expected, and Isabella wrote, “And you all know that in the moment that the Lord decided to take his life, succession of the kingdoms and royal lands of Castile and Leon will, as his legitimate heiress and successor, pass to me.”7

The death of Alfonso as portrayed in Isabel (2017(Screenshot/Fair Use)

Alfonso died on 5 July 1468. The battle was now between Joanna and Isabella.

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Book News Week 17

*contains affiliate links*

Book News week 17 – 22 April – 28 April 2024

The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens 

Kindle Edition – 25 April 2024 (US & UK)

Early English Queens, 850–1000: Potestas Reginae (Lives of Royal Women) 

Paperback – 23 April 2024 (UK)

In Search of Amrit Kaur: A Lost Princess and Her Vanished World 

Paperback –23 April 2024 (US & UK)

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Empress Xiaoke – The neglected mother of the Longqing Emperor

The Jiajing Emperor of the Ming Dynasty had four Empresses. Yet, each of them met a pitiful and tragic end. One of them was Empress Xiaoke. She was never made Empress Consort, but was the mother of the Longqing Emperor. During the Jiajing Emperor’s reign, Empress Xiaoke and the Longqing Emperor were largely ignored. He even refused to let the Longqing Emperor mourn his mother for three years. Thus, Empress Xiaoke suffered decades of neglect by her abusive husband.

In 1510, Empress Xiaoke was born in Beijing. Her given name is unknown. She was of the Du family.[1] Her father was Du Lin. Her mother’s name is unknown. In 1530, Lady Du was selected to become a concubine to the Jiajing Emperor.[2] However, she was not favoured or promoted until six years later.[3] 

In 1536, Concubine Du had finally gained the Jiajing Emperor’s favour.[4] She was given the title of Consort Kang.[5] On 4 March 1537, she gave birth to Zhu Zaihou, the third son of the Jiajing Emperor. After the birth of her son, the Jiajing Emperor grew tired of Consort Kang.[6] She never regained her husband’s favour, and he strongly disliked her.[7]

Because Consort Kang was not the Jiajing Emperor’s favourite Consort, Prince Zhu Zaihou was largely ignored by his father.[8] In 1549, the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty died. This left Prince Zhu Zaihou, the eldest son and the next heir apparent.[9] However, the Jiajing Emperor disliked him and did not make him the Crown Prince.[10] He kept the Crown Prince position vacant and hoped that one of his other sons would take his place.[11] This left Prince Zhu Zaihou without a father’s love and ill-equipped for kingship.[12] When Prince Zhu Zaihou ascended the throne as the Longqing Emperor in 1567, he had very little interest in politics and often indulged in sensual pleasures.[13]

In February of 1554, Consort Kang died at the age of forty-four. The Jiajing Emperor denied her the burial privileges as the mother of the Crown Prince.[14] Instead, she was given the customary burial of an Imperial Consort.[15] She was buried in a simple tomb in Jinshan.[16] Against tradition, the Jiajing Emperor refused to allow Prince Zhu Zaihou to perform three years of mourning for his mother.[17] It was not until Prince Zhu Zaihou ascended the throne as the Longqing Emperor that he elevated his mother to Empress status.[18] She was given the posthumous name of Empress Xiaoke.[19] He also reburied her next to the Jiajing Emperor in the Yongling Mausoleum.[20]

Empress Xiaoke was favoured by the Jiajing Emperor for only a short time. Then, he strongly disliked her and neglected her for the rest of her life. He even refused to name her son the Crown Prince. This would leave repercussions not only for the Longqing Emperor but also for the Ming Dynasty.[21] He did not shower his son with love and the tools he needed to become Emperor. The Longqing Emperor would spend his reign on sensual pleasures and not politics.[22] If the Jiajing Emperor spent more attention on his son, then history would have been very different.[23] During the Jiajing Emperor’s reign, Empress Xiaoke was deprived of the privileges of the mother of the Crown Prince. Fortunately, her son gave her the privileges that she deserved.

Sources:

Dillon, M. (2016). Encyclopedia of Chinese History. NY: Taylor and Francis.

McMahon, K. (2016). Celestial Women: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Song to Qing. NY: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Swope, K. M. (2019). The Ming World. NY: Taylor and Francis.

[1] McMahon, 2016

[2] McMahon, 2016

[3] McMahon, 2016

[4] McMahon, 2016

[5] McMahon, 2016

[6] McMahon, 2016

[7] Dillon, 2016

[8] Dillon, 2016

[9] Dillon, 2016

[10] Dillon, 2016

[11] Dillon, 2016

[12] Dillion, 2016; McMahon, 2016

[13] McMahon, 2016

[14] McMahon, 2016

[15] McMahon, 2016

[16] McMahon, 2016

[17] McMahon, 2016

[18] Swope, 2019

[19] Swope, 2019

[20] McMahon, 2016

[21] McMahon, 2016

[22] McMahon, 2016

[23] McMahon, 2016

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The Cullinan VI and VIII Brooch

The Cullinan VI and VIII Brooch consists of a “marquise pendant (Cullinan VI), suspended from an emerald-cut stone (Cullinan VIII), set on a fine radiating platinum web in symmetrically scrolling and foliate millegrain and pavé-set brilliant border.”1

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The Cullinan VI diamond was purchased in 1908 from the diamond cutter Asscher by King Edward VII as a gift for his wife, Queen Alexandra. Shortly after becoming a widow, Queen Alexandra had it incorporated into a new circlet, although it was detachable. It was then inherited by Queen Mary when Queen Alexandra died in 1925.

(Screenshot/Fair Use)

The Cullinan VIII, which had been given to Queen Mary in 1910, was set in a scrolled frame, which had multiple uses. The Cullinan VI was regularly attached to Cullinan VIII after 1925.

The complete brooch was inherited by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

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Ingeborg of Kyiv – Mother of a King

In the early twelfth century, the Kievan Rus and Scandinavia continued to make marriage alliances to keep them connected. This included the marriages of the two oldest daughters of Mstislav I of Kyiv and his wife, Christina of Sweden. Around 1111, their daughter, Malmfred, who was possibly their oldest, married Sigurd I of Norway. Not long afterwards, their next daughter, Ingeborg, married Canute Lavard, who had a strong claim to the Danish throne.

Early Life

It is not known when Ingeborg was born. She seems to have been one of the older children of Mstislav I, Grand Prince of Kyiv, and his first wife, Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden. Her parents married between 1090 and 1096, and Ingeborg married around 1115-1117, so she is thought to have been born around 1097-1102. She was possibly the second daughter of Mstislav and Christina, their first being Malmfred.  Ingeborg is not mentioned in Rus sources, and what we know about her comes from Scandinavian and Latin sources.

Duchess of Schleswig

Probably between 1115 and 1117, Ingeborg married Canute Lavard, Duke of Schleswig. Canute was the only legitimate child of King Eric I of Denmark and Boedil Thurgotsdatter. When Canute was seven years old, both of his parents died when they went on Crusade. At the time, Denmark usually followed lateral succession, (from brother to brother), rather than direct father to son succession. Also, a king’s illegitimate sons had as much a right to the throne as legitimate ones. Canute’s grandfather, King Sweyn II of Denmark, had no surviving legitimate sons, but many illegitimate ones. Five of them would successively become Kings of Denmark. Canute’s father was the fourth of these five sons to be king. Since he was still a child when his father died, Canute was bypassed in favour of his last surviving uncle, Niels, when a new king was elected in 1104.

In 1115, Canute was made Duke of Schleswig by either Niels, or Lothar, Duke of Saxony. Ingeborg and Canute were probably married around this time. It is thought that they married before 1117, when Ingeborg’s father, Mstislav, moved from Novgorod to Belgorod. There are several different versions of how this marriage came about.

The first theory involves Ingeborg’s grandfather, Vladimir Monomakh, Grand Prince of Kyiv, and Lothar, Duke of Saxony. When Vladimir came to the throne of Kyiv, he was in conflict with his cousin, Yaropolk, who was allied with the Polish. Lothar was a major opponent of the Poles, and he was allied with Canute. This marriage could be seen as an alliance against Yaropolk and the Poles.

A later twelfth-century Danish chronicler, Saxo Grammaticus, gives another explanation. According to Saxo Grammaticus, Margaret, the aunt of Ingeborg via her mother’s side, arranged this marriage. Margaret was first married to King Magnus III of Norway, but at the time of Ingeborg’s marriage, she was married to Canute’s uncle, King Niels of Denmark. In this case, this marriage was made to draw the families closer. By this time, Ingeborg’s sister, Malmfred, would have been married to Magnus’s son and Margaret’s stepson, King Sigurd of Norway. Whether or not Margaret arranged the marriage, she deeded some of her lands in Sweden to Ingeborg.

A third version is given in the thirteenth-century Knytlinga Saga. According to the Saga, Canute knew about Ingeborg and sent a Baltic trader named Vidgaut to Mstislav’s court to negotiate a marriage agreement. Vidgaut is described as a recent convert to Christianity who knew many languages and did not need a translator at the Rus court. Vidgaut was successfully able to get Mstislav and Ingeborg to agree to the marriage to Canute. Vidgaut then returned to Denmark and told Canute the good news, and wedding preparations were made. Ingeborg then departed from Denmark with “a splendid retinue”, and the wedding was a grand affair.

In 1127, Canute became ruler of the Abdorites, after the death of the previous ruler, his cousin, Henrik Gottskalksen. The Abdorites were a group of Slavic people on the Baltic coast. For his possessions, Canute paid homage to Lothar, Duke of Saxony, and eventually Holy Roman Emperor, rather than King Niels of Denmark. In 1129, Lothar titled Canute as “King of the Adborites.”

Canute and Ingeborg had four children together:

Christina (c. 1118-after 1141), married King Magnus IV of NorwayMargaret, married Danish nobleman Stig HvitaledrCatherine, married Pribislav-Henry of the AdboritiesValdemar I (1131-1182), King of Denmark

Canute’s loyalty to Lothar suggests a difficult relationship between him and his uncle. Niels would have seen Canute’s increasing power as a threat to him. Niels also had a son, Magnus, whom he saw as his heir. It is believed that eventually Niels and Magnus saw Canute as a threat to their power.

According to the twelfth-century Chronicle of the Slavs, Ingeborg had a premonition of her husband’s murder in a dream.  She tried to warn Canute against meeting with his cousin Magnus, but he ignored her advice. Canute went to meet Magnus on 7 January 1131 but was trapped and killed. About a week after Canute’s death, Ingeborg gave birth to their only son, Valdemar, named after Ingeborg’s grandfather, Vladimir Monomakh, Grand Prince of Kyiv.

There are two different accounts of the place of Valdemar’s birth. The Chronicle of the Slavs suggests that Ingeborg was in Denmark at the time. However, the Knytlinga Saga says that Ingeborg was in Rus visiting her father at the time of Canute’s murder and Valdemar’s birth. If true, Ingeborg probably would not have found out about her husband’s death until after her son’s birth. If Ingeborg was in Rus, this would be an example of a Rus princess maintaining close ties to her birth family after her marriage.

Widowhood

Ingeborg’s sister, Malmfred, Queen of Norway, had been widowed less than a year before her. In widowhood, the two sister’s paths crossed again, and they played an important role in the marital ties of the royal families of Denmark and Norway. Canute’s illegitimate half-brother, Eric, looked after Ingeborg and her children and wished to avenge his brother’s death. Eric allied with the reigning King of Norway, Magnus, who was the stepson of Malmfred. A double marriage was arranged to seal this alliance: Magnus would marry Ingeborg’s daughter, Christina, and Malmfred would marry Eric.

In 1132, Eric went to battle against Niels and Magnus of Denmark but was defeated. He fled to Norway with Malmfred, to the court of Magnus of Norway. Ingeborg’s whereabouts at this time are not known, she and her younger children may have fled to Norway too, or they may have been in Rus. When Niels found out that Magnus was sheltering Eric and Malmfred, he asked him to turn them over to him. Ingeborg’s daughter, Christina, who was by this time married to Magnus, found out about this and helped Eric and Malmfred escape. When Magnus found out about Christina’s involvement in this, he repudiated her.

On 4 June 1134, Niels and Magnus of Denmark were defeated in the Battle of Fotevik by Eric. Magnus was killed in the battle, and Niels fled and was murdered three weeks later. Eric’s vengeance for Canute’s death was now complete, and he became the new King of Denmark. However, his reign was not to last long. Eric proved to be an unpopular king and was murdered at an assembly on 18 September 1137.

Soon after this event, Ingeborg resurfaces. Her six-year-old son, Valdemar, was chosen to become the new king, but Ingeborg refused because of his age. According to Saxo Grammaticus, she feared for Valdemar’s life, so she forced the nobles to swear to not choose him as king. Instead, his cousin, Eric III, became the new King of Denmark. However, Valdemar was still considered to be a future king. This is the last time that Ingeborg is mentioned. She may have remained in Denmark to watch over her son, or she might have returned to Rus. The date and place of her death is not known.

Valdemar eventually became King of Denmark in 1154. He continued to maintain ties to his mother’s family, he married a Rus princess himself. In 1170, Valdemar started the canonisation process for his father, whose murder was considered a martyrdom. Canute would eventually be canonised as a saint. Valdemar’s other accomplishments included initiating primogeniture in Denmark. From then on, Danish kings followed primogeniture instead of lateral succession. Valdemar was a very successful ruler, and is remembered by history as “The Great.”

Through their marriages, Ingeborg and her sister, Malmfred, appear to have created strong family ties, which defined early twelfth-century Scandinavia.

Sources

Raffensperger, Christian; “Dynastic Marriage in Action: How Two Rusian Princesses Changed Scandinavia”

Raffensperger, Christian and Ostrowski, Donald; The Ruling Families of Rus: Clan, Family and Kingdom

Zajac, Natalia Anna Makaryk; “Women Between West and East: the Inter-Rite Marriages of the Kyivan Rus’ Dynasty, ca. 1000-1204”

“Ingeborg of Kiev” on the website The Court of Russian Princesses of the XI-XVI centuries

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Malmfred of Kyiv – Queen of two Scandinavian Countries

In the early twelfth century, Kievan Rus continued its ties to Scandinavia. This included the marriages of the two oldest daughters of Mstislav I of Kyiv and his wife, Christina of Sweden. One of the daughters, Malmfred, got to become a queen twice – first of Norway and secondly of Denmark.

Early Life

Very little is known about Malmfred’s life before her marriage. In fact, she is not mentioned in any Rus chronicles and is known through Scandinavian and Latin sources. This is the case with many Rus princesses who married abroad. She was one of the older daughters, possibly the oldest daughter, of Mstislav I, Grand Prince of Kyiv, and his first wife, Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden. We do not know when she was born. Her parents married sometime between 1090 and 1096. Estimates of when Malmfred could have been born vary between 1095 and 1102.

Queen of Norway

Malmfred’s marriage is believed to have occurred between 1111 and 1116, possibly closer to the earlier date. She was married to Sigurd I, “the Crusader”, King of Norway. It is not known how this marriage exactly came about. The marriage could have been arranged to keep Rus-Scandinavian ties. Malmfred’s mother was the daughter of a king of Sweden, and ties to the Swedish royal family would have been desirable to a Norwegian king. Sigurd’s father, King Magnus III of Norway had been married to Malmfred’s aunt on her mother’s side, Margaret. However, the marriage was childless, and Sigurd and his siblings were born to concubines. Margaret, who was by this time married to the King of Denmark, might have had a hand in arranging Malmfred’s marriage. When Malmfred married, she might have received a piece of her aunt’s inheritance, perhaps as a dowry.

Malmfred was Sigurd’s second wife. In 1102, while in his early teens, Sigurd was married to Blathemuine, the daughter of the King of Munster, in Ireland. When Sigurd’s father was killed in 1103, Sigurd returned to Norway to claim the crown with his brothers and left Blathemuine behind. Sigurd left on crusade in 1107 and returned in 1111. It is believed that he may have met Malmfred on his way home. His exact route back to Norway is uncertain, but he may have passed through Rus and met Malmfred there. Sigurd was not the only King of Norway at that time. He shared the throne with his two brothers, Eysteinn and Olav. Olav died in 1115, and Eysteinn in 1123, leaving Sigurd as sole King of Norway.

The marriage of Sigurd and Malmfred is not considered to have been happy. Sigurd had an illegitimate son, Magnus, who seems to have been born during the marriage. Malmfred and Sigurd had just one daughter named Christina, who was perhaps born around 1125. Sometime between 1126 and 1128, Sigurd was believed to have taken a mistress named Cecilia, who was the daughter of a local magnate. Sigurd demanded to marry her but was in conflict with the local bishop. Malmfred’s involvement is not mentioned in this episode, but she appears to have remained married to Sigurd, even though he was believed to have broken church rules and married Cecilia anyway. According to some, Sigurd divorced Malmfred, but she remained in Norway. Others believed he remained married to Malmfred but still married Cecilia. At this time, it was not uncommon for Scandinavian kings to be married bigamously. In any case, it seems like Malmfred continued to be acknowledged as Queen of Norway while Cecilia was not. About eighty years earlier, Harald Hardrada, the husband of an earlier Rus princess, Elisaveta, bigamously married Tora, a daughter of a powerful Norwegian noble. There is some debate if the story of the marriage of Sigurd and Cecilia is true.

Sigurd died in 1130. He was succeeded by his son, Magnus, and, Harald Gille, who claimed to be a half-brother of Sigurd. At first, Malmfred would remain at the Norwegian court, as Magnus’s step-mother, but fate would have her marry again.

Marriage to Eric of Denmark

Around 1117, Malmfred’s sister, Ingeborg, married Canute Lavard, who had a strong claim to the Danish throne. However, they never got to become King and Queen of Denmark, for Canute was murdered in 1131. After this event, the two sisters seemed to have worked closely together. Canute’s half-brother, Eric, rebelled against the reigning King of Denmark, his uncle, Niels, who had played a part in Canute’s murder. Niels was the second husband of Malmfred’s aunt, Margaret, who died around 1130.

Eric made a claim to the Danish throne. He allied with Malmfred’s stepson, Magnus, now King of Norway. This alliance was to be sealed by a double marriage. By marrying the sister of his brother’s wife, Eric could get support in his struggle for the throne. Between 1131 and 1133, Malmfred and Eric married. Another marriage was arranged between Ingeborg and Canute’s daughter, Christina, and Malmfred’s stepson, Magnus. Malmfred may have had a hand in arranging this marriage herself. This double marriage was a way of tying the families together to protect Ingeborg and her children and to avenge Canute’s death.

Malmfred and Eric had no children together, but Eric had an illegitimate son named Sweyn, who was born before the marriage. In 1132, Eric was defeated in battle by Niels and his son, Magnus. Due to this, Malmfred, Eric, and Sweyn had to flee to Norway, to the court of Malmfred’s stepson, King Magnus of Norway. When Niels found out about this, he reached out to Magnus and convinced him to turn Malmfred, Eric, and Sweyn over to him. Soon, Magnus’s wife and Malmfred’s niece, Christina, found out about these plans. She warned Malmfred and Eric about this and helped them escape in the night. Malmfred and Eric then allied with the rival king of Norway, Harald Gille. When Magnus found out about his wife’s role in her aunt and uncle’s escape, he separated from her.

Queen of Denmark

On 4 June 1134, the Battle of Fotevik was fought between Eric and Niels and his son, Magnus. During the battle, Magnus was killed, Niels fled, and Eric won. Niels was murdered just three weeks after the battle, and Eric became King of Denmark. Therefore, Malmfred became Queen consort of Denmark. Just like her aunt, Margaret, Malmfred had successively become Queen of Norway and Denmark.

Little is known about Malmfred’s time as Queen of Denmark. There seems to be just one record from 1135, where Eric grants estates to the Archbishop of Lund, with the consent of Malfred and Sweyn. Eric turned out to be an unpopular king, and he was murdered at an assembly on 18 September 1137. There is no mention of Malmfred after this, so her date of death is unknown.

Malmfred’s stepson ruled as King Sweyn III of Denmark from 1146 to 1157. Malmfred’s daughter, Christina, married a Norwegian nobleman named Erling Skakke. They had one son, named Magnus, was was King of Norway from 1161 to 1184.

The marriages of Malmfred and her sister Ingeborg are seen as important examples of marital ties and family alliances in early twelfth-century Scandinavia.

Sources

Raffensperger, Christian; “Dynastic Marriage in Action: How Two Rusian Princesses Changed Scandinavia”

Raffensperger, Christian and Ostrowski, Donald; The Ruling Families of Rus: Clan, Family and Kingdom

Zajac, Natalia Anna Makaryk; “Women Between West and East: the Inter-Rite Marriages of the Kyivan Rus’ Dynasty, ca. 1000-1204”

“Malmfred Mstislavna” on the website The Court of Russian Princesses of the XI-XVI centuries

 

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