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| − | {{Infobox_Character |
| + | #REDIRECT [[Theodora II Comnena]] |
| − | subject_name=Empress Theodora II Comnenus | photo=http://members.iinet.net.au/~a_marrington/ns/pantocratorie-ancien.jpg |
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| − | caption1=Birth | field1=12 September 1801 |
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| − | caption2=Accession | field2=29 October 1810 |
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| − | caption3=Death | field3=19 April 1872 |
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| − | caption4=Titles | field4=By the Grace of God, Empress of Pantocratoria, Autocrator of the Romans, Augusta, Equal of the Apostles, God's Vicegerent on Earth, the Most Pious, Queen of Queens Ruling over those who Rule, Queen (Consort) of France and Navarre }}
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| − | Her Imperial Majesty Empress '''Theodora II''' was the daughter of [[Constantine Comnenus|Prince Constantine Comnenus]] and Princess Constance Comnenus (the grand-daughter of [[Isaac IV Comnenus|Emperor Isaac IV]]), who died whilst giving birth to her. She was the niece of [[Manuel VIII Comnenus|Emperor Manuel VIII]], and his heir apparent from the death of her father in 1803. With both of her parents dead, she was brought up in the [[Imperial Court of Christ Pantocrator]] under the tutelage of [[Constantine XXI Phocas|Constantine Phocas]], and the guardianship of her godfather [[Louis I Capet|King Louis XVII of France]]. Both men had grandiose ambitions which they would seek to fulfill through their young charge, and the pair came to an arrangement over the little princess known as the infamous [[Treaty of the Child Bride]].
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| − | On 29 October, 1810, Theodora was eating dinner with her [[Louis I Capet|godfather]], [[Constantine XXI Phocas|tutor]] and her uncle [[Manuel VIII Comnenus|Emperor Manuel VIII]] on one of his visits to the [[Imperial Court of Christ Pantocrator]] in [[New Rome]] (the Emperor's residence was [[Chantouillet]]), when the Emperor choked on a peacock bone and died (according to popular legend, [[Constantine XXI Phocas|Constantine]] forbade anybody from trying to help the Emperor). Theodora was declared Empress, and a regency council was composed headed up by [[Constantine XXI Phocas|Constantine]], which soon declared that the Empress would marry her godfather, [[Louis I Capet|King Louis XVII of France]], who would in turn be crowned co-Emperor Augustus. Barely nine years old, Theodora was married to her twenty-five year old godfather on 3 November 1810 in a dual wedding/coronation ceremony.
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| − | It isn't known exactly when the wedding was consummated. The age difference and the nature of their prior relationship made Theodora's relationship with her husband a non-romantic one. Theodora was only pregnant once, at the age of 22, and it is generally thought that the marriage wasn't consummated until Theodora was at least 18, possibly 21, although there is no actual evidence to suggest that Theodora and [[Louis I Capet|Louis]] ever had a sexual relationship before Theodora fell pregnant in 1823. It is known that after the birth of [[Manuel IX Capet|Prince Louis-Manuel]], the couple separated and whatever sexual relationship they did have ceased. Theodora held court at the [[Imperial Court of Christ Pantocrator]], while her estranged husband held court at the [[Despotic Court of New Constantinople]]. The Empress never admitted a man into her private apartments again (with the exception of her confessor on her deathbed), which led to scandalous (and unfounded) rumours in [[New Rome]]'s coffee houses and high-society social functions about the nature of the Empress' relationship with her ladies in waiting, especially the Duchess of [[Montmanuel]], who was Theodora's closest friend and confidant for forty years.
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| − | Theodora remained fairly removed from the actual governance of [[Pantocratoria]], leaving it in the hands of her husband (until his death in 1847) and her former tutor, now [[Constantine XXI Phocas|Co-Emperor Constantine XXI]] (until his death in 1862). She took an active role in the reign of her son, crowned [[Manuel IX Comnenus|Emperor Manuel IX]] in 1847 after the death of his father, becoming his chief advisor. She reigned with her son to a far greater extent than she ever reigned with her husband.
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| − | Theodora II died of pneumonia in 1872, after a reign which lasted nearly 62 years, the longest in [[Pantocratoria]] history. | + | |
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| − | [[Category:Pantocratoria]]
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| − | {| border=2 align="center"
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| − | |width="30%" align="center" |Preceded by:<br/>'''[[Manuel VIII Comnenus]]'''
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| − | |width="40%" align="center" |'''[[List of Pantocratorian Emperors|Empress of Pantocratoria]]'''<br>1810-1872
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| − | |width="30%" align="center" |Succeeded by:<br/>'''[[Manuel IX Capet]]'''
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| − | |}
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