Theodora II Comnena

From NSwiki, the NationStates encyclopedia.
Jump to: navigation, search
Empress Theodora II Comnena
pantocratorie-ancien.jpg
Birth
12 September 1801
Accession
29 October 1810
Death
19 April 1872
Titles
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, Grand Mistress of the Order of the Pantocrator

Her Imperial Majesty Empress Theodora II was the daughter of Prince Constantine Comnenus and Princess Constance Comnena (the grand-daughter of Emperor Isaac IV), who died whilst giving birth to her. She was the niece of 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 Phocas, and the guardianship of her godfather 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.

On 29 October, 1810, Theodora was eating dinner with her godfather, tutor and her uncle 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 forbade anybody from trying to help the Emperor). Theodora was declared Empress, and a regency council was composed headed up by Constantine, which soon declared that the Empress would marry her godfather, 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.

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 ever had a sexual relationship before Theodora fell pregnant in 1823. It is known that after the birth of 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.

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 Co-Emperor Constantine XXI (until his death in 1862). She took an active role in the reign of her son, crowned 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.

Theodora II died of pneumonia in 1872, after a reign which lasted nearly 62 years, the longest in Pantocratorian history.

Preceded by:
Manuel VIII Comnenus
Empress of Pantocratoria
1810-1872
Succeeded by:
Manuel IX Capet