Anne of Kiev

Anne of Kiev, also known as Anna Yaroslavna, was a princess from Kievan Rus who lived around the year 1030 to 1075. In 1051, she married King Henry I of France and became the Queen of France. After King Henry passed away in 1060, Anne took on an important role as regent, helping to govern France while their son, Philip I, was still young.

Anne’s time as regent was marked by some difficult moments, especially when she married Count Ralph IV of Valois, which caused debate among her subjects. Despite these challenges, she made a lasting impact by founding the Abbey of St. Vincent in Senlis, a place that would become important for the people of her time. Her life connects the history of Kievan Rus with that of France, showing the ties between these two important regions.

Childhood

Anne was the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, Grand Prince of Kiev, and Prince of Novgorod, and his second wife Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden. We do not know exactly when she was born, but it was likely around the year 1030. Anne was probably the youngest daughter in her family. Not much is known about her childhood, but it is believed she could read and write because we have her name signed on a document from the year 1061. Some historians think she may have learned French in preparation for her future marriage to King Henry I of France.

Engagement

Anne’s marriage to King Henry I of France was arranged in the late 1040s. King Henry needed an heir and wanted to avoid marrying someone related to him, which the Church did not approve of. So he looked for a new bride from far away.

Bishop Gauthier of Meaux and others were sent to meet with Yaroslav, the ruler of Kievan Rus. Anne left Kiev in 1050, traveling to Reims in France. She brought many valuable gifts with her.

Queenship

Anne married King Henry I on May 19, 1051, during the feast of Pentecost. Henry was almost twenty years older than Anne. After their wedding, Anne was crowned queen in Reims Cathedral, the first French queen to have her coronation there.

Anne and Henry had three sons: Philip, Robert (who died when he was young), and Hugh. Anne is thought to have brought the Greek name "Philip" into royal families of Western Europe because she gave this name to her first son. They may also have had a daughter named Emma, but little is known about her.

As queen, Anne may have helped in important decisions, but there are very few records of her doing so. Once, in 1058, King Henry made a decision about some villages near the monastery of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés "with the approval of my wife Anne and our children Philip, Robert, and Hugh." During a time of disagreement between King Henry and the Church in 1059, Pope Nicholas II wrote to Anne, encouraging her to help bring peace and fairness to the kingdom.

Regency

When King Henry I died in 1060, his son Philip became king. Count Baldwin V of Flanders was chosen to watch over Philip, but Queen Anne likely still helped with governing. Her name appears more often than Baldwin’s in official documents at the time.

Anne’s only known signature from this time is on a paper from Soissons. It has a cross and some letters in Cyrillic script, probably saying “Ana Reina,” which means “Queen Anne” in old French. Not long after this, around 1061, Anne married again. Her new husband was Count Ralph IV of Valois. This marriage caused some problems because Ralph was already married to someone else, and he was also related to the late King Henry. Because of this, Ralph was excommunicated. Some of King Philip’s advisors may have become uneasy about Anne’s influence because of Ralph.

In 1062, Anne gave money to fix an old chapel in Senlis, dedicated to Saint Vincent of Saragossa. She also gave land and income to help the chapel continue its work. She wrote a letter explaining why she did this, showing her connection to Greek Orthodox traditions. Ralph passed away in 1074, and Anne became a widow once more.

Death and aftermath

The exact date of Anne's death is not known. Some believe she died in 1075, while others think it may have been 1080. We know she had passed away by 1089 because of a document from her son, Philip I, from that year.

In 1682, someone said they found her tomb at a monastery, but this was later questioned because the monastery was built much later. Any memorial there was destroyed during a big upheaval in France.

Later, as France and Russia had more contact, people became more interested in learning about Anne. In the 20th century, she became an important figure for people in Ukraine. A film about her life was made in 1978, and an opera about her was performed in 1969. In 1998, Ukraine created a stamp to honor her. In 2005, a statue of Queen Anne was built and unveiled in Senlis, France. In 2024, a part of the Ukrainian Army was named after her.