Helena Kantakouzene
Encyclopedia
Helena Kantakouzene (1333 – 10 December 1396) was the Empress consort of John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...

 in the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...

.

Family

She was a daughter of John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of...

 and Irene Asanina
Irene Asanina
Irene Asanina was the Empress consort of John VI Kantakouzenos of the Byzantine Empire.-Family:Asanina was a daughter of Andronikos Asen and his wife Tarchanaiotissa.Her paternal grandparents were Ivan Asen III of Bulgaria and Irene Palaiologina...

.

She was a sister of Matthew Kantakouzenos
Matthew Kantakouzenos
Matthew Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was Byzantine Emperor from 1353 to 1357.-Life:...

 and Manuel Kantakouzenos
Manuel Kantakouzenos
Manuel Kantakouzenos , . Despotēs in the Despotate of Morea or the Peloponnese from October 25, 1349 to his death and a contender to the Principality of Achaia.Kantakouzenos was the second son of Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos and Irene Asanina...

. Her sisters Maria and Theodora were the respective wives of Nikephoros II Orsini
Nikephoros II Orsini
Nikephoros II Orsini - Doukas , was the ruler of Epirus from 1335 to 1338 and from 1356 until his death in 1359.-Life:...

 and Orhan I
Orhan I
Orhan I or Orhan Bey was the second bey of the nascent Ottoman Empire from 1326 to 1359...

.

Empress

John V and John VI were rival emperors in a civil war
Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347
The Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 was a conflict between supporters of designated regent John VI Kantakouzenos and guardians acting for John V Palaiologos, Emperor Andronikos III's nine-year-old son, in the persons of the Empress-dowager Anna of Savoy, the Patriarch of Constantinople John XIV...

 fought from 1341 to 1347. The two sides at last reached an agreement. According to its terms John VI would be recognized as senior co-emperor with John V as his junior. The marriage was sealed with the marriage of Helena to John V.

The marriage occurred on 28 May 1347 – 29 May 1347. Helena was about thirteen years old while her groom was a month short of his fifteenth birthday. Peace only lasted until 1352 when her husband resumed hostilities against her father. John VI was forced to resign the throne on 4 December 1354. Her brother Matthew would retain his title as co-emperor until his own defeat in 1357.

Helena and John V had at least nine children:
  • Andronikos IV Palaiologos
    Andronikos IV Palaiologos
    Andronikos IV Palaiologos was Byzantine Emperor from 1376 to 1379.-Life:...

     (2 April 1348 – 28 June 1385).
  • Irene Palaiologina (c. 1349 – after 1362). Married her first cousin Khalil of Bithynia. Her husband was a son of Orhan I
    Orhan I
    Orhan I or Orhan Bey was the second bey of the nascent Ottoman Empire from 1326 to 1359...

     and Helena's sister Theodora Kantakouzene.
  • Manuel II Palaiologos
    Manuel II Palaiologos
    Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was Byzantine Emperor from 1391 to 1425.-Life:...

     (27 June 1350 – 21 July 1425).
  • Theodore I Palaiologos, Lord of Morea
    Theodore I Palaiologos, Lord of Morea
    Theodore I Palaiologos was despot in the Morea from 1383 until his death on June 24, 1407. He was the youngest surviving son of the Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos and his wife Helena Kantakouzene. His maternal grandfather was former Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos...

     (c. 1355 – 24 June 1407).
  • Michael Palaiologos (d. 1376/1377). Claimed the throne of the Empire of Trebizond
    Empire of Trebizond
    The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...

     from Alexios III
    Alexios III of Trebizond
    Alexios III Megas Komnenos or Alexius III , Emperor of Trebizond from December 1349 until his death. He was the son of Emperor Basil of Trebizond and his second wife, Irene of Trebizond...

    . Assassinated while his campaign was ongoing.
  • Maria Palaiologina (d. 1376). Betrothed to Murad I
    Murad I
    Murad I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1361 to 1389...

    . She died before the marriage could take place.
  • A daughter betrothed to Peter II of Cyprus
    Peter II of Cyprus
    Peter II of Cyprus or Pierre II le Gros de Lusignan , called The Fat, was king of Cyprus from 17 January 1369 until his death.-Biography:...

    .
  • One of two unnamed daughters reported to have entered a monastery in 1373.
  • The second of two unnamed daughters reported to have entered a monastery in 1373.

Later years

On 12 August 1376, John V was deposed in a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...

 by their son Andronikos IV. Helena was held in captivity along with most of the imperial family. Andronikos IV was mainly supported by the Republic of Genoa
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....

. His main opposition came from the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...

, traditional enemy of Genoa, and Murad I
Murad I
Murad I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1361 to 1389...

. Andronikos IV had co-operated with Savci Bey, a son of Murad
Murad I
Murad I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1361 to 1389...

, in a combined attempt to depose their respective fathers in 1373. Murad remained hostile to him and a supported of John V.

Murad was responsible for the restoration of John V on 1 July 1379. Andronikos retreated to Galata
Galata
Galata or Galatae is a neighbourhood in the Beyoğlu district on the European side of Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. Galata is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn, the inlet which separates it from the historic peninsula of old Constantinople. The Golden Horn is crossed by...

 which was under Genoese control. Helena was taken with him as a hostage and remained in captivity until 1381.

The conflict of John V and Andronikos IV continued to the death of the latter in 1385. Andronikos IV was replaced by his son John VII Palaiologos
John VII Palaiologos
John VII Palaiologos was Byzantine Emperor for five months in 1390.-Life:...

 who managed to briefly depose his grandfather in 1390. The role of Helena in the conflict was possibly minimal as few sources even mention her.

John V was restored to the throne but died on 16 February 1391. Helena survived him and retired to the convent of Hagia Martha
Martha
Martha of Bethany is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem...

 under the monastic name Hypomone ("Patience"). She died there as a nun.

Descendants

John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...

 and Helena Kantakouzene had nine known children. Through them, Helena is ancestor to the last six Byzantine emperors and many key members of the Palaiologos
Palaiologos
Palaiologos , often latinized as Palaeologus, was a Byzantine Greek noble family, which produced the last ruling dynasty of the Byzantine Empire. After the Fourth Crusade, members of the family fled to the neighboring Empire of Nicaea, where Michael VIII Palaiologos became co-emperor in 1259,...

 imperial family during the last years of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...

. One of John and Helena's great-granddaughters, Zoe Palaiologina, married Ivan III of Russia
Ivan III of Russia
Ivan III Vasilyevich , also known as Ivan the Great, was a Grand Prince of Moscow and "Grand Prince of all Rus"...

 and became the grandmother of the famous Russian ruler Ivan the Terrible.
1. Andronikos IV Palaiologos
Andronikos IV Palaiologos
Andronikos IV Palaiologos was Byzantine Emperor from 1376 to 1379.-Life:...

 (2 April 1348 – 28 June 1385), had 3 children
A. John VII Palaiologos
John VII Palaiologos
John VII Palaiologos was Byzantine Emperor for five months in 1390.-Life:...

 (1370 – 22 September 1408), had 1 child
I. Andronikos V Palaiologos
Andronikos V Palaiologos
Andronikos V Palaiologos was co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire with his father John VII Palaiologos.-Life:...

 (c. 1400 – c. 1407), died without issue
B. unnamed daughter
C. unnamed daughter
2. Irene Palaiologina (c. 1349 – after 1362)
3. Manuel II Palaiologos
Manuel II Palaiologos
Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was Byzantine Emperor from 1391 to 1425.-Life:...

 (27 June 1350 – 21 July 1425), had 11 children
A. unnamed daughter (possibly confused with Isabella Palaiologina, Manuel II's known illegitimate daughter)
B. Constantine Palaiologos, died without issue
C. John VIII Palaiologos
John VIII Palaiologos
John VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus , was the penultimate reigning Byzantine Emperor, ruling from 1425 to 1448.-Life:John VIII Palaiologos was the eldest son of Manuel II Palaiologos and Helena Dragaš, the daughter of the Serbian prince Constantine Dragaš...

 (18 December 1392 – 31 October 1448), died without issue
D. Andronikos Palaiologos, Lord of Thessalonica (1404 – 4 March 1428), had 1 child
I. John Palaiologos
E. unnamed daughter
F. Theodore II Palaiologos, Lord of Morea
Theodore II Palaiologos, Lord of Morea
Theodore II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was Despot in Morea from 1407 to 1443.-Life:...

 (c. 1396 – 21 June 1448), had 2 children
I. Helena Palaiologina, Queen of Cyprus
Helena Palaiologina
Helena Palaiologina was a Byzantine princess of the Palaiologos family, who became the Queen consort of Cyprus and Armenia, titular Queen consort of Jerusalem, and Princess of Antioch through her marriage to King John II of Cyprus and Armenia...

 (3 February 1428 – 11 April 1458), had 2 children
a. Charlotte of Cyprus
Charlotte of Cyprus
Charlotte , was Queen of Cyprus and Princess of Antioch, as well as titular Queen of Jerusalem and Armenia.She was the eldest and only surviving daughter of King John II of Cyprus and Helena Palaiologina. At the age of 14, she succeeded to the Cypriot throne upon the death of her father in 1458...

 (28 June 1444 – 16 July 1487), had 1 child
i. unnamed son (died young), died without issue
b. Cleopha de Lusignan (died 8 June 1448), died without issue
II. Thomas Emanuele Pietro Palaiologos
G. Michael Palaiologos (died young), died without issue
H. Constantine XI Palaiologos (8 February 1404 – 29 May 1453), died without issue
I. Demetrios Palaiologos, Despotēs of the Morea
Demetrios Palaiologos
Demetrios Palaiologos or Demetrius Palaeologus , Despot in the Morea de facto 1436–1438 and 1451–1460 and de jure 1438–1451, previously governor of Lemnos 1422–1440, and of Mesembria 1440–1451...

 (27 June 1350 – 21 July 1425), had 1 child
I. Helena Palaiologina (died before 1470)
J. Thomas Palaiologos, Despotēs of the Morea
Thomas Palaiologos
Thomas Palaiologos was Despot in Morea from 1428 until the Ottoman conquest in 1460. After the desertion of his older brother to the Turks in 1460, Thomas Palaiologos became the legitimate claimant to the Byzantine throne...

 (1409 – 12 May 1465), had 4 children
I. Helena Palaiologina, Despotess of Serbia
Helena Palaiologina of Morea
Helena Palaiologina was a Byzantine despotess of Serbia as the wife of Despot Lazar Branković, who ruled from 1456 until his death in 1458. Together they had three daughters....

 (1431 – 7 November 1473), had 3 children
a. Jelena, Queen of Bosnia (1447–1498), had several children
i. several unnamed children (their exact identities and fates are unknown)
b. Milica Brankovic, Despoina of Epirus (died 1464), had 1 child
i. unnamed son (born 1464)
c. Jerina Brankovic, had issue
II. Andreas Palaiologos
Andreas Palaiologos
Andreas Palaiologos titular Byzantine emperor and Despot of Morea from 1465 until his death in 1502.-Biography:He was the nephew of Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last Byzantine Emperor of Constantinople...

 (1453–1502), had possibly 2 children
a. Constantine Palaiologos
b. Maria Palaiologina
III. Manuel Palaiologos
Manuel Palaiologos
Manuel Palaiologos was the youngest child of Thomas Palaiologos and Catherine Zaccharia. He was brother of the de jure Byzantine Emperor Andrew Palaiologos, Zoe Palaiologina, Grand Duchess of Moscovy and Helena Palaiologina, wife of Despot Lazar Branković of Serbia...

 (1455–1512), had 2 children
a. John Palaiologos
b. Andreas Palaiologos
IV. Zoe (renamed "Sophia") Palaiologina (c. 1455 – 7 April 1503), had 8 children
a. Helena Ivanovna, Queen of Poland
Helena of Moscow
Helena Ivanovna of Moscow was a Grand Duchess of Lithuania and Queen of Poland as a wife of king of Poland Alexander Jagiellon.-Biography:...

 (19 May 1476 – 20 January 1513), died without issue
b. Vasili III, Tsar of Russia
Vasili III of Russia
Vasili III Ivanovich was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1505 to 1533. He was the son of Ivan III Vasiliyevich and Sophia Paleologue and was christened with the name Gavriil...

 (25 March 1479 – 3 December 1533), had 2 children
i. Ivan IV "the Terrible", Tsar of Russia (25 August 1530 – 28 March 1584), had 8 children
i. Tsarevna Anna Ivanovna of Russia (10 August 1548 – 20 July 1550), died without issue
ii. Tsarevna Maria Ivanovna of Russia (born 17 March 1551), died without issue
iii. Tsarevich Dmitri Ivanovich of Russia (October 1552 – 26 June 1553), died without issue
iv. Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich of Russia
Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich of Russia
Ivan Ivanovich of the House of Rurik, was Tsarevich - the heir apparent - of the Tsardom of Russia, being the second son of Ivan the Terrible and Anastasia Romanovna, and elder brother of Feodor....

 (28 March 1554 – 19 November 1581), died without issue
v. Tsarevna Eudoxia Ivanovna of Russia (26 February 1556 – June 1558), died without issue
vi. Feodor I, Tsar of Russia
Feodor I of Russia
Fyodor I Ivanovich 1598) was the last Rurikid Tsar of Russia , son of Ivan IV and Anastasia Romanovna. In English he is sometimes called Feodor the Bellringer in consequence of his strong faith and inclination to travel the land and ring the bells at churches. However, in Russian the name...

 (31 May 1557 – 6 January 1598), had 1 child
i. Tsarevna Feodosia Feodorovna of Russia (1592–1594), died without issue
vii. Tsarevich Vasili Ivanovich of Russia (21 March 1563 – 3 May 1563), died without issue
viii. Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich of Russia (19 October 1582 – 15 May 1591), died without issue
ii. Yuri, Prince of Uglich (30 October 1532 – 24 June 1563), had 1 child
i. Vasili Yurevich (born and died 1560), died without issue
c. Yury Ivanovich, Prince of Dmitrovskoe (23 March 1480 – 3 August 1536), died without issue
d. Dmitry Ivanovich (6 October 1481 - 14 February 1521), died without issue
e. Feadosiya Ivanovna (29 May 1485 - 19 February 1501), died without issue
f. Syamyon Ivanovich, Prince of Kaluga (21 March 1487 - 26 June 1518)
g. Andrey of Staritsa
Andrey of Staritsa
Andrey Ivanovich was the youngest son of Ivan the Great by Sophia of Byzantium. Since 1519, his appanages included Volokolamsk and Staritsa....

 (5 August 1490 – 11 December 1537), had 1 child
i. Vladimir of Staritsa
Vladimir of Staritsa
Vladimir Andreyevich was the last appanage Russian prince. His complicated relationship with his cousin, Ivan the Terrible, was dramatized in Sergei Eisenstein's movie Ivan the Terrible....

 (1533 – 9 October 1569), had 6 children
i. Vasily Vladimirovich (c. 1552 – after 1573), probably died without issue
ii. Jewfemija Vladimirovna (c. 1553 – 1571), probably died without issue
iii. Georgij Vladimirovich (c. 1556 – 6 January 1569), died without issue
iv. Ivan Vladimirovich (c. 1557 – 6 January 1569), died without issue
v. Maria, Queen of Livonia (c. 1560 – 13 May 1610), had 2 children
i. Marie of Oldenburg (c. July 1580 – c. 1597), died without issue
ii. Eudoxia of Oldenburg (c. 1581 – c. 1588), died without issue
vi. Jewdokija Vladimirovna (born 20 March 1560, died young), died without issue
h. Ewdakiya Ivanovna (c. 1492 - February 1513)
4. Theodore I Palaiologos, Lord of Morea
Theodore I Palaiologos, Lord of Morea
Theodore I Palaiologos was despot in the Morea from 1383 until his death on June 24, 1407. He was the youngest surviving son of the Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos and his wife Helena Kantakouzene. His maternal grandfather was former Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos...

 (c. 1355 – 24 June 1407), possibly had 1 child
A. unnamed daughter, wife of Edirne Sultan Suleyman Çelebi, died without issue
5. Michael Palaiologos (d. 1376/1377), probably died without issue
6. Maria Palaiologina (d. 1376), died without issue
7. unnamed daughter
8. unnamed daughter, died without issue
9. unnamed daughter, died without issue

External links

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