Hélène of Anjou
Daughter of the King of Naples (died 1342) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hélène of Anjou (Italian: Elena d'Angiò; French: Hélène d'Anjou), also known as Helen was a French noblewoman and member of the Capetian House of Anjou.
| Hélène Anjou Elena d'Angiò | |
|---|---|
| Countess of Mat | |
Arms of the Capetian House of Anjou | |
| Countess of Mat | |
| Tenure | 1338–1342 |
| Successor | Voisava Balsha (As Princess Consort of Albania) |
| Born | c. 1300s[a] Kingdom of Naples |
| Died | 1342 Kingdom of Naples |
| Spouses | [b] |
| Issue | Karl Thopia Gjergj I Thopia |
| House | Capetian House of Anjou |
| Father | Robert, King of Naples |
| Mother | Unknown |
Life
Hélène was the illegitimate daughter of Robert of Anjou, who was the King of the Kingdom of Naples.[1][2][3][4][5][6] The identity of her mother remains unknown, and little is known about her early life.
When Hélène came of age, her father, Robert of Anjou, King of Naples, sent her to marry a French gentleman of Greece, possibly Bertrand de Baux, the Bailli of Morea, or the Prince of Morea, as part of a political alliance.[2][4][7] However, during her journey, her ship was caught in a storm and driven off course to Durrës, where she remained for several days.[4][2][7] During this time, she met Andrea I Thopia, a nobleman from the prominent Thopia family in Albania, and they fell in love, deciding to live together and marry soon after in 1338.[4][3][5][6][7] However, some sources identify him as Tanush Thopia, leading to conflicting accounts about the precise identity and name of her Albanian noble husband.[1][2][3] They had two sons, Karl Thopia and Gjergj I Thopia.[4]
Death
Angered by Hélène’s marriage to Thopia instead of the French nobleman he had intended for her, King Robert invited the couple to Naples under the pretense of reconciliation, only to deceitfully have them both executed upon their arrival for what he considered their dishonorable actions.[1][2][4][5][7][6] Their sons fled to Albania, escaping the fate of their parents, and were raised in the Fortress of Krujë, where Karl, driven by a desire to avenge their deaths, led a rebellion in 1358, overthrowing the last descendants of the Counts of Zante.[4][7]
Family
Hélène of Anjou married Andrea I Thopia. The couple had two children:[4][6][2][3]
- Karl Thopia, Prince of Albania, married Voisava Balsha
- Gjergj I Thopia
Family tree
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See also
Notes
- ^ Her birth year is uncertain due to the lack of detailed records. However, based on the known dates of her father's life (born 1276) and the ages of her siblings, such as Charles, Duke of Calabria (born 1298), Louis of Anjou (born 1301), and Charles d'Artois (born c. 1300s), it is estimated that she was born around the early 1300s.
- ^ Sources conflict on the name of Hélène's husband, with some identifying him as Andrea I Thopia[4][5][6] and others as Tanush Thopia.[1][2][3][8] However, it is recorded that her marriage took place in 1338.[3]
References
Bibliography
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