- AKA: Margaret of Sicily
- Princess of Sicily and Germany
- House of Hohenstaufen
- Landgravine of Thuringia
- Countess Palatine of Saxony
Margaretha von Staufen was born 1237 to Friedrich II of the Holy Roman Empire (1195-1250) and Isabella of England (1214-1241) and died 8 August 1270 of unspecified causes. She married Albrecht II von Meißen (1240-1314) 1254 JL .
Biography
Margaret of Sicily (also called Margaret of Hohenstaufen or Margaret of Germany) was a Princess of Sicily and Germany, and a member of the House of Hohenstaufen. By marriage she was Landgravine of Thuringia and Countess Palatine of Saxony (German: Landgräfin von Thüringen und Pfalzgräfin von Sachsen).
She was the daughter of Friedrich II of the Holy Roman Empire (1195-1250), King of Sicily and Germany, by his third wife, Isabella of England. Her paternal grandparents were Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor and Constance of Sicily. Her maternal grandparents were John of England and Isabella of England (1214-1241).
Birth
The date of her birth is difficult to ascertain because there is controversy over the exact number of children borne by her mother. Some sources[1] say that she was the first or second child, born by the end of 1237; others[2] say that she was the last child, born in December 1241, when Isabella died in childbirth. Historians commonly accept the latter date.
Life
Shortly after her birth (1242), Margaret was betrothed to Albert "the Degenerate", eldest son and heir of Henry III "the Illustrious", Margrave of Meissen. The marriage took place in June 1255, the bride receiving Pleissnerland (the towns of Altenburg, Zwickau, Chemnitz and Leisnig) as her dowry.
The couple settled at his residence in Eckartsberga and later moved to Wartburg, where she bore five children: three sons (Henry, Frederick and Dietzmann) and two daughters (Margaret and Agnes). Through her second son Frederick – later Margrave of Meissen – Margaret was the direct ancestor of the Electors and Kings of Saxony and English Queen consorts Margaret of Anjou and Anne of Cleves.
In 1265 her husband received the titles of Landgrave of Thuringia and Count Palatine of Saxony (German: Pfalzgräf von Sachsen) after the abdication of his father, who retained control of Meissen.
After the execution of her nephew Conradin (29 October 1268), Margaret, as the next legitimate relative, became the rightful Queen of Sicily and the general heiress of the Hohenstaufen claims over the Duchy of Swabia and the Kingdom of Jerusalem (despite the fact she was not descended from the Kings of Jerusalem, her father Frederick II had claimed the kingdom for himself). Her son Frederick assumed by some time this titles on her right.
After discovering the adultery of her husband with Kunigunde of Eisenberg, Margaret left Wartburg; according to a legend, before her departure she bit her son Frederick in the cheek; he was called henceforth Frederick the Bitten (de: Friedrich der Gebissene). The flight took place on 24 June 1270. Margaret went to Frankfurt-am-Main and was supported there by the citizens. She died there six weeks later.
Issue
Margaret and Albert had five children:
- Henry (b. 21 March 1256 – d. 25 January/23 July? 1282), inherited the Pleissnerland in 1274.
- Frederick (b. 1257 – d. Wartburg, 16 November 1323), Margrave of Meissen.
- Theodoric, called Dietzmann (b. 1260 – murdered Leipzig, 10 December 1307), Margrave of Lusatia.
- Margaret (b. 1262 – d. young, after 17 April 1273).
- Agnes of Meissen (b. 1264 – d. September 1332), married before 21 July 1282 to Henry I, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen.
Children
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Heinrich von Meißen (1256-1282) | |||
Friedrich I von Meißen (1257-1323) | 1257 Eisenach, Germany | 16 November 1323 Eisenach, Germany | Agnes von Görz und Tirol (?-1293) Elisabeth von Lobdeburg Arnshaugk (1286-1359) |
Dietrich IV von Meißen (1260-1307) | |||
Margareta von Meißen (?-?) | |||
Agnes von Thüringen (bef1264-aft1332) | 1264 | 1 February 1332 | Heinrich I. von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen (1267-1322) |
Siblings
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Heinrich VII of the Holy Roman Empire (1211-1242) | 1211 | 12 February 1242 Martirano | Margarethe von Österreich (c1205-1266) |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Margareta of the Holy Roman Empire (1226-1227) | |||
Konrad IV of the Holy Roman Empire (1228-1254) | 25 April 1228 Andria | 21 May 1254 Lavello | Elizabeth von Bayern (c1227-1273) |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Jordan of the Holy Roman Empire (1236-1236) | |||
Agnes of the Holy Roman Empire (1237-1237) | |||
Heinrich of the Holy Roman Empire (1238-1254) | |||
Margaretha von Staufen (1237-1270) | 1237 | 8 August 1270 | Albrecht II von Meißen (1240-1314) Kunigunde von Eisenberg († 31. Oktober 1286) |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Constance von Staufen (1230-1307) | |||
Manfred of Sicily (1232-1266) | 1232 Venosa | 26 February 1266 Benevento | Beatrice de Savoie (1223-1258) Helena Angelina Doukaina (c1242-1271) |
Violante von Staufen (1233-1264) |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Frederick of Pettorana (?-?) |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Enzio of Sardinia (1215-1272) |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Caterina de Marano (1216-1272) | 1216 | 1272 Finale Ligure, Savona, Liguria, Italy | Giacomo del Carretto (1213-1268) |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Frederick of Antioch (1221-1256) |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Richard di Chieti (1225-1249) |
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Margaretha von Schwaben (1230-1298) |
See Also
- Friedrich Hohenstaufen
- House of Hohenstaufen
- Frederick Barbarossa Family Ancestry
- Holy Roman Emporer
- Von Schwaben Family
- Frederick von Schwaben
Notable Ancesters
- Charlemagne Family Ancestry
- Frederick Barbarossa Family Ancestry - Great-granddaughter
- Alfred the Great Family Ancestry
Notable Descendants
- Kings of Denmark
- Charles III of the United Kingdom (1948-)
Bibliographies
External Links
- wikipedia:en:Margaret of Sicily
- Margaret of Sicily at thePeerage
- Margaret of Sicily, Geni.com, https://www.geni.com/people/Margherita-di-Sicilia/6000000016359573154, retrieved 22 June 2023
References
- ^ Marek, Miroslav. "hohenstauf: MK4". Genealogy.EU. http://genealogy.euweb.cz/hohst/hohenstauf.html#MK4.
- ^ "e-familytree.net". http://www.e-familytree.net/f9400.htm.
Footnotes (including sources)
‡ General |