Constanze of Sicily

Constanze of Sicily (died 1138) was the Queen consort of Conrad II of Italy.

Family

She was a daughter of Roger I of Sicily and Eremburga of Mortain. Her maternal grandfather was "William, Count of Mortain" (probably William Warlenc).

She was a sister of (among others) Mauger, Count of Troina. She was an older, paternal half-sister of Simon, Count of Sicily and Roger II of Sicily.

Marriage

In 1095, Constanze married Conrad II of Italy. He was son and heir of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor by his first wife Bertha of Savoy.

Her husband had been King of Germany since 1087 and King of Italy since 1093. However in the conflict between Henry IV and Pope Urban II, Conrad chose to side with the Pope against his father. Shortly after the Council of Piacenza, Conrad swore an oath of loyalty to Urban II in Cremona and served as the Pope's "strator", leading the Pope's horse as a symbolic gesture of humility.

Their marriage was arranged by Urban II who was at the time pursuing an alliance with the Count of Sicily. The marriage would produce no known children.

Following three years of conflict with his son, Henry IV retaliated by setting the matter at the Reichstag of Mainz in April 1098. Conrad was deposed and replaced as King of Germany and Italy with his younger brother Henry V.

Conrad II could hardly influence the political events of Italy following his deposition. His main ally Urban II died on 29 July, 1099, removing chances for his restoration. Conrad himself died on 27 July, 1101. Constance never remarried and lived the following decades in relative obscurity.

External links

* [http://genealogy.euweb.cz/italy/hautvle.html#CR2 A listing of members of the House of Hauteville]