Queen of France, Princess Anna of Kyiv from Ukraine: The 1000-year Mysterious Story of King Henry I's Wife

On 19 May 1051, in the Reims Cathedral, Anna, the youngest daughter of Kyivan Prince Yaroslav the Wise, married King Henry I of France and was crowned to the throne of France shortly afterwards. 

Almost a thousand years ago, this princess crossed Europe to marry one of the first kings of the Capetians. She established the first historical link between France and Kyivan Rus-Ukraine.  

Anne of Kyiv was queen consort of Henry I of France and regent of France during the minority of her son Philip I from 1060 to 1065. It was she who founded the Abbey of St Vincent in the commune of Sanlis in northern France.

Anna of Kyiv belonged to one of the most prestigious families of her time. Her father was Grand Duke Yaroslav, who ruled the powerful principality of Kyivan Rus-Ukraine, the largest state in Europe at the time.

Thus, a new wealthy queen, fluent in Latin and Greek, appeared at the court of France. 

On 23 May 1052, Anne gave birth to her first child, Philip, the heir to the throne and future king. Two years later, she gave birth to her daughter Emma in 1055, Robert in 1055, and Hugo in 1057. 

As queen, Anne accompanied her husband on trips around the country, took care of churches and monasteries, was a member of the royal council, and many documents of that time contain her personal signature or mention her on royal decrees in the form "With the consent of my wife Anne" or "In the presence of Queen Anne".

Becoming a widow in 1060, she was regent of France until 1063. Her remarriage to the Count of Valois, after he had disowned his lawful wife, led to the couple's excommunication from the court.

Philip of Edinburgh, Philip VI, King of Spain, and Philip, King of Belgium, all took their names from a common ancestor: Anne of Kyiv. This queen of the Franks was the first to baptise her son Philip, which was not yet common in Western Europe. 

The date of Anne's death is as uncertain as her date of birth. She died between 1075 and 1089. The place of her burial remains a mystery. Some say she returned to Kyiv to die, while others say she was buried in France in an abbey destroyed during the French Revolution.

Earlier, on 5 May, on the occasion of Anne of Kyiv Day, a beautiful exhibition dedicated to Ukraine was opened in Senlis.

This year, from 20 to 22 September, a historical festival dedicated to role-playing games will be held for the first time in Saintlis (Oise) on the occasion of the Heritage Days. And, of course, a special role-playing scenario will be dedicated to Anne of Kyiv, the Queen of France who ordered the construction of the Abbey of St Vincent.