Anne of Kiev, Queen of France, was a captivating woman, according to historical sources. She reigned almost 1,000 years ago. Yet her memory has come alive in the 21st century as a rallying point for Ukrainian nationalists, seeking to affirm the nation’s independence from Russia, whose authorities also claim Anne’s heritage. Ukraine sponsored the creation of her statue in Sensil, France (left). The unveiling in 2005 was attended by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, who knelt at the base of the statue in tribute.
Born in Kiev about 1025, Anne was the favorite daughter of her father, Iaroslav the Wise, Grand Prince of Kiev. Her mother was St. Anna, daughter of Olof Skötkonung, King of Sweden.
King Henry I of France was widowed twice and was sonless when his marriage to Anne was settled. At the Reims Cathedral on 19 May 1051, Anne was married to Henry I and crowned Queen of France, the first French monarchs to be crowned in that cathedral. The couple had 2 sons, Philip I, King of France, and Hugh Magnus “‘the Great”, Duke of France. Anne’s direct descendants included kings of England, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, and the Scandinavian countries.
Henry I died in 1060 when Philip was just 8 years old. Queen Anne ruled as regent until 1066. A royal charter from the 1060s survives with Anne’s signature in Cyrillic script: it is the oldest known example of Old Ukrainian handwriting.
Marriage for Love
Soon after King Henry’s death, Anne remarried to Count Ralph IV of Valois, in 1061. The couple may have been romantically involved before Henry’s death. Count Ralph had amassed an extensive array of lordships that extended across northern France from the Duchess of Normandy around to Champagne to the southeast. There was one hitch: Ralph was already married. He “disavowed” his wife, but this did not satisfy church authorities: he and Queen Anne were excommunicated by Pope Alexander II. This was just 7 years after Pope Leo IX had excommunicated the Patriarch of Constantinople Michael Cerularius, precipitating the split between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Rite churches. Anne was raised in the Eastern Rite in Kiev; her marriage to the Roman Catholic King Henry I would be the last of “mixed” Eastern and Western Rite royal marriages for centuries.
In spite of her excommunication, Queen Anne remained very involved in the business of the royal court , as evidenced by many royal charters that bear her name from the 1060s. After Count Ralph’s death in 1074, she returned more fully to court life. The date of her death is unknown.
The Mullins family is descended from Queen Anne through Elizabeth Johnston. The Bonner family is descended from Queen Anne through Nancy Bates.