Gunhilda of Denmark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gunhilda of Denmark
13th century portrait
Queen consort of Germany
Tenure	1036 – 18 July 1038
Born	c. 1020
Died	18 July 1038 (aged 17–18)
Burial	Limburg Abbey
Spouse	Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Issue	Beatrice I, Abbess of Quedlinburg
House	Jelling dynasty
Father	Cnut the Great
Mother	Emma of Normandy

Gunhilda of Denmark (born around 1020 – died July 18, 1038) was a queen in Germany. She became Queen consort by marrying King Henry III in 1036. She was queen until she passed away in 1038.

Life of Gunhilda of Denmark

Gunhilda was the daughter of Cnut the Great. He was a very powerful king. Cnut ruled over England, Denmark, and Norway. This large area was sometimes called the North Sea Empire. Gunhilda's mother was Emma of Normandy.

Gunhilda had many siblings. King Harthacnut was her full brother. She also had half-brothers like King Svein Knutsson of Norway. Another half-brother was King Harold Harefoot of England.

Early Life and Engagement

Around 1025, Gunhilda moved to Germany when she was a child. Her engagement to Henry III was important. Henry was the son of Emperor Conrad II.

This engagement was part of a peace agreement. Her father, King Cnut, wanted to make sure the borders between Danish Duchy of Schleswig and Imperial Holstein were peaceful. This agreement happened before Cnut died in 1035.

Becoming Queen

In 1028, Henry was given royal power by his father. The important princes of the Holy Roman Empire agreed to this. Henry also became the ruler of Bavaria and Swabia.

Emperor Conrad II first thought about marrying his son to a Byzantine princess. But those plans did not work out. So, Gunhilda and Henry officially got engaged in May 1035 in Bamberg. They were married one year later in Nijmegen. When she got married, Gunhilda took the German name Kunigunde.

Life as Queen and Death

In December 1038, Emperor Conrad went on a trip to Italy. Empress Gisela, Henry, and Gunhilda celebrated Christmas in Regensburg. Emperor Conrad needed help in Italy. So, Henry III and Gunhilda joined him on his journey.

While in Italy, Gunhilda gave birth to her only child. It was a daughter named Beatrice. Beatrice later became an abbess, a leader of a religious community.

During their return trip to Germany, a serious illness spread. It was possibly malaria. Many people in the Imperial army became sick and died. Gunhilda was one of the people who passed away. Duke Herman IV of Swabia also died from the illness.

Gunhilda's body was brought back to Germany. She was buried in the church at Limburg Abbey. Her husband, Henry, became King of the Romans after his father died in 1039. Because of this, Gunhilda was never officially crowned as a German queen.

Ancestry