Kunigunda of Halych facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kunigunda Rostislavna
Queen consort of Bohemia
Tenure	1261–1278
Coronation	1261
Born	1245 ?
Died	9 September 1285 (aged 39–40) Prague
Burial	Prague
Spouse	Ottokar II of Bohemia Záviš of Falkenstein
Issue	Wenceslaus II of Bohemia Kunigunde of Bohemia Agnes, Duchess of Austria
Dynasty	Rurik
Father	Rostislav Mikhailovich
Mother	Anna of Hungary

Kunigunda Rostislavna (born in 1245 – died 9 September 1285) was a Queen consort of Bohemia. She also served as a regent for Bohemia from 1278 until her death. She was a member of the House of Chernigov, a powerful royal family.

Her Family Background

Kunigunda was likely born in a region called Ruthenia. This area was part of her grandfather's lands. Her grandfather, Michael of Chernigov, was a very important prince. He was the last Grand Prince of Kiev, but he lost his power to the mighty Mongol Empire.

Her parents were Rostislav Mikhailovich and Anna of Hungary. After her grandfather died, Kunigunda's family moved to Hungary. There, her mother's father, Béla IV of Hungary, gave her father a job. He became the governor of some regions where people spoke Serbian. Her father even called himself the Emperor of Bulgaria for a short time in 1256.

Her Royal Marriages

Kunigunda married King Ottokar II of Bohemia on 25 October 1261. This marriage happened in Pressburg (which is now Bratislava). It was a way to create an alliance, or a strong friendship, between her family and King Ottokar.

King Ottokar was part of the Přemyslid dynasty. His previous marriage had been ended. Kunigunda was much younger than his first wife.

Kunigunda and Ottokar had several children together:

• Kunigunde of Bohemia (born January 1265 – died 27 November 1321). She later married Boleslaus II of Masovia.
• Agnes of Bohemia (born 5 September 1269 – died 17 May 1296). She married Rudolf II, Duke of Austria.
• Wenceslaus II of Bohemia (born 17 September 1271 – died 21 June 1305). He would later become king.

Queen and Regent of Bohemia

The peace between Bohemia and Hungary did not last forever. After 10 years, Kunigunda's uncle, Stephen, became the King of Hungary. This led to new tensions.

In 1278, King Ottokar tried to get back some lands he had lost to Rudolph I of Germany. He gathered a large army and made new friends to help him. However, he was defeated by Rudolph's forces. King Ottokar was killed in the Battle of Dürnkrut and Jedenspeigen on 26 August 1278.

After Ottokar's death, a region called Moravia came under Rudolph's control. Kunigunda became the Queen Regent of Bohemia. This meant she ruled the country for her young son, Wenceslaus, who was not yet old enough to be king. At this time, she only controlled the area around Prague. Her son Wenceslaus was also promised to marry one of Rudolph's daughters, Judith.

Kunigunda married a second time in 1285. She married a powerful Bohemian nobleman named Záviš of Falkenstein in Prague. Sadly, she died only a few months later. Záviš lived longer and married another princess. He was later executed in 1290.

Kunigunda's son, Wenceslaus II, successfully kept the Kingdom of Bohemia. He also managed to gain control of Poland and Hungary for a while. Kunigunda is considered an important ancestor of future royal families, including the House of Luxembourg and the Habsburgs.