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Anna SavoyskayaPrincess of Savoy, Byzantine Empress
Date of Birth: 01.01.1306
Country:  Operator |
Content:
Princess of Savoy, Byzantine Empress
Anna of Savoy was born into the House of Savoy as the daughter of Amadeus V, Count of Savoy, and Marie of Brabant. After her father's death in 1323, she came under the guardianship of her brother.
Byzantine Bride
In 1325, Andronicus II Palaeologus was forced to call upon his grandson, Andronicus III Palaeologus, as co-ruler. After Andronicus III's first wife, Irene of Brunswick, died without leaving an heir, an offer was made to Anna of Savoy. Although the King of France also sought her hand in marriage, her brother favored the Byzantine throne. Accompanied by a magnificent entourage, she arrived in Constantinople in February 1326. However, her illness delayed the wedding until October 1326, when she converted to Orthodoxy and changed her name from Jeanne to Anna.
Co-Empress and Regent
In May 1328, Andronicus III forced his grandfather to abdicate, becoming the sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. Anna played little part in governing until her husband's death on June 15, 1341.
After Andronicus III's death, Anna led the regency council for her young son, Emperor John V Palaeologus, along with Andronicus III's close associate, John Kantakouzenos. Court intrigues led to conflict between the supporters of Kantakouzenos and Anna of Savoy, with Patriarch John Kalekas and Great Duke Alexis Apokaukos supporting Anna.
Civil War and Regency
Kantakouzenos' absence from the capital allowed Anna's faction to instigate a pogrom in Constantinople, killing and imprisoning his supporters. This sparked the Byzantine Civil War. On October 26, 1341, Kantakouzenos was proclaimed emperor in Didymoteicho, while John V Palaeologus was crowned on November 9, 1341, with Anna as regent.
Despite his claim to the throne, Kantakouzenos acknowledged both John V's imperial title and Anna's right to regency in his official documents. Foreign powers intervened in the civil war, with John V's supporters gaining the support of Bulgaria, while Kantakouzenos allied with Serbia. However, Serbian ruler Stefan Dušan ultimately focused on expanding his own territory at the expense of the Byzantine Empire. Kantakouzenos later gained significant support from the emirates of Aydin and the Ottomans.
