Helena Angelina Hohenstaufen

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Angelina_Doukaina

Helena Angelina Doukaina (c. 1242 – 1271, Nocera Inferiore) was the second wife but only Queen consort of Manfred of Sicily.

Family

She was a daughter of Michael II Komnenos Doukas, Ruler of Epirus and his wife Theodora Petraliphaina. Her father was often called Michael Angelos in narrative sources.

She was a sister of Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas and a paternal half-sister of John I Doukas, Ruler of Thessaly.

Her paternal grandfather was Michael I Komnenos Doukas, illegitimate son of the sebastokratōr John Doukas.

John Doukas was the eldest son of Constantine Angelos by Theodora Komnene, the seventh child of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina. He adopted the surname of his maternal grandmother.

 Marriage and children

She was married to Manfred of Sicily sometime between the death of his first wife Beatrice of Savoy in 1257 and his own rise to the throne on 10 August 1258.

Manfred was Regent of the Kingdom of Sicily since 1254, reigning in the name of his nephew Conradin. Michael II had lost the city of Dyrrhachium to Theodore II Laskaris of the Empire of Nicaea in 1256. Manfred had captured Dyrrachium and its surrounding area within the following two years. Michael II still had a territorial claim at the city but at the time was preparing to besiege Thessalonica.

Her marriage was intended to maintain peace between Epirus and Sicily since both Michael II and Manfred had more pressing concerns elsewhere. Her dowry included all rights to Dyrrhachium and its surrounding area along with the island of Corfu. Corfu being the only actual territorial gain for Manfred.

Helena and Manfred had five children:

Beatrice of Sicily (c. 1258 - before 1307). Married first Rainer Gherardesca and secondly Manfred IV of Saluzzo.

Frederick of Sicily (c. 1259 - last mentioned alive in 1312).

Henry of Sicily (c. 1260 - 31 October 1318).

Enzio of Sicily (c. 1261 - c. 1301).

Flordelis of Sicily (c. 1266 - last mentioned alive in 1297).

Manfred was killed at the Battle of Benevento on 26 February 1266 while fighting against his rival and successor Charles I of Sicily. Charles captured Helena and imprisoned her. She lived five years later in captivity into the castle of Nocera Inferiore where she died in 1271.

-http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ALBANIA.htm#HelenaAdied1271

-5. HELENA Doukaina Angelina ([1242]-Lucera Jul 1271). Georgius Phrantzes names "Manfredum Siculorum rege et principem Peloponnesi et Achaiæ" as the two sons-in-law of "Aetolorum et Epirotarum despota Michaele"[117]. Georgius Akropolites records the marriage of "Michaelis…filiam Helenam" and "Manfredo Siciliæ regi"[118]. The Historia Sicula of Bartolomeo di Neocastro records that "Manfredum" married "Helenam filiam despoti regis Thessalie" after the death of his first wife[119]. Her marriage was arranged as part of her father's peace treaty with Manfredo King of Sicily in 1258, her dowry of Corfu, Durazzo, Valona and Berat being the territories which King Manfredo had already conquered[120]. The Anonymous Chronicle of Trano records that "filia de lu Despotu d’Epiru…Alena" arrived 2 Jun 1259 at Trani where she married "Re Manfridu"[121]. After her husband's defeat, she was captured trying to escape to Greece and imprisoned at Naples. She died in prison.

m (betrothed before Feb 1258, Trani 2 Jun 1259) as his second wife, MANFREDO King of Sicily, illegitimate son of Emperor FRIEDRICH II & his mistress Bianca Lancia (Venosa 1232-killed in battle Benevento 26 Feb 1266).