Matilda of Frisia

Matilda of Frisia (c. 1024–1044) was the second wife and first Queen of Henry I, King of the Franks. Her date of birth is unknown.

She was presumably the daughter of Liudulf, Margrave of Frisia, from House Brunonen and Gertrude of Egisheim. This ancestry is not confirmed by historical sources but can be reconstructed from multiple records mentioning Matilda as neptis (Latin: granddaughter) of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor; the latter being a half-brother of Liudulf and therefore her uncle. In this case, her maternal ancestry would also make her a niece of bishop Bruno of Egisheim-Dagsburg who was elected Pope Leo IX in 1049.

Matilda and Henry were married in 1034 after the death of his first wife, also named Matilda, daughter of the Emperor Conrad II. Their marriage was arranged by Conrad during a meeting in Yvois. At the time of her wedding, Matilda was only aged ten but there is no doubt that the marriage was consummated very soon afterwards. Around 1040, she gave birth to a daughter, but both mother and daughter died shortly after each other in 1044. Matilda was buried in St Denis Abbey but her tomb is not preserved.

Henry married Anne of Kiev after her death.

Proposed ancestry

Brun I, Count of Brunswick

Gisela of Swabia

Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor

Gertrude of Egisheim

Liudolf, Margrave of Frisia

Henry III

Matilda

Henry I King of the Franks

Matilda

References

• Woll, Carsten (2002). Die Königinnen des hochmittelalterlichen Frankreich, 987-1237/38 (in German). Stuttgart: Steiner. ISBN 3-515-08113-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Treffer, Gerd (1996). Die französischen Königinnen. Von Bertrada bis Marie Antoinette (in German). Regensburg: Pustet. ISBN 3-7917-1530-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)