Tsaritsa
Irene Laskarina
Daughter of Theodore II Laskaris and Elena Asenina, granddaughter of Ivan Asen II. Her marriage to Constantine Tih tied the elected tsar to the Asen line and justified his adopted name 'Asen'.
Biography
Irene Laskarina was the first-born daughter of the Nicaean emperor Theodore II Laskaris and Elena Asenina, daughter of Tsar Ivan Asen II — and thus a granddaughter of the Bulgarian tsar. After his accession Konstantin Tih parted with his first, unnamed wife, sent her as a hostage to Nicaea and married Irene; this marriage to a descendant of the Asens bound him to the dynasty and justified the name "Asen" that he adopted.
According to Pachymeres, Irene bore a strong hatred for Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos over the disinheriting and blinding of her brother John IV Laskaris, and through this she exerted a powerful influence on the political decisions of the Bulgarian tsar. She died around 1268, after which Konstantin Tih entered into a new marriage with Maria Palaiologina Kantakouzene.
In the news
- Tsar Konstantin Tih, Irene the Asenid, Maria 'the lioness' and Ivaylo the rebel27 April 2025 · Prof. Plamen Pavlov, Trud
- 'Rulers by the grace of God': the queens of medieval Bulgaria8 March 2025 · Prof. Plamen Pavlov, Trud