Ukrainian Women Who Shaped Europe: 10 Princesses Who Became Queens

From Kyiv to Paris, from Chernihiv to Istanbul — Ukrainian royal daughters were not just married into power. They helped build Europe.
At WarTours.in.ua, we look at history through the lens of strength and resilience. These women, born on the land now defending Europe, once united it through diplomacy, intellect, and leadership.

👑 Anna Yaroslavna – Queen of France

Origin and Marriage
Anna, daughter of Yaroslav the Wise and Swedish princess Ingegerd, married King Henry I of France in 1051. After his death, she served as regent for their son Philip I.

Political and Cultural Role
She brought with her religious manuscripts, diplomatic acumen, and the Cyrillic script. Her name appears on royal charters in Slavic form — “Ana Rʺina.” She established schools and shaped ecclesiastical life in France, leaving a legacy as a queen of intellect and influence.

👑 Anastasia Yaroslavna – Queen of Hungary

Origin and Marriage
Anna’s sister Anastasia married Hungarian king Andrew I in 1038. Their marriage strengthened East-Central European ties.

Governance and Faith
As queen and later regent to her son Solomon, Anastasia oversaw Hungary through a critical transition. She founded monasteries, encouraged religious education, and promoted peace within the kingdom.

👑 Elizabeth Yaroslavna – Queen of Norway and Denmark

Origin and Marriage
Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, married King Harald Hardrada of Norway — a legendary warrior-king. Some chronicles suggest she later married Danish king Sweyn II.

Influence in Scandinavia
She became a bridge between Kyivan Rus’ and the Viking world. Known in Norse sagas as Ellisiv, she introduced Christian customs and perhaps literacy practices to the court.

👑 Eupraxia Vsevolodivna – Empress of the Holy Roman Empire

Origin and Marriage
Daughter of Vsevolod of Kyiv, Eupraxia married Emperor Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire in 1089.

Resistance and Legacy
Mistreated and imprisoned, she escaped to Italy and publicly accused Henry of abuse at the Synod of Piacenza. Her return to Kyiv as a nun marked her transformation from consort to spiritual authority — an early voice for dignity and justice.

👑 Euphrosyne Mstislavna – Queen of Hungary

Origin and Marriage
Daughter of Grand Prince Mstislav the Great, she married Hungarian king Géza II in 1146.

Regency and Reform
After his death, she served as regent for her son Stephen III, maintaining political balance amid internal unrest. She supported monastic communities and oversaw education and legal reforms.

👑 Roxelana (Anastasia Lisovska) – Empress of the Ottoman Empire

From Captive to Queen
Born in Rohatyn, captured by Crimean Tatars, and sold into slavery, she rose to become the legal wife of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.

Political Power
She influenced imperial appointments, oversaw vast construction projects, and corresponded with European monarchs. She redefined what a woman could be in the Ottoman court — powerful, strategic, and public-facing.

👑 Kunigunda Rostyslavna – Queen of Bohemia

Origin and Marriage
Granddaughter of Prince Michael of Chernihiv, she married Ottokar II of Bohemia.

Czech Stability
She accompanied her husband on military campaigns, mediated at court, and forged ties between Galicia and Prague.

Historical Presence
She is remembered in Czech history as a symbol of noble virtue and courtly wisdom.

👑 Eupraxia Mstislavna – Empress of Byzantium

Origin and Marriage
Daughter of Mstislav the Great, Eupraxia married Emperor John II Komnenos of Byzantium.

Cultural Impact
Known for her intelligence, she likely authored the medical treatise “Alimma.” She promoted learning, translation, and ecclesiastical reform in Constantinople.

👑 Ingeborg of Kyiv – Princess of Denmark

Dynastic Ties
Daughter of Mstislav the Great, married Danish prince Canute Lavard. Their son, Valdemar I, later ruled Denmark.

Eastern Legacy in the North
Through Ingeborg, Slavic traditions entered Danish court life. She is revered as the founder of a powerful royal line.

👑 Elizabeth Rostyslavivna – Tsarina of Bulgaria

Origin and Alliance
Daughter of Prince Rostyslav of Kyiv, married Bulgarian tsar Michael Asen II.

Faith and Literature
Promoted literacy, theological education, and the building of churches. She forged a Bulgarian-Rus axis before the Mongol invasions disrupted Eastern Europe.

🌍 Why It Matters Today

When French, Hungarian, Danish, or Turkish tourists come to Kyiv, they walk the same streets once home to their queens. These women did not just marry into royalty — they carried the values, literacy, and spiritual power of Rus’ into the heart of medieval Europe.

Their legacy invites today’s Europe to reconnect with Kyiv not only as a frontline, but as a cradle of diplomacy, culture, and royal lineage.

WarTours.in.ua is proud to tell their stories.