Empress of the Holy Roman Empire
In 931 AD, Adelaide was born to King Rudolf II coronated the first King and Queen of the Holy Roman of Burgundy and Bertha of Swabia at the castle of Orbe Empire by Pope John XII and soon after ratified the in the Kingdom of Upper Burgandy. Her father’s rule was Diploma Ottonianum, confirming John XII as the spiritual at times tenuous, having reigned also as the King of Italy head of the Church, and Otto I as its secular protector. until 926 AD when the Italian nobility had turned against Four years later in 966 AD, Otto and Adelaide him and requested Hugh of Arles to rule them. King were forced to return to Rome to restore the newly elected Rudolf was forced to return to Upper Burgundy for Pope John XIII to the throne. From that time, Adelaide protection after the assassination of his father-in-law, remained in Rome for six years to support the Church resulting in the coronation of Hugh as the King of Italy. while her husband ruled his kingdom from Italy. In 967, In 933 AD, King Rudolf concluded negotiations their son Otto II was crowned co-emperor at the age of 12, whereby he relinquished his claim over Italy in exchange anointed by Archbishops Bruno I of Cologne, William of for Lower Burgundy and the betrothal of Adelaide to Mainz and Henry I of Trier at the Aachen Chathedral. In Hugh’s son Lothair II. King Rudolf II then united the two 972, Otto II was married to the Byzantine princess Burgundies as the Kingdom of Arles, which he ruled until Theophanu in order to resolve conflicts in southern Italy. his death in 937 AD when Adelaide was only 6. Upon his Afterward, Otto I and Adelaide returned to Germany, death, Adelaide’s brother Conrad became King of Arles where Otto died in 973 AD. and her mother promptly married King Hugh of Italy. After the death of Otto, Adelaide became a Arles and Italy remained greatly at peace, powerful influence at court, but princess Theophanu although the Italian nobility revolted against King Hugh, turned her son Otto II against her and she was expelled forcing him into exile. While Hugh continued to hold the from the court. Adelaide spent the following time split title of King, Berengar of Ivrea retained the real power of between Italy and Arles with her brother Conrad. the Kingdom along with the patronage of the nobles. Through Conrad’s efforts, she was reconciled to her son Upon the death of King Hugh in 947 AD, at the age of 15 in 983 and soon afterward he fell ill. Otto II appointed his Adelaide was married to King Lothair II who became the mother viceroy in Italy and soon afterward died from his King of Italy while her mother, Bertha of Swabia, illness. returned to Burgundy. The following year Adelaide gave Adelaide’s three year old grandson, Otto III, birth to their daughter Emma, but the marriage was short became King after his father’s death under the regency of lived as Lothair’s rule was nominal at best, and he was his mother, Theophanu, while Adelaide remained in Italy. poisoned in 950 by Berengar of Ivrea who thereafter Theophanu died in 990 when Otto III was only 10, and assumed the throne. Adelaide became regent for her grandson until he reached King Berengar attempted to legitimize his rule by the legal age to reign in 995. Adelaide resigned as regent forcing Adelaide to marry his son Adalbert, but Adelaide and then began to devote herself exclusively to works of refused and was imprisoned at Garda Castle. Mistreated charity, focusing on founding and restoring religious by Berengar’s wife Willa, she escaped with the help of houses, monasteries, churches and abbeys. Throughout Adalbert Atto of Canossa, fleeing to Germany to seek her years she had maintained a close relationship with the protection from King Otto. She met King Otto at Pavia Cluny Monastery which had been the center for in 951 AD, where she married him at the age of 18. Otto ecclesiastical reform. invaded Italy, forcing Berengar II to subject Italy as a Adelaide finally retired to a nunnery she had vassal to Germany. founded at Selz in 991 AD. She continued her work until Otto I and Adelaide had four children early in her nephew Rudolf III who had become King of their marriage. Henry was born in 952, Bruno in 953, Burgundy in 993 was confronted with a rebellion. She Matilda in 954, and Otto II in 955. Their oldest, Henry, began a trip to Burgundy to support her nephew, but only lived to the age of 5, dying in 957. The two were halted again at the Selz abbey when she could no longer very devoted to the faith and provided regular support to travel. Looking forward to then end of the first the Catholic Church. When in 960, Berengar II invaded millennium which she had hoped would usher in the the Papal States Pope John XII sought assistance from second coming of Christ, she passed away on December King Otto. Adelaide accompanied her husband who 16th of 999. She was buried in the abbey and in 1097 was marched into Italy to provide relief to the Vatican. canonized by Pope Urban II. She is the patron of abuse Berengar’s troops abandoned him and 961, and upon his victims, brides, and empresses, and her feast day is arrival in early 962, King Otto I and Adelaide were December 16th.