Sophia of Minsk or
Sophia of Polotsk (b.1138/41-d.1198), was a Danish mediaeval
queen consort, spouse of King
Valdemar I of Denmark.
Biography
Sophia was the daughter of
Richeza of Poland, Dowager Queen of Sweden, from her marriage with to a man called "Valador" King in Poloni Land. Several speculations have been put forward as to exactly who her father was, but his identity is still uncertain; he is guessed to have been Prince Volodar of Minsk or Prince Vladimir of Halicz. Most probably it was Volodar (
Valadar in
Belarusian) of Minsk who united principalities of
Minsk,
Polotsk, and
Hrodna under his rule, and had military interests in the Baltics region (for example, his military campaign in Northern Poland in 1159). Sophia was the half-sister of
Canute V of Denmark. She was bethrothed in 1154, and married in 1157 to Valdemar.
She is described as beautiful but cruel in the legends, where she murdered Valdemar's mistress Tove, and injured his sister Kirsten, but this is not confirmed. As a widow, Sophia married
Louis III, Landgrave of Thuringia in about 1184, but was repudiated very soon after the marriage, and returned to Denmark.
Children and family
Sofia married
Valdemar I of Denmark (c 1131-1182), and they had the following children:
