Background
She married John III Doukas Vatatzes Emperor of Nicaea as part of an alliance between her father and husband.
She married John III Doukas Vatatzes Emperor of Nicaea as part of an alliance between her father and husband.
The marriage is recorded by the chronicles of both George Acropolites and George Pachymeres. "The Lascarids of Nicaea: the Story of an Empire in Exile" (1912–1913) by Alice Gardner considers the alliance a result of their common hostility to the papacy. The marriage occurred in 1244.
At her arrival she was accompanied by a governess, Marchesa della Fricca.
In time the Marchesa came to have considerable influence at court. Nicephorus Blemmydes called her "rival empress".
However Blemmydes" negative criticism resulted in an attempt at his life by followers of her. Blemmydes survived and Marchesa lost the favor of John III who proceeded to dismiss her from court.
Blemmydes" account was later included in his autobiography.
Her stepson Theodore II Laskaris succeeded to the throne. By that time Frederick II had also died. Pachymeres records her staying in Nicaea through the reigns of both Theodore II (1254–1258) and her step-grandson John IV Laskaris (1259–1261).
John IV was underage through his brief reign.
His regent and co-ruler was Michael VIII Palaiologos, who maneuvered John IV aside, and after Alexios Strategopoulos captured Constantinople, the capital of the Latin Empire as well as the fallen Byzantine Empire, Michael deposed John IV and later blinded him. According to Pachymeres, around this time Michael fell in love with Anna and attempted to marry her, but the widowed Empress rejected him.
She was given magnificent presents and allowed to leave the new court for the Kingdom of Sicily in 1263. This gesture secured the release of Michael"s general Alexios Strategopoulos, who had been captured by the Despot Michael II Komnenos Doukas.
Again known as Constance, she joined the court of Manfred.
She found refuge at the catalano-Aragonese court for some time but eventually retired to a monastery in Valencia, where she died as a nun.