List of Exiled and Pretending Byzantine Empresses

List Of Exiled And Pretending Byzantine Empresses

The Empress of the Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire (in exile) was the consort of one of the four Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Emperors, following the Fourth Crusade in 1204 and the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, to the abolishment of those states. As all male spouses of the former Byzantine Empire had to be monarchs also, there was never a Byzantine Emperor consort. They are the successors of Margaret of Hungary or Eudokia Angelina, the last true Byzantine Empresses. None of women's husband held the title of Byzantine Emperor rightfully in the eyes of history, except the Nicaean emperors who became the only Greek ruler to be restored to Constantinople in 1261 and the Morean despotes who were the direct heirs of the last emperor, Constantine XI.

The spouses of the pretenders of these states and the Byzantine Empire are included. These states were Nicaea, who should have been known as the Empress consort of Nicaea (Greek: βασίλισσα τῆς Νίκαιας); Trebizond, who should have been known as the Empress consort of Trebizond (Greek: βασίλισσα τῆς Τραπεζοῦντος); Epirus, who should have been known as the Despoina in Epirus (1215–1479); Morea, who should have been known as the Despoina in Morea (1308–1460).