Irene Doukaina Laskarina

Irene
Empress consort of Bulgaria
Empress consort of Bulgaria
Tenure 1258–1268
Predecessor Maria Asenina
Successor Maria Kantakouzena
Spouse Constantine Tikh of Bulgaria
House Laskaris
House of Asen
Father Theodore II Laskaris
Mother Elena of Bulgaria
Born Unknown
Empire of Nicaea
Died 1268
Tarnovo, Bulgaria
Burial SS. Forty Martyrs Church in Tarnovo

Irene Doukaina Laskarina (Bulgarian: Ирина Ласкарина Асенина, Greek: Ειρήνη Δούκαινα Λασκαρίνα) was empress consort (tsaritsa) of Bulgaria (1258–1268). She was second wife of Tsar Constantine Tikh of Bulgaria.

She was a daughter of Theodore II Laskaris, emperor of Nikaea, and his wife Elena of Bulgaria. Irene was a sister of Byzantine emperor John IV Laskaris. Her maternal grandparents were Tsar Ivan Asen II and Anna Maria of Hungary.

In 1257 Irene was married Bulgarian nobelman Constantine Tikh as his second wife. Her husband was a pretender for Bulgarian crown. Constantine was proud to be married a granddaughter of Tsar Ivan Asen II and he adopted the Bulgarian dynastic name Asen to enhance his position as a legitimate ruler of Bulgaria. On the next year Constantine Tikh Asen was elected Tsar of Bulgaria by a boyar council in Tarnovo and Irene become his consort.

In 1261 Irene's brother, Byzantine emeperor John IV Laskaris, was deposed by Michael VIII Palaiologos, who seized the power in the Byzantine Empire. Tsaritsa Irene was a bitter enemy of the usurper. She become a leader of anti-Byzantine party in the Bulgarian court.

Irene died in 1268. She had no children.

Ancestors

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basil Vatatzes ?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
John III Doukas Vatatzes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Theodore II Laskaris
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Theodore I Laskaris
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Irene Lascarina
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Anna Komnena Angelina
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Irene Doukaina Laskarina
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ivan Asen II
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elena-Evgenia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elena of Bulgaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Andrew II of Hungary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Anna Maria of Hungary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gertrude of Merania
 
 
 
 
 
 
Irene Doukaina Laskarina
Born:  ? Died:  ?
Royal titles
Preceded by
Maria Asenina of Bulgaria
Empress consort of Bulgaria
1258–1268
Succeeded by
Maria Kantakouzena