Five Women Who Became, Both Queens & Saints.
Many royal women in history sought a religious life - especially after the deaths of their
husbands.
Queens who became saints were rulers in their own right and were recognized by the Church
as either pious and worshipful women or as saintly women who used their power to help
the poor and, more importantly, spread the faith.
Here are Five Women Who Became Both Queens and Saints.
1. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Elizabeth of Hungary, also known as Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, was a princess of
the Kingdom of Hungary.
She was a greatly venerated Catholic saint who was an early member of the Third Order
of St. Francis, by which she is honored as its patroness.
Elizabeth was married at the age of 14, and widowed at 20.
After her husband's death she sent her children away and regained her dowry, using the money
to build a hospital where she herself served the sick.
She became a symbol of Christian charity after her death at the age of 24 and was canonized
on 25 May 1235.
Number 2 is Saint Olga of Kiev.
Saint Olga, of Kiev, is dearly revered among the Ukrainians,in the Byzantine Catholic Church.
As a regent for her three year old son, she became known as the Grand Princess of Kiev.
When her husband, Igor, of Kiev was killed, she remained determined to hold onto the throne
for her three year old son.
Known as a shrewd and ruthless ruler, the church apparently overlooked the fact that
she had her enemies either buried alive, or burned alive, on several occasions. After
decades of evading marriage proposals, and defending Kiev against invaders, Olga gave
the throne to her son, and converted to Christianity.
Olga exerted a powerful Christianizing influence over her people and was very concerned with
their spiritual welfare.
She spent the rest of her life building churches, catechizing her subjects, and guiding her
son with holy wisdom.
3 is Saint Tamar of Georgia.
Also known as Tamar the Great, this beloved saint of the Eastern Churches, reigned as
the Queen of Georgia from 1184 to 1213.
Tamar presided over a golden age of art, and culture in Georgia, and also proved herself
to be an adept military strategist, when hosts of Persian armies tried to invade her lands.
She repelled two major invasions, and was famous for marching at the head of her army
to the city gates barefoot to see them off, hence the title, Tamar, the Great.
Throughout her life, Tamar secretly fasted, kept numerous vigils, and slept on a stone
bed.
She died after a mysterious illness, and is one of the most beloved saints as well as
a revered national figure in Georgia today.
Fourth is, Saint Elizabeth of Portugal. (1217 - 1336)
Elizabeth of Aragon, also known as St. Elizabeth of Portugal was betrothed at age 10 and married
to King Denis of Portugal at age 17.
Elizabeth pursued the regular religious practices of her youth and was devoted to the poor and
sick.
Such a life was taken as a reproach to many around her and caused ill will in some quarters
of the court.
Eventually, her prayer and patience succeeded in converting her husband, who had been leading
what she considered a sinful life.
After the King's death in 1325, Elizabeth retired to the monastery of the Poor Clare
nuns for a contemplative life.
She was beatified in 1526 and canonized by Pope Urban VIII on May 25th, 1625.
Number five is Saint Bathilde (626 –680)
At only 19 years old, Bathilde became Queen of France when she married Clovis II of France.
Having once been a slave, Bathilde never forgot. She dedicated her reign after her husband's
death to alleviating the suffering of the oppressed.
She lowered taxes on the poor, outlawed the sale of French subjects, and declared that
any slave who set foot in France was considered freed.
She also built many abbeys and hospitals, and when her son ascended the throne, she
took the veil at Chelles.
She was buried in the Abbey of Chelles and was canonized by Pope Nicholas I. Her feast
is celebrated in France on January 30th.
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