Maria Komnene (Porphyrogenita)

Maria Comnena ( Μαρία Κομνηνή, * March 1152 in Constantinople Opel; † August 1183 ) was the daughter of Emperor Manuel I and Berta / Irene and until the birth of her brother Alexios in 1171 heir to the throne of Byzantium.

She was 12 years old in 1164 with the later Hungarian king Béla III. engaged, the contract was canceled after five years. She was then engaged to William II of Sicily, but was in 1180 married to a mere eighteen Rainer von Montferrat, probably to include the Marquis of Montferrat ( Mons Ferrati ) in an alliance against Frederick Barbarossa. William of Tyre, we owe a description of the wedding festivities. The young bridegroom was given the Greek name John, and was appointed Caesar, probably in order to make especially Maria these are not evenly matched marriage more palatable.

Thessaloniki probably belonged to Mary's dowry or Rainer had been assigned as pronoia. Later writers who were familiar with the little Byzantine administration, it would therefore be regarded as King of Salonika. Rainer von Montferrat died in 1183, under 25 years old. Supposedly he was poisoned by Andronikos I..