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- Irene was born in 1066 to Andronicus Ducas and Maria of Bulgaria. Andronicus was a nephew of Emperor Constantine X and a cousin of Michael VII. Irene married Alexius sometime before he acceded to the throne in 1081. For this reason the Ducas family supported Alexius in 1081 when a struggle for the throne erupted after the abdication of Nicephorus III. Irene, however, was not crowned until a week after Alexius became emperor. Alexius may have considered divorcing her and marrying Maria Bagrationi, who may have been his mistress and the former wife of both Michael VII and Nicephorus III; in any case Maria lived in the palace with him, although Anna Comnena vociferously denies that they were carrying on an affair. Anna herself, however, was not born until December 1, 1083. Irene was shy and preferred not to appear in public. She preferred to perform her household duties, and enjoyed reading hagiographic literature and making charitable donations to monks and beggars. Although Alexius may have had Maria as a mistress early in his reign, during the later part of his reign he and Irene were genuinely love (at least according to Anna). Irene accompanied him on his expeditions when necessary; she acted as a nurse for her husband when he was afflicted with gout in his feet. According to Anna she also acted as a sort of guard, as there were constant conspiracies against Alexius. She nursed him on his deathbed on 1118, and suggested that Alexius name Nicephorus Bryennius, Anna's husband, as his heir, over their own younger son John. When John succeeded to the throne, Anna and Nicephorus conspired against him, and both Irene and Anna were then forced into a convent. Irene died in 1123. With Alexius she had seven children. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
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