Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy

12th century empress of the Holy Roman Empire

Beatrice I (1143 – 15 November 1184) was countess of Burgundy from 1148 until her death, and was also Holy Roman Empress by marriage to Frederick Barbarossa. She was crowned empress by Antipope Paschal III in Rome on 1 August 1167, and as Queen of Burgundy at Vienne in August 1178.

Beatrice was the only surviving child of Reginald III, Count of Burgundy and Agatha of Lorraine. As the only child of her father, she was the heiress of the County of Burgundy, and was named after her grandmother. At the death of her father in 1148, Beatrice inherited the vast County of Burgundy and became countess palatine. As such, she was one of the most desired brides in France. Her uncle, William III of Mâcon, who acted as her regent, attempted to deprive her of her rights and had her imprisoned; and a marriage was suggested to Emperor Frederick I, who stopped William.

In 1184, Beatrice fell ill with an unknown illness at Jouhe and quickly died, aged about 40. She was buried in Speyer Cathedral, but her heart was buried in Jouhe's old Benedictine abbey. Frederick grieved for her early death, and in April 1189, a month before joining the Crusade, he donated to the Church of St. Etienne in Besançon. Beatrice (end 1162/early 1163 – at least early 1174/1179). King William II of Sicily first asked for her hand but the marriage negotiations never came through. She married Guillaume (II) count of Chalon in 1173 and was mother to Beatrix, countess of Chalon. Frederick V, Duke of Swabia (Pavia, 16 July 1164 – 28 November 1170). Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor (Nijmegen, November 1165 – Messina, 28 September 1197). Agnes (early 1179 – 8 October 1184). She was betrothed to King Emeric of Hungary but died before they could be married.

Materials recording Beatrice's political activities are relatively scarce, especially in comparison with those of the Ottonian and Salian empresses and queens. Nevertheless, recent research shows that the empress's role in the contemporary political life was much more important than previously estimated. This is partly demonstrated through the efforts of contemporaries to influence the emperor's decisions through the empress. For example, when Barbarossa refused to listen to Milan's appeal for mercy in 1162, the city turned to Beatrice. She tended to intervene on behalf of people personally connected to her, as well as churches, monasteries, hospitals. Her status as Barbarossa's trusted political partner was also shown in various contemporary representations, including on coins.

Beatrice is a character in Umberto Eco's novel Baudolino, whose (fictional) protagonist is deeply in love with her a love never consummated except for a single kiss. In the 2009 movie Barbarossa (also titled Sword of War and Barbarossa: Siege Lord), Beatrice is one of the main characters, played by Cécile Cassel.