Gytha of Wessex

Gytha of Wessex, also known as Gȳð, was a daughter of Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, and Edith the Fair. She became a princess of Kievan Rus’ through her marriage to Vladimir II Monomakh. Her paternal grandparents were Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and Gytha. Her marriage to Vladimir II Monomakh occurred around 1069/1070, and she was the mother of Mstislav the Great, the last ruler of united Kievan Rus’. Although her role in Vladimir’s rule is not well-documented, she was a princess of Smolensk during her lifetime but passed away before Vladimir became grand prince of Kiev.

Despite the lack of documentation regarding her influence on Vladimir’s rule, Gytha’s legacy extends through her descendants. She was an ancestor of Philippa of Hainault, King Edward III of England, Alexander Nevsky, and Ivan IV the Terrible, among others. Her impact on history is also noted in Vladimir Medinsky’s assertion that she influenced Monomakh’s public relations.