Anna Abashidze ( ka, ანა აბაშიძე; 1730 – 7 December 1749) was a Georgian princess of the

Abashidze The House of Abashidze ( ka, აბაშიძე) is a Nobility of Georgia (country), Georgian noble family and a former List of Georgian princely families#A, Georgian princely house. Appearing in the 15th century, they achieved prominence in t ...

family and

Queen Consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...

Kakheti Kakheti (; ) is a region of Georgia. Telavi is its administrative center. The region comprises eight administrative districts: Telavi, Gurjaani, Qvareli, Sagarejo, Dedoplistsqaro, Signagi, Lagodekhi and Akhmeta. Kakhetians speak the ...

as the second wife of King Heraclius II whom she married in 1745. She was the mother of George XII, the last king of Georgia.

Biography

Princess Anna was born in 1730 into one of the leading noble houses of

Imereti Imereti ( Georgian: იმერეთი, ) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 mun ...

, a kingdom in western Georgia. Her father was Prince Zaal Abashidze. Anna had two brothers, Ioane and Simon. The former served as a governor (''

mouravi ''Mouravi'' ( ka, მოურავი ) was an administrative and military officer in early modern Georgia, translated into English as seneschal, bailiff, or constable. A ''mouravi'' was an appointed royal official who had a jurisdiction over pa ...

'') of

Borchalo The Borchaly ''uezd'' was a county (''uezd'') of the Tiflis Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, and later of the independent and Soviet republics of Georgia. Its administrative center was the town of Shulavery (present- ...

and a chief of royal guards (''kechikchibashi'') from 1769 to 1799 and saw action against the Persians at Krtsanisi in 1795. The latter was a keeper of the royal seal (''mordali''). Anna married Heraclius II as his second wife in 1745. Her predecessor was either Ketevan Orbeliani, whom Heraclius divorced, or, according to more recent research, Ketevan Pkheidze, who died of a severe illness in 1744. The marriage was arranged by Heraclius's maternal aunt, Princess Anuka, who was married to an Abashidze. The wedding was first pompously celebrated at Anuka's house in Kvishkheti and then at the court of Heraclius's father,

Teimuraz II of Kartli Teimuraz II ( ka, თეიმურაზ II) (1680/1700–1762) of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king (''mepe'') of Kakheti, eastern Georgia, from 1732 to 1744, then of Kartli from 1744 until his death. Teimuraz was also a lyric poet. Life H ...

, in

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

. Anna died in Tbilisi at the age of 19 and was interred at the Cathedral of Living Pillar in

Mtskheta Mtskheta ( ka, მცხეთა} ) is a city in the Mkhare, region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Georgia (country), Georgia. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It is locat ...

. A year later, in 1750, Heraclius married his third and last wife,

Darejan Dadiani Darejan Dadiani ( ka, დარეჯანი), also known as Daria (Georgian: ; ) (20 July 1738 – 8 November 1807), was List of Georgian consorts, Queen Consort of Kingdom of Kakheti, Kakheti, and later Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, Kartli-Kakh ...

. Heraclius and Anna had three children: * Prince George (10 November 1746 – 28 December 1800), who succeeded Heraclius II as king of Kartli and Kakheti, * Princess Tamara (12 July 1747 – 4 August 1786), who married Prince David Orbeliani. * An anonymous daughter, who died in infancy.

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abashidze, Anna 1730 births 1749 deaths Queens consort from Georgia (country) 18th-century people from Georgia (country) Queens consort of Kakheti