Adelaide of Meissen

Adelaide of Meissen (Czech: Adléta, German: Adelheid; c. 1160 – 2 February 1211) was Queen of Bohemia as the first wife of King Ottokar I.

Adelaide was born about 1160 as the daughter of Otto II, Margrave of Meissen. She met her future husband in the 1170s, in the time of his exile. It is possible that this marriage (1178) was forced on grounds of her pregnancy. Adelaide gave birth to a son, Vratislaus, soon.

Shortly after the marriage the couple could return to Bohemia—Ottokar's brother Frederick assumed the reins of Bohemia and Ottokar was one of the leaders of his army. In 1192 Ottokar himself became duke but in 1193 was deposed. He left Bohemia together with his family then.

Adelaide came to her brother and Ottokar became a mercenary of German dukes. In this time the couple got estranged. Ottokar decided to solve the problem in a way exclusive to all dynastic principles.

In the end of 1197 Ottokar became duke for the second time. He repudiated his wife and also his adult son. Ottokar was at least 40 at that time and risked losing the heir. Adelaide and her daughters stayed in Meissen, while her son Vratislaus became a mercenary in Germany and Italy.

In 1199, Ottokar (now the king) divorced Adelaide, on grounds of consanguinity. They were both descendants of Henry of Schweinfurt and Mieszko II Lambert and were fifth cousin once removed or fourth cousin once removed. He married Constance of Hungary, who was Ottokar's fourth cousin thrice removed, later in the same year. Adelheid did not waive her rights. In 1205 she returned to Prague for a while. Ottokar decided to marry his daughter with Adelaide, Margaret, to Valdemar II of Denmark in this time. However, Constance gave birth to a son, later king Wenceslaus I, in 1205. Then Adelaide and her daughters left Bohemia permanently.

The pope decided that the cessation of marriage is legal. Adelaide still struggled, but in

1210 definitely lost. She died in 1211 in Meissen.

• Vratislaus (d. bef. 1225).
• Margaret (Dagmar) (d. 24 May 1212), married to King Valdemar II of Denmark.
• Božislava (d. 6 Feb bef. 1238), married to Count Henry I of Ortenberg.
• Hedwig, nun in Gernrode.