She's not just from a royal family. Under her uncle, the reign of the Byzantine emperors ended. Constantine XI was removed from power by the Ottomans. And Sophia's father Palaeologus was a despot (this is such a title of ruler). In his subordination was Morea - autonomy within the empire. His name was Thomas. Sophia (or Sophia) was destined to become the wife of the Russian Tsar Ivan III.
Grand Duchess Sofia. Plastic reconstruction.
How Zoe became Sophia
Sofia was about 5 years old (date of exact birth is unknown), when in 1460 her homeland Morea was captured by the Ottoman conquerors. Sophia's father, already as the ex-ruler of the captured Greek autonomy, fled to Rome. For the sake of the intercession of the Vatican, a few years later he changed Orthodoxy to Catholicism. So Sofia and her brothers became Catholics. Actually, then, at baptism, she was given a new name. From birth until that moment, she was Zoe.
Thomas Palaeologus, Sophia's father (fresco by Pinturicchio, Piccolomini library) Author unknown.
Marriageable bride
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In 1465 Thomas died, and a year earlier, mother Sophia. So the girl became orphaned. But one of the cardinals, a Greek by birth, took over her. The cardinal began to look for beneficial suitors for the bride from among the reigning or influential persons. An offer was made to the Cypriot king, but he was afraid of the fate of the Palaeologus family and refused.
Betrothed from distant Muscovy
Ivan III (Timothy before baptism), the Russian tsar, unexpectedly died his wife, being very young, only 25 years old. Only a 9-year-old son remained, and it was clear that the king would sooner or later marry. Two years later, it happened. From Rome, the ambassador brought him a small portrait of Sophia. The king agreed, after which preparations and negotiations began. But only three years later, on June 1, 1472, the ceremony of the correspondence betrothal of the bride and the future groom was held. It happened in Italy, in Florence. The groom's representative was the ambassador of the Russian Tsar. The guests at the ceremony did not skimp on gifts, the Pope granted the bride several thousand ducats as a dowry.
Full-time engagement
Three weeks after the betrothal, Sophia and the cortege set off on a long journey to Moscow. She spent four and a half months on the road. We got there by land and sea transport, bypassing Polish lands hostile to Muscovy at that time. On November 12 of the same year we arrived in Moscow. A special date considering that this is the day of commemoration of St. John Chrysostom, patron saint of the Russian Tsar. Without wasting precious time, the young people were married on the same day in the Assumption Cathedral.
And they lived happily
Sophia (or Sophia, as this name was pronounced in Russia) Palaeologus lived in marriage until her death for 30 years. She gave birth to 12 children for the tsar, of whom 9 survived to the age of consciousness. The eldest son later became the heir to the Russian throne. We are talking about Vasily III, Sovereign of All Russia. He has been at the helm of the country for almost three decades. Dying, he commanded that after him, upon reaching the age of majority, his son Ivan, who at that time was three years old, would become king. Ivan will become Ivan the Terrible, and his grandmother is Sophia Palaeologus, the last Byzantine princess.
Vasily III, son of Sophia Palaeologus.
Ivan IV the Terrible, grandson.