Editing Robert II of France (section)

====First marriage: Rozala of Italy====
[[File:Susanna of Italy.jpg|thumb|180px|right|Rozala (renamed Susanna) of Italy, as Countess of Flanders (late years of 15th century).]]
Immediately after associating his son with the throne, Hugh Capet wanted Robert II to marry a royal princess, but the prohibition against marriage within the third degree of [[consanguinity]] obliged him to seek a bride in the East. He had a letter written by Gerbert of Aurillac asking the [[Byzantine Emperor]] [[Basil II]] for the hand of one of his nieces for Robert II; however, no Byzantine response is recorded.{{sfn|Bouchard|1981|pp=274, 276}} After this rebuff, and under pressure from his father (who apparently wanted to reward the Flemish for their help when he seized power in 987),{{sfn|Nicholas|1992|p=45}} Robert II had to marry [[Rozala of Italy|Rozala]], daughter of [[Berengar II of Italy|Berengar II of Ivrea, King of Italy]] and widow of [[Arnulf II, Count of Flanders]]. The wedding, celebrated before 1 April 988, brought Robert II possession of the cities of [[Montreuil, Pas-de-Calais|Montreuil]] and [[Ponthieu]] and a possible guardianship over the [[County of Flanders]], given the young age of Rozala's son [[Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders|Baldwin IV]], for whom she had been acting as regent ever since her first husband's death.{{sfn|Theis|1999|pp=53–55}}<ref>Pierre Riché, ''Les Carolingiens, une famille qui fit l'Europe'' (in French). Hachette, Paris, 1997, p. 303.</ref>

Upon her marriage, Rozala became junior Queen consort of the Franks and took the name of ''Susanna'';{{sfn|Pfister1885|p=41–69}}{{sfn|Bouchard|1981|p=273}} however, after about three or four years of marriage (c. 991–992), the young Robert II repudiated her,<ref name="Deslot">Thierry Deslot, ''Impératrices et reines de France'' (in French). Editions de la Bruyère, 1996. {{ISBN|978-2840142799}}</ref> due to the excessive age difference between them (Rozala was almost 22 years older than him{{sfn|Vasiliev|1951|pp=233–234}} and probably too old to have more children). In fact, the breakup was justified by the absence of a child from their union and, for this reason, Hugh Capet and his advisers did not oppose the annulment proceedings.

{{blockquote|author=Richer of Reims, ''History'', 996–998.{{sfn|Theis|1999|p=78}}|"King Robert, having arrived at his 19th year, in the prime of his youth, repudiated, because she was too old, his wife Susanna, Italian by nation."}}

Separated from her husband, Rozala returned to Flanders at the side of her son Baldwin IV and became one of his principal advisers. Robert II managed to keep the port of Montreuil (part of his former wife's dowry), a strategic point on [[English Channel|the Channel]].{{sfn|Bautier|1992|p=35}} Historians believe that from this period, Robert II wished to challenge his father and finally reign alone.

The marriage was formally annulled in late 996, following Hugh Capet's death and Robert II's ascension as sole King of the French.<ref name="Deslot"/>