Beatrice of Burgundy

{|| "Venus did not have this virgin's beauty, Minerva did not have her brilliant mind And Juno did not have her wealth. There never was another except God's mother Mary ''And Beatrice is so happy she excels her."  - Carmen de gestis Frederici I imperatoris in Lombardia'' 

Beatrice of Burgundy (French: Béatrice  Ire  de Bourgogne d'Ivrée, German: Beatrix von Burgund) was the suo jure Countess of Burgundy and the second wife of Frederick Barbarossa. A member of the House of Ivrea, she had considerable influence over the politics of the Holy Roman Empire, as Frederick was known to be under her thumb. Beatrice accompanied her husband on his military exploits and was an advocate for literary works and chivalric ideals. She and Frederick had eleven children, eight of which survived to adulthood--the most notable of whom were Henry VI and Philip von Schwaben.