Anna Palaiologina Kantakouzene (Greek: Άννα Καντακουζηνή) (died after 1313) was the niece of the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos, second wife of Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas of Epirus and regent of Epirus upon his death around 1297.
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Background
Anna was the third of four daughters born to John Kantakouzenos and his wife Irene Palaiologia (Eulogia Palaiologina), sister of Michael VIII Palaiologos. Anna and her three sisters all lived to adulthood, they were: Theodora Raoulaina, wife of George Mouzalon, Maria Palaiologina Kantakouzene, Empress consort of Bulgaria and Eugenia Palaiologina Kantakouzene, wife of Syrgiannes and mother of Syrgiannes Palaiologos.
Marriage to Nikephoros
Anna was married in the autumn of 1264 to Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas as part of a peace agreement between her uncle Emperor Michael and Nikephoros' father Michael II Komnenos Doukas, the leader of the pro-Byzantine party in Epirus. Anna dominated her husband, similar to her sisters Maria and Theodora. She became Despotess of Neopatras in 1289. Nikephoros had been married once before to Maria, the daughter of Emperor Theodore II Doukas Laskaris and had one daughter, Maria.
