Saint Cunigunde of Luxembourg/Cunegundes/Cunegunda/Cunegonda/Cunegundis/Kinigundis (yes, she had a lot of alternate names) may have been the inspiration for the character Cunégonde in Voltaire's Candide.
She was Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, having married Emperor Saint Henry II, and also served as regent after her husband's death (1024).
I found it rather ironic to learn of a rumor that she actually wanted to be a nun. Apparently she and Henry agreed to never consummate their marriage. She even made a vow of virginity before they married (with Henry's approval). There is some scholarly debate surrounding the claim, although it is true that they never had children.
Of course, in the true spirit of Voltaire, Cunégonde's name is probably also a crude pun in French and Latin. In addition to that, in Persian the word "gonde" means "big" or "huge" and is quite an impolite term. But who would expect anything less from Candide's author?
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