the Stoudios Monastery. The crown then passed to Constantine X Doukas (), although Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger, who married Anna's granddaughter Anna Komnene, asserts that it was first offered to John. Despite the vehement opposition of Anna, who stressed the benefits to their children, John refused the crown. Anna tried hard to persuade John to become emperor and did everything she could, even to "tears and groans" to make John change his mind, but to no avail. According to the historian Konstantinos Varzos, this version of events is suspect, and may well be a post-fact attempt at legitimizing the eventual usurpation of the throne by Anna's son, Alexios Komnenos. At any rate, Anna remained implacably opposed to the Doukas family thereafter. Rivalry with the Doukai Widowed on 12 July 1067, she guided her family's fortunes over the next decades with the sole purpose of paving her children's path to the throne. In May of the same year, Constatine X Doukas had died, and Anna allied herself with his widow, the Empress-regent Eudokia Makrembolitissa. To strengthen her family's position, she took care to arrange marriage alliances with the leading aristocratic families. Thus her daughter Maria married Michael Taronites, while Eudokia married Nikephoros Melissenos. Anna also allied herself closely with Eudokia Makrembolitissa's second husband, Romanos IV Diogenes (), supporting him in his struggle against the members of the intrigues of the Doukas family. Her youngest daughter Theodora married Romanos' son Constantine, and her eldest son Manuel was one of the favourite generals of Romanos and was named kouropalates and protostrator. When he died of an ear infection in early 1071, Anna hurried to his deathbed in Bithynia. As soon as he was buried, she tried to put forward her third son Alexios to replace him, but he was judged too young. The Doukai returned to power after the defeat and capture of Romanos IV by the Seljuk Turks at the Battle of Manzikert on 19 August 1071. The Caesar John Doukas, brother of Constantine X, engineered a coup that sidelined Empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa and raised to the throne Eudokia's oldest son Michael VII Doukas () instead. When Romanos was released from captivity, the Caesars sons even led troops against him. After he was captured, the Caesar ordered the former emperor to be blinded. During this time, Anna was accused of maintaining a secret correspondence with the deposed emperor and brought to trial.