Who plays Princess Gisla in Vikings?
Princess Gisla is played by Morgane Polanski in the original Vikings series.
Explore family, allies and rivals or follow the story sections below.
Cast references: Morgane Polanski.
Explore Princess Gisla’s story
The defended city
She urges Charles to remain in Paris rather than abandon its inhabitants. During the assault, her display of the sacred banner helps rally the defenders.
An arranged marriage changes
Her marriage to Rollo begins with mistrust and a severe language barrier. His commitment to defending Francia and effort to learn her language help transform their relationship.
Power beside the throne
Gisla’s influence is not identical to her father’s formal rank. She shapes what he decides and what his subjects see. Her relationship with Rollo also asks whether a political arrangement can develop into personal allegiance without losing its public purpose. Watch the moments when reassurance, refusal or recognition changes another person’s options.
Relationships & loyalties
Memorable scenes
The banner above Paris
Season 3, episode 8
Gisla presents the sacred banner as the attackers press the city’s defenses. Her public resolve helps sustain the defenders, giving her an active political role beyond being offered in a marriage bargain.
Why this moment matters
The banner translates Gisla’s private influence into a public act. She does not need to command every soldier for her presence to affect the defense: courage must be made visible, and a religious symbol gives the defenders something shared to rally around. The scene establishes why the princess matters before her marriage becomes the dominant storyline.
Rollo answers in her language
Season 4, episode 4
During the dispute over their marriage, Rollo demonstrates that he has learned to speak with Gisla. The change gives their relationship a new basis without erasing how political arrangements initially forced them together.
Why this moment matters
Learning the language is an effort Rollo cannot replace with physical strength. It allows Gisla to encounter someone who has done more than accept a title and a marriage agreement. Their intimacy becomes possible through recognition, although the speed of the change can still feel abrupt after the hostility that has defined their previous exchanges.
Why fans keep talking
Gisla works especially well when her resistance has a purpose beyond making Rollo prove himself. Defending Paris and pushing her father to remain give her an independent political identity. The romance then offers humor and the possibility of mutual recognition, but its rapid change in tone divides viewers. Enjoying the chemistry does not require overlooking how quickly the story moves from coercive arrangement and contempt to an apparently settled partnership.
What resonates
Independent judgment, the defense of Paris and the comic friction with Rollo give supporters several reasons to enjoy her.
What divides viewers
The transition from contempt to romance feels too abrupt to other viewers, particularly alongside the rapid change in her appearance and manner.
Character gallery
Who plays Princess Gisla?
Morgane Polanski portrays Princess Gisla.
Morgane Polanski’s work beyond Vikings includes Girl in The Pianist (2002); Hotel receptionist in The Ghost Writer (2010); Sophie Dunant in Unhallowed Ground (2015); Kasia in Looted (2019); Girlfriend in The French Dispatch (2021).