Anna Jagiellon

Anna Jagiellonica (Polish Anna Jagiellonka, Lithuanian Ona Jogailaitė; born October 18, 1523 Krakow, † September 9, 1596 in Warsaw) was a Polish-Lithuanian princess of the noble family of the Jagiellonian. She was formally from 1575 until her death, as the "King " of Poland and " Grand Duke " of Lithuania, elected head of state of Poland - Lithuania.

Title

Anna's official title was, as is that of Hedwig of Anjou, actually " Król " Anna (Latin Dei Gratia Rex Anna Poloniae ), that is King Anna because she was ruler of the kingdom in its own right. All winning Polish rulers bore this title without regard to gender. The wives of kings were given the title " Królowa " (Latin Regina Poloniae ) - Queen only by marriage.

As a result of the official commitment to Catholicism as the state religion by King John II Casimir ( Lemberger Eid 1656) and as a legal guarantee that the Mother of God to " Królowa Polski " ( regina ) was crowned. A similar process took place in Spain and Portugal.

Life

She was born as the daughter of King Sigismund I of Poland and the Italian princess Bona Sforza, and was later the wife of Stephen Báthory.

The 49 - year-old Anna was still unmarried when her brother King Sigismund II August 1572 died childless. This made them one of the last representatives of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the main character of political life in the kingdom. The newly elected king should marry Anna. The crown was awarded in 1573 the French prince Henry of Valois. ( To have abdicated without formal) After the complainant had left Poland a year later, to ascend the throne of France after the unexpected death of his brother, was born in Krakow, a power vacuum. On December 15, 1575 Anna was elected his successor. At the same time the search began for a suitable husband for her. On the advice of the chancellor Zamoyski January it was decided to Stefan Batory, the reigning Prince of Transylvania, who was elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Anna was chosen as the legal equivalent " co-ruler ", the de facto power in the country still lay in the years 1576-1586 at the hands of their spouses.

Heritage and descendants

Anna survived her husband and died childless. Her only heir was Sigismund, the son of her younger sister and Queen of Sweden Catherine. Anna helped him to the throne of Poland as Sigismund III. Wasa to climb after the death of Stephan Báthorys.

The Queen Dowager died on September 9, 1596 in Warsaw, during the reign of her nephew Sigismund. She was laid to rest in Wawel Cathedral.

Gallery

Anna Jagiellonica as a widow

• King (Poland )
• Born in 1523
• Died in 1596
• Woman
• Jagiellończyk
• Person (Warsaw)