Anna of Cilli

Anna of Celje (Slovene Ana Celjska, Polish Anna Cylejska; * 1386, † May 21, 1416 in Kraków ) married Wladyslaw II Jagiello and became in 1403 the Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania. She was the only daughter of William, Count of Celje (1361-1392) and his wife Anna of Poland (1366-1425), the youngest daughter of the Polish king Casimir I and Hedwig of Sagan.

Life

After the death of his first wife, the reigning Queen of Poland Jadwiga of Anjou in 1399 ( she died in childbed after giving birth to her first child, who did not survive as well), the Polish king Władysław II wed in 1402 with only 16 - year-old Anna of Celje, a second cousin of his first wife. The choice fell on a Graf dynasty, descended from the Polish kings of the Piast dynasty and were entitled to the Polish throne. Władysław was at this time already 50 years old and without male offspring. The birth of a son " Piast blood" would have him and his own dynasty strengthened the position in the Kingdom of Poland, particularly in the context of existing male side branches of the Piast dynasty, which could theoretically raise legitimate claims to the Polish crown.

Anna's mother, Anna of Poland, Countess of Celje, tried in Poland more to gain influence in order to strengthen the position of their daughter and granddaughter.

Anna got any more children and also gave birth to a male heir. In 1416 she died at the age of 30 and was buried in the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow. The following year, the king married Elizabeth of Pilitza. But only in a further, fourth marriage, the hoped-for male heir were born.

Was a group of Polish nobles wanted Anna's daughter Hedwig instead of Władysław son inherits the throne of Poland, supported this group of Anna's mother. However, these died in 1425 and her granddaughter six years on in 1431, leaving no descendants.

Progeny

The couple had only one daughter, Princess Hedwig of Poland (1408-1431)

• Queen (Poland )
• Born in 1386
• Died in 1416
• Woman
• Cillier