Cecilia Renata of Austria
Cecilia Renata of Austria (* July 16, 1611 in Graz, † March 24, 1644 in Vilnius ) was an Archduchess of Austria and by marriage Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania.
Life
Cecilia Renata was the youngest daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II (1578-1637) from his marriage to Maria Anna (1574-1616), daughter of Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria. The princess was a strict Catholic upbringing in Graz by the Jesuits and was a fun-loving and intelligent.
They married on September 13, 1637 in Krakow the Polish king Władysław IV Vasa ( 1595-1648 ), through his mother, Anne of Austria her first cousin. The marriage contract was negotiated by the emperor and the Polish Grand Chancellor Jerzy Ossoliński on the Regensburger Princes. For the successful mediation of the marriage agreement, Ossoliński was charged by Ferdinand II to the imperial princes, but not confirmed the Polish estates.
As dowry Cecilia Renata should get the duchies Opole and Ratibor and the outstanding receivables from the dowry of the two wives of Władysław father will be settled. Because of the lack of popularity of Austria in Poland the marriage contract was kept secret until 1637 Władysław let guarantee the Reichstag the free choice of his wife. The now followed his father Ferdinand III. , The brother of Cecilia Renata, however, was not inclined to the dowry issue as agreed. As dowry Cecilia Renata was only the rule Wittingau. The marriage by proxy had already taken place on August 9, 1637 in Vienna, the place of the groom took the Polish Prince John Casimir. The marital union with Poland had considerable significance for Austria, Poland offered significant protection against Hungary with the rebellious prince Rákóczi and Władysław operation in connection proösterreichische policy.
By the king Cecilia Renata received a car as a gift, which was richly studded with gold and silver .. Otherwise, the king did not show much sympathy for his wife and made her not an easy life at the Cracow court.
Cecilia Renata died 32 years old in child bed in the stillbirth of their third child, in the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in Vilnius and was buried in the crypt of Wawel Cathedral in Krakow. During his visit to Krakow donated Emperor Franz Joseph I. of money for the renovation of her coffin.
Progeny
From their marriage two children were born, but not both reached adulthood:
- Sigmund Kasimir (1640-1647)
- Maria Anna Isabella ( * / † 1642)