Krystyna | |
---|---|
Tenure | 1356–1363 |
Died | after 1365 |
Spouse | Mikuláš (Mikulasz) Rokiczan Casimir III of Poland (morganatic) |
Krystyna Rokiczana (died after 1365) was the third wife of Casimir III the Great, of Poland. Since she was the King's third wife in morganatic marriage, she was not a queen consort.
Krystyna is mentioned in several historical sources, including the Spominki o Ciołkach ("Mentions about the Ciołek noble family", 1518), she is also mentioned in documents regarding the annulment of Casimir's loveless marriage to Adelaide of Hesse. Krystyna was the widow of Mikuláš (Mikulasz) Rokiczan, a merchant from Prague. When her husband died, Krystyna inherited a large fortune. Krystyna became a lady-in-waiting at the court of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia.[ citation needed ]
In May 1356 Casimir III came to Prague, [1] where he met Krystyna and they possibly became engaged. The marriage was concluded shortly afterwards in Kraków. The marriage is believed not to have lasted long; Jan Długosz reported that Krystyna was dismissed from the king shortly after the marriage after the discovery of concealed defects, Krystyna was suffering from hair loss and scabies, it is possible, however, that the relationship lasted a bit longer, an investigation found that Krystyna was still alive in 1365 and was living in Poland. Casimir married for a fourth and final time to Hedwig of Sagan in 1365. This marriage was considered bigamous, with Adelaide still alive and Krystyna possibly still alive. Casimir and Hedwig had four daughters, they were all considered illegitimate until Casimir had them legitimised. Casimir and Krystyna had no children.
The marriage between Casimir and Krystyna was particularly beneficial for the House of Anjou; children that could have come from the marriage of Casimir and Krystyna would be considered illegitimate and even if they were legitimised, their legitimacy would still be in question due to Krystyna's low station. Without sons, Casimir had to give the throne to his sister, Elisabeth of Poland and her son, Louis I of Hungary.
It is unknown when Krystyna died.
Krystyna plays a major role in the novel King of the peasants (1884), by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski. The book is about the history of marriage. Krystyna portrayed as wealthy due to her inheritance from her first husband, well educated, her first husband was a much older man, and her appearance was characterized as the following: snow white complexion, brown hair and eyes, facial features that are strangely beautiful and dignified, she rarely smiled, and when forced to speak through her coral lips, her eyes rarely said anything about her internal emotions.
Casimir III the Great reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, and fought to retain the title in the Galicia-Volhynia Wars. He was the last Polish king from the Piast dynasty.
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Hedwig Jagiellon, baptized as "Hedwigis", was a Polish princess and member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, as well as Duchess of Bavaria by marriage.
Elizabeth of Austria was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the wife of King Casimir IV of Poland. Orphaned at an early age, she spent her childhood in the court of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III. As one of the three surviving grandchildren of Emperor Sigismund, she had a strong claim to the kingdoms of Hungary and Bohemia. That made her an attractive bride for a Polish prince. The Polish nobility, seeking to increase Polish influence in Hungary and Bohemia, pursued marriage with Elizabeth since she was born and finally succeeded in 1454. Her marriage to Casimir was one of the most successful royal marriages in Poland. She gave birth to thirteen children, eleven of whom survived to adulthood. Four of her sons were crowned as kings.
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