Cecilia Renata of Austria
Cecilia Renata of Austria | |
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Portrait by Peter Danckerts de Rij | |
Queen consort of Poland Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania | |
Tenure | 12 September 1637 – 24 March 1644 |
Coronation | 12 September 1637 |
Born | 16 July 1611 Graz, Duchy of Styria, Holy Roman Empire |
Died | 24 March 1644(1644-03-24) (aged 32) Vilnius, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth |
Spouse | Władysław IV Vasa |
Issue | Sigismund Casimir Maria Anna Isabella |
House | Habsburg |
Father | Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor |
Mother | Maria Anna of Bavaria |
Cecilia Renata of Austria (German: Cäcilia Renata, Polish: Cecylia Renata; 16 July 1611 – 24 March 1644) was Queen of Poland as the wife of King Władysław IV Vasa.
Selection and coronation
Cecilia Renata was a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II, of the House of Habsburg, and Maria Anna of Bavaria. Born in 1611 in Graz, she was chosen as a bride by the Polish nobility. She married Władysław on 9 August in Vienna by proxy, and then in Warsaw in person on 12 September 1637, and the same day was crowned at St. John's Cathedral.[1] This was the first royal coronation outside of Kraków, the historic, former capital of Poland, and this greatly angered the Polish nobility. A law was instigated to reserve coronations to Kraków in 1638.
Queenship
Young and energetic, Queen Cecilia Renata soon began organising the royal court to her liking. She was popular, especially for her politeness. One noble wrote in his memoirs that she insisted other women sit with her, even though she was queen. Cecilia Renata could not remove her husband's mistress, Hedwig Łuszkowska, by herself, so she arranged a marriage between Hedwig and Starosta Merecki, John Wypyski. In 1638, Cecilia Renata and Władysław visited Vienna.
Cecilia Renata advocated the Habsburg and pro-Catholic point of view and allied herself with the pro-Habsburg faction of Chancellor Jerzy Ossoliński and pro-Catholic Albrycht Stanisław Radziwiłł. Her political opponent at the court was the faction of Adam Kazanowski, whose influence over King Władysław, his childhood friend, diminished after her marriage. Kazanowski was allied with Chancellor Piotr Gembicki, who thus became one of her opponents. Her influence was strong for the first 2–3 years of marriage, and she had much to say about the royal nominations for important official positions. After 1638/1639 when Władysław realised that Habsburgs were prepared to give him little assistance, her power waned, and he started to disregard her advice.
Cecilia Renata kept in contact with her brothers and continued an intimate attachment with them; she also became friends with her sister-in-law Anna Catherine. She enjoyed music, concerts, and theatre performances and this may have greatly influenced her husband, who was one of the founders of Polish national theatre and brought many famous and well-known artists and performers from all around Europe to the country.
Pregnancies and death
During her marriage, she became pregnant three times:
- Sigismund Casimir (1 April 1640 – 9 August 1647)
- Maria Anna Isabella (8 January 1642 – 7 February 1642)
- Stillborn daughter (23 March 1644)
Cecilia Renata died the next day as a consequence of an infection, likely related to the childbirth. Following her sudden death, Cecilia Renata was deeply mourned by both Władysław and the Royal Polish court. She also left a good impression on the public, mostly for her piety and goodwill.
See also
References
- ^ Podhorodecki, Leszek (1985). Wazowie w Polsce. Warszawa: Ludowa Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza. pp. 264–265. ISBN 83-205-3639-1.
External links
Media related to Cecilia Renata of Austria at Wikimedia Commons
- Discussion of the portrait, in Polish It is unknown whether this picture presents Cecylia Renata or Gryzelda Konstancja z Zamoyskich Wiśniowiecka, as the historical sources are indecisive.
- The Significance of the Crown Portrait of King Sigismund II Augustus by Peter Danckerts de Rij
Cecilia Renata of Austria Born: 16 July 1611 Died: 24 March 1644 | ||
Royal titles | ||
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Preceded by | Queen consort of Poland Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania 1637–1644 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
- Eleanor, Queen of Portugal and France*
- Isabella, Queen of Denmark and Norway*
- Maria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia*
- Catherine, Queen of Portugal*
- Isabella Clara Eugenia, Co-sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands**
- Catalina Micaela, Duchess of Savoy**
- Anna, Queen of Spain
- Elisabeth, Queen of France
- Margaret (1567–1633)
- Maria (1584–1649)
- Anna, Holy Roman Empress
- Anna, Queen of Poland
- Maria Christina, Princess of Transylvania
- Catherine Renata
- Gregoria Maximiliana
- Eleanor (1582–1620)
- Margaret, Queen of Spain
- Constance, Queen of Poland
- Maria Maddalena, Grand Duchess of Tuscany
- Anna, Queen of France**
- María**
- Maria Anna, Holy Roman Empress**
- Margarita**
- Maria Anna, Electress of Bavaria
- Cecilia Renata, Queen of Poland
- Isabella Clara, Duchess of Mantua
- Maria Leopoldine, Holy Roman Empress
- Maria Antonia, Electress of Bavaria
- Maria Elisabeth
- Maria Anna, Queen of Portugal
- Maria Theresa
- Maria Josepha
- Maria Magdalena
- Maria Josepha, Queen of Poland
- Maria Amalia, Holy Roman Empress
- Maria Theresa
- Princess Maria Anna of Lorraine
- Maria Elisabeth^
- Maria Anna^
- Maria Carolina^
- Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen^
- Maria Elisabeth^
- Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma^
- Johanna^
- Maria Josepha^
- Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples^
- Maria Antonia, Queen of France^
- Maria Theresa
- Maria Theresia, Queen of Saxony^
- Maria Anna^
- Maria Clementina, Duchess of Calabria^
- Maria Amalia^
- Maria Theresa, Queen of Sardinia#
- Maria Leopoldine, Electress of Bavaria#
- Maria Ludovika, Empress of Austria#
- Marie Louise, Empress of the French
- Maria Leopoldina, Empress of Brazil
- Clementina, Princess of Salerno
- Marie Caroline, Crown Princess of Saxony
- Maria Anna
- Maria Luisa^
- Maria Theresa, Queen of Sardinia^
- Maria Theresa, Queen of the Two Sicilies
- Maria Caroline
- Hermine
- Elisabeth Franziska
- Marie Henriette, Queen of the Belgians
- Adelaide, Queen of Sardinia
- Maria Theresa, Countess of Chambord#
- Maria Beatrix, Countess of Montizón#
- Sophie
- Princess Gisela of Bavaria
- Marie Valerie
- Margarete Sophie, Duchess of Württemberg
- Maria Annunciata
- Princess Elisabeth of Liechtenstein
- Maria Antonietta^
- Luise, Crown Princess of Saxony^
- Maria Theresa^
- Princess Karoline Marie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha^
- Princess Maria Christina of Salm-Salm
- Princess Maria Anna of Bourbon Parma
- Maria Henrietta, Princess of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst
- Princess Isabella of Bavaria
- Eleonora
- Renata, Princess Radziwill
- Mechthildis, Princess Czartoryski
- Elisabeth Marie, Princess of Windisch-Graetz
- Helena, Duchess of Württemberg^
- Rosa, Duchess of Württemberg^
- Dolores^
- Maria Inmaculata^
- Margarita, Marchioness Taliani di Marchio^
- Princess Maria Antonia^
- Assunta^
- Elisabeth, Countess of Waldburg-Zeil^
- Hedwig, Countess of Stolberg-Stolberg^
- Margaret, Princess of Monteleone
- Ilona, Duchess of Mecklenburg
- Adelheid
- Charlotte, Duchess of Mecklenburg
- Princess Elisabeth of Liechtenstein
- * also an infanta of Spain
- ** also an infanta of Spain and Portugal
- ^ also a princess of Tuscany
- # also a princess of Modena