Anna of Habsburg
Encyclopedia
Anne of Austria was queen consort
of Poland
and Sweden
by marriage to Sigismund III Vasa
, king of Poland and Sweden.
. Her paternal grandparents were Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
and Anne of Bohemia (1503–1547), daughter of King Ladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary and his wife Anne of Foix-Candale.
Anne became the first wife of Sigismund of Poland and Sweden
on 31 May 1592. This marriage was opposed by many nobles (szlachta
) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
, who were opposed to the alliance with the Habsburgs that Sigismund pursued.
When Sigismund sent a diplomatic mission
, led by Cardinal
Radziwill
, to Prague
for his bride, the anti-Habsburg party with chancellor
Jan Zamoyski
guarded the borders to prevent the Archduchess from entering the country. Anne evaded the guards, arrived in Kraków
and was crowned
in May 1592 by Primas Karnkowski
as the Queen of Poland. (Later during her lifetime the capital of the Commonwealth was moved from Kraków to Warsaw
.)
In 1594, she followed her spouse to Sweden, where she was crowned as the Queen of Sweden in Uppsala
the 19 February. The Poles demanded that she leave her daughter behind her as security in Poland during their stay in Sweden, and she was afraid that the Swedes would demand the same when she returned to Poland, if she gave birth during her stay in Sweden. 19 April 1594, she gave birth to a daughter, whose baptism was elaborately celebrated at the Swedish court, but the child died soon after. During her stay in Sweden, she became involved in a conflict with Dowager Queen Gunilla Bielke
. She was regarded as quite polite but distant and depressive during her stay. She did not speak Swedish, and she regarded the Swedish people as heretic
s and rebels and only showed herself in public when she was forced to. At her departure from Sweden in July 1594, she was granted Linköping
, Söderköping
and Stegeborg on the condition that she respect the Protestant belief within in these feifs.
Anne and Sigismund fell in love and Anne gained the friendship and respect of many of her former enemies with her politeness and culture.
Anne died on 10 February 1598 and Sigismund III then married her sister Constance Renate of Habsburg
.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
by marriage to Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
, king of Poland and Sweden.
Biography
Anne was a daughter of Charles II of Austria and Maria Anna of BavariaMaria Anna of Bavaria (Archduchess of Austria)
Maria Anna of Bavaria was the daughter of Albert V, Duke of Bavaria and Anna of Austria , and the wife of Archduke Charles II of Austria.-Family:...
. Her paternal grandparents were Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
and Anne of Bohemia (1503–1547), daughter of King Ladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary and his wife Anne of Foix-Candale.
Anne became the first wife of Sigismund of Poland and Sweden
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
on 31 May 1592. This marriage was opposed by many nobles (szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
, who were opposed to the alliance with the Habsburgs that Sigismund pursued.
When Sigismund sent a diplomatic mission
Diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
, led by Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Radziwill
Radziwill
The Radziwiłł family is an noble family of Lithuanian origin. The descendants of Kristinas Astikas, a close associate of the 14th century Lithuanian ruler Vytautas, were highly prominent for centuries, first in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, later in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the...
, to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
for his bride, the anti-Habsburg party with chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
Jan Zamoyski
Jan Zamoyski
Jan Zamoyski , was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman, magnate, 1st duke/ordynat of Zamość. Royal Secretary since 1566, Lesser Kanclerz ) of the Crown since 1576, Lord Grand-Chancellor of the Crown since 1578, and Grand Hetman of the Crown since 1581...
guarded the borders to prevent the Archduchess from entering the country. Anne evaded the guards, arrived in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
and was crowned
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
in May 1592 by Primas Karnkowski
Stanislaw Karnkowski
Stanisław Karnkowski , from Junosza, was the Great Referendary of the Crown , the Great Secretary of the Crown , bishop of Włocławek , archbishop of Gniezno - Primate of Poland...
as the Queen of Poland. (Later during her lifetime the capital of the Commonwealth was moved from Kraków to Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.)
In 1594, she followed her spouse to Sweden, where she was crowned as the Queen of Sweden in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
the 19 February. The Poles demanded that she leave her daughter behind her as security in Poland during their stay in Sweden, and she was afraid that the Swedes would demand the same when she returned to Poland, if she gave birth during her stay in Sweden. 19 April 1594, she gave birth to a daughter, whose baptism was elaborately celebrated at the Swedish court, but the child died soon after. During her stay in Sweden, she became involved in a conflict with Dowager Queen Gunilla Bielke
Gunilla Bielke
Gunilla Bielke; full name: Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke , was Queen of Sweden, the second spouse and queen consort of king John III of Sweden...
. She was regarded as quite polite but distant and depressive during her stay. She did not speak Swedish, and she regarded the Swedish people as heretic
Heretic
A heretic is a person who commits heresy.In literature:* Heretic, an autobiography of Peter Cameron* Heretic , the third volume in The Grail Quest series by Bernard CornwellIn music:...
s and rebels and only showed herself in public when she was forced to. At her departure from Sweden in July 1594, she was granted Linköping
Linköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
, Söderköping
Söderköping
Söderköping is a locality and the seat of Söderköping Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 6,951 inhabitants in 2005. Söderköping is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city...
and Stegeborg on the condition that she respect the Protestant belief within in these feifs.
Anne and Sigismund fell in love and Anne gained the friendship and respect of many of her former enemies with her politeness and culture.
Issue
They had five children, but only Vladislaus lived to become an adult:- Anna Maria (23 May 1593 – 9 February 1600)
- Catherine (19 April 1594 – 16 May 1594)
- Vladislaus (9 June 1595 – 20 May 1648), (reigned 1632-1648 as Władysław IV Waza of Poland)
- Catherine (27 September 1596 – 2 June 1597)
- Christopher (10 February 1598 – 10 February 1598)
Anne died on 10 February 1598 and Sigismund III then married her sister Constance Renate of Habsburg
Constance of Austria
Archduchess Constance of Austria was a Queen consort of Poland.-Biography:...
.
Ancestors
Further reading
- Europe in the sixteenth-century, Andrew PettegreeAndrew PettegreeAndrew Pettegree is a British historian and one of the leading experts on Europe during the Reformation. He currently holds a professorship at St Andrews University where he is the director of the...
, 2002, ISBN 063120704X Den svenska historien. 4. Gustav Vasa. Riket formas (The History of Sweden. 4. Gustav Vasa. The empire is formed), Gunvor Grenholm, Jan Cornell, Jerker Rosén, Sten Carlsson and Svenolov Ehrén, 1978, ISBN 9100426679