Kujava Radinović
Encyclopedia
Kujava Radinović was the second wife of King Stephen Ostoja of Bosnia and as such she was Queen of Bosnia from 1399 to 1404 and again from 1409 to 1415. She was the daughter of the nobleman Radin Jablanić.
. Ostoja gained support of the noble family of Radenović by marrying Kujava, as they were closely related to the new queen consort
. Kujava is first mentioned as queen in a charter dating from 5 February 1399.
Queen Kujava resided in Bobovac
along with her husband and son. When her husband was deposed in 1404, he left Bobovac and fled to Hungary
, but the former queen and her son remained in Bosnia whose crown was given to Kujava's brother-in-law, King Stephen Tvrtko II
. Tvrtko II himself was deposed in 1409 when Kujava's husband returned from exile and resumed the throne, at which point Kujava became queen of Bosnia once again.
. Ostoja saw the opportunity and divorced Queen Kujava, thereby ending his politically unsuitable marriage. Shortly afterwards, Ostoja married Duke Hrvoje's widow, Duchess Jelena, who brought Hrvoje's lands into marriage. Their divorce caused a rift between Ostoja and his son by Kujava, the future King Stephen Ostojić of Bosnia
.
and suddenly became very influential and powerful, de facto ruling along with her son. Her son's short reign was marked by Queen Kujava's conflicts with Queen Jelena. Their conflicts stopped in the summer of 1419, when Kujava's son imprisoned the dowager queen. Jelena died under mysterious circumstances in 1422.
. She supported various pretenders to the Bosnian throne.
Marriage
Kujava married King Ostoja in 1399, shortly after he repudiated his first wife, Queen VitačaVitača
Vitača was Queen consort of Bosnia as the first wife of King Stephen Ostoja of Bosnia.Vitača married Ostoja, the illegitimate son of King Tvrtko I of Bosnia, before his accession to the throne of Bosnia. Ostoja was a member of the Bosnian Church and Vitača was most likely a member of that church as...
. Ostoja gained support of the noble family of Radenović by marrying Kujava, as they were closely related to the new queen consort
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...
. Kujava is first mentioned as queen in a charter dating from 5 February 1399.
Queen Kujava resided in Bobovac
Bobovac
Bobovac is a fortified city of medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located near today's Vareš.The city was built during the reign of Stephen II, Ban of Bosnia, and was first mentioned in a document dating from 1349...
along with her husband and son. When her husband was deposed in 1404, he left Bobovac and fled to Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, but the former queen and her son remained in Bosnia whose crown was given to Kujava's brother-in-law, King Stephen Tvrtko II
Tvrtko II of Bosnia
Stephen Tvrtko II reigned as King of Bosnia from 1404 to 1409 and again from 1421 to his death. His reigns took place during a very turbulent part of Bosnian history.-Family connections:...
. Tvrtko II himself was deposed in 1409 when Kujava's husband returned from exile and resumed the throne, at which point Kujava became queen of Bosnia once again.
Divorce
Queen Kujava's marriage started falling apart in 1415. Prince Pavle Radenović, Kujava's brother or cousin, was killed in a plot set by Kujava's husband. Duke Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić died soon after, leaving behind a wealthy widow, Jelena NelipčićJelena Nelipčić
Jelena Nelipčić was Duchess of Split by her first marriage and Queen of Bosnia by her second marriage. By birth, she was a member of the Croatian Nelipić noble family, having estates in Dalmatian Zagora....
. Ostoja saw the opportunity and divorced Queen Kujava, thereby ending his politically unsuitable marriage. Shortly afterwards, Ostoja married Duke Hrvoje's widow, Duchess Jelena, who brought Hrvoje's lands into marriage. Their divorce caused a rift between Ostoja and his son by Kujava, the future King Stephen Ostojić of Bosnia
Stephen Ostojić of Bosnia
Stephen Ostojić was King of Bosnia from 1418 until 1421.A member of the House of Kotromanić, Ostojić was the only legitimate son of King Stephen Ostoja of Bosnia, born by his second wife, Kujava Radinović...
.
Queen mother
Only three years later, in 1418, Kujava's ex-husband died and the crown of the Kingdom of Bosnia was given to Kujava's son. Kujava was now recognized as queen motherQueen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
and suddenly became very influential and powerful, de facto ruling along with her son. Her son's short reign was marked by Queen Kujava's conflicts with Queen Jelena. Their conflicts stopped in the summer of 1419, when Kujava's son imprisoned the dowager queen. Jelena died under mysterious circumstances in 1422.
Final years
However, Kujava's son himself died in 1421 and his death ended Kujava's influence. Kujava had no influence during the reign of her brother-in-law, Stephen Tvrtko IITvrtko II of Bosnia
Stephen Tvrtko II reigned as King of Bosnia from 1404 to 1409 and again from 1421 to his death. His reigns took place during a very turbulent part of Bosnian history.-Family connections:...
. She supported various pretenders to the Bosnian throne.