Mary of Serbia, Queen of Bosnia
Encyclopedia
Helena of Serbia, later known as Maria (Bosnian
and Serbian
: Marija Branković-Kotromanić/Марија Бранковић-Котроманић) (1447–1498) was the last Queen of Bosnia and Despoina of Serbia.
, daughter of Thomas Palaiologos
and granddaughter of Byzantine Emperor John VIII Palaiologos
. She was baptised as Helena.
to the Bosnian royal crown. The marriage negotiations were led by King Stephen Thomas and the Dowager Despoina Helena. 12-year-old Maria married Stephen Tomašević on 1 April 1459. Immediately upon marriage, Stephen Tomašević succeeded his father-in-law as Despot of Serbia. After marriage, Jelena was referred to as Maria, a name more acceptable to Roman Catholicism, religion formally adopted by her father-in-law in order to reduce the growing pressure made by both Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church when most Bosnians belonged to a separate church called Bosnian Church
.
Her husband's reign in Serbia was short-lived. On 20 June 1459, forces under Sultan Mehmed II
managed to capture Smederevo
and proceeded to annex the remnants of the Serbian state to their realm. Tomašević and Mary fled to Bosnia, seeking refuge at the court of his father.
.
Maria's husband asked the Pope and the Venetians
to help him defend his kingdom against the Ottoman invasion. However, none ever reached Bosnia. In 1463, Sultan Mehmed II
led an army into the country. The royal city of Bobovac
soon fell, leaving Tomašević to retreat to Jajce
and later to Ključ
. The Bosnian Kingdom was soon conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The King was captured in Ključ, and despite promises to the contrary, brought back to Jajce and beheaded on the nearby field known as Carevo Polje (Tsar's Fields).
. According to "The Fall of Constantinople 1453" (1965) by Steven Runciman
, Mary later joined the harem
of an unnamed Turkish general. The "Massarelli manuscript" of the 16th reports that Tomašević and Mary had children. However, none are mentioned by name. Their eventual fates are unknown.
Queen Maria died on an unknown date; some sources claim that she died in 1474, while others assert that she died after 1495. She remains unknown to most people, still being in shadow of her stepmother-in-law, Catherine of St Sava, who is often incorrectly referred to as "the last Queen of Bosnia".
Bosnian language
Bosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
and Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
: Marija Branković-Kotromanić/Марија Бранковић-Котроманић) (1447–1498) was the last Queen of Bosnia and Despoina of Serbia.
Background
She was born as the eldest of three daughters of Lazar Branković, Despot of Serbia, and Helena PalaiologinaHelena Palaiologina of Morea
Helena Palaiologina was a Byzantine despotess of Serbia as the wife of Despot Lazar Branković, who ruled from 1456 until his death in 1458. Together they had three daughters....
, daughter of Thomas Palaiologos
Thomas Palaiologos
Thomas Palaiologos was Despot in Morea from 1428 until the Ottoman conquest in 1460. After the desertion of his older brother to the Turks in 1460, Thomas Palaiologos became the legitimate claimant to the Byzantine throne...
and granddaughter of Byzantine Emperor John VIII Palaiologos
John VIII Palaiologos
John VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus , was the penultimate reigning Byzantine Emperor, ruling from 1425 to 1448.-Life:John VIII Palaiologos was the eldest son of Manuel II Palaiologos and Helena Dragaš, the daughter of the Serbian prince Constantine Dragaš...
. She was baptised as Helena.
Marriage
As she had no brothers, her father arranged her to marry Stephen Tomašević, the heir apparentHeir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the Bosnian royal crown. The marriage negotiations were led by King Stephen Thomas and the Dowager Despoina Helena. 12-year-old Maria married Stephen Tomašević on 1 April 1459. Immediately upon marriage, Stephen Tomašević succeeded his father-in-law as Despot of Serbia. After marriage, Jelena was referred to as Maria, a name more acceptable to Roman Catholicism, religion formally adopted by her father-in-law in order to reduce the growing pressure made by both Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church when most Bosnians belonged to a separate church called Bosnian Church
Bosnian Church
The Bosnian Church is historically thought to be an indigenous branch of the Bogomils that existed in Bosnia during the Middle Ages. Adherents of the church called themselves simply Krstjani...
.
Her husband's reign in Serbia was short-lived. On 20 June 1459, forces under Sultan Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
managed to capture Smederevo
Smederevo
Smederevo is a city and municipality in Serbia, on the right bank of the Danube, about 40 km downstream of the capital Belgrade. According to official results of the 2011 census, the city has a population of 107,528...
and proceeded to annex the remnants of the Serbian state to their realm. Tomašević and Mary fled to Bosnia, seeking refuge at the court of his father.
Queen of Bosnia
On 10 July 1461, Maria's father-in-law died. Tomašević succeeded him as King of Bosnia and Mary became the new Queen, replacing her stepmother-in-law KatherineKatarina Kosaca-Kotromanic
Blessed Catherine of Bosnia was the Queen consort of Bosnia as the wife of King Stephen Thomas. She was a daughter of Stjepan Vukčić Kosača, Duke of Saint Sava...
.
Maria's husband asked the Pope and the Venetians
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
to help him defend his kingdom against the Ottoman invasion. However, none ever reached Bosnia. In 1463, Sultan Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
led an army into the country. The royal city of 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...
soon fell, leaving Tomašević to retreat to Jajce
Jajce
Jajce is a city and municipality located in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
and later to Ključ
Kljuc
Ključ is a town and municipality by the same name in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically the Una-Sana Canton. The name of the town and the municipality translates to "Key" in Bosnian....
. The Bosnian Kingdom was soon conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The King was captured in Ključ, and despite promises to the contrary, brought back to Jajce and beheaded on the nearby field known as Carevo Polje (Tsar's Fields).
Widowhood
According to Fine, Queen Maria, a sixteen-year-old widow, survived by fleeing to the coast of the Adriatic SeaAdriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. According to "The Fall of Constantinople 1453" (1965) by Steven Runciman
Steven Runciman
The Hon. Sir James Cochran Stevenson Runciman CH — known as Steven Runciman — was a British historian known for his work on the Middle Ages...
, Mary later joined the harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
of an unnamed Turkish general. The "Massarelli manuscript" of the 16th reports that Tomašević and Mary had children. However, none are mentioned by name. Their eventual fates are unknown.
Queen Maria died on an unknown date; some sources claim that she died in 1474, while others assert that she died after 1495. She remains unknown to most people, still being in shadow of her stepmother-in-law, Catherine of St Sava, who is often incorrectly referred to as "the last Queen of Bosnia".