Catherine of Hungary (1370-1378)
Encyclopedia
Catherine of Hungary was the eldest child of King Louis I of Hungary and his second queen, Elizabeth of Bosnia.
Being the eldest daughter of the King of Hungary
and Poland who had no sons, Catherine was a much wanted bride. When she was only four years old, she was betrothed to Louis, a younger son of King Charles V of France
and future Duke of Orléans. Their marriage was supposed to establish a connection between the two branches of the French royal house. Her father made a set of concessions to the Polish noblemen in exchange for recognizing Catherine (or one of her sisters) as sovereign of Poland after his death. This agreement is known as the Privilege of Koszyce
.
Thus, Catherine was expected to reign either over Hungary or over Poland. Her father also planned to leave her his claim to the Crown of Naples and the County of Provence, which were then held by his ailing and childless cousin Joanna I
.
, who was betrothed to her fiancé, became heiress presumptive and eventually monarch of Hungary.
Heiress presumptive
Catherine's birth was long expected, as her parents' marriage was childless for the first seventeen years. Her birth also secured the succession to the Holy Crown of Hungary, to which Catherine was heiress presumptive all her life.Being the eldest daughter of the King of Hungary
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
and Poland who had no sons, Catherine was a much wanted bride. When she was only four years old, she was betrothed to Louis, a younger son of King Charles V of France
Charles V of France
Charles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois...
and future Duke of Orléans. Their marriage was supposed to establish a connection between the two branches of the French royal house. Her father made a set of concessions to the Polish noblemen in exchange for recognizing Catherine (or one of her sisters) as sovereign of Poland after his death. This agreement is known as the Privilege of Koszyce
Privilege of Koszyce
The Privilege of Koszyce was a set of concessions made by Louis I of Hungary to the Polish szlachta in 1374. The privileges were granted in Košice...
.
Thus, Catherine was expected to reign either over Hungary or over Poland. Her father also planned to leave her his claim to the Crown of Naples and the County of Provence, which were then held by his ailing and childless cousin Joanna I
Joan I of Naples
Joan I , born Joanna of Anjou, was Queen of Naples from 1343 until her death. She was also Countess of Provence and Forcalquier, Queen consort of Majorca and titular Queen of Jerusalem and Sicily 1343–82, and Princess of Achaea 1373/5–81....
.
Death and aftermath
However, Catherine died aged eight, predeceasing both her father and her cousin Joanna. The agreement between her father and the noblemen became null and void. Catherine's youngest sister Hedwig eventually became monarch of Poland. Her other sister MaryMary of Hungary
Mary of Anjou was queen regnant of Hungary from 1382 until her death in 1395.-Childhood:...
, who was betrothed to her fiancé, became heiress presumptive and eventually monarch of Hungary.
See also
- Elizabeth of Slavonia (Catherine's cousin and predecessor as heiress of Hungary)
- Chest of Saint SimeonChest of Saint SimeonThe Chest of Saint Simeon or Saint Simeon's Casket is a rectangular silvery wooden sarcophagus located over the main altar in the Church of Saint Simeon in Zadar, Croatia...