Jelena Nelipčić was Duchess of Split

Split (city)

Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

 by her first marriage and Queen of Bosnia by her second marriage. By birth, she was a member of the Croatian

Croats

Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...

 Nelipić

House of Nelipić

The House of Nelipić, also called Nelipac or Nelipčić were a medieval Croatian noble family from Dalmatian Zagora in Croatia. They were greatly involved in political situations in Dalmatia, and in Bosnia...

 noble family, having estates in Dalmatian Zagora

Zagora (Croatia)

Zagora , sometimes also called Dalmatian Zagora , is the southern inland region of Croatia. The name Zagora means "behind hills", which is a reference to the fact that it is the part of Dalmatia that is not coastal....

.

Jelena was the daughter of Prince Ivan II Nelipić and his wife Margareta. Her father was son of Ivan I Nelipac

Ivan I Nelipac (Prince Nelipić)

Ivan I Nelipac or Prince Nelipić , a Croatian prince and member of the Nelipić noble family, was a ruler of Knin and Drniš and region around rivers Cetina, Čikola, Krka and Zrmanja. He ruled from his seat in fortified town Knin....

, and her mother Margareta was descended from the noble family Merini of Split. Her brother Ivan III Nelipac

Ivan III Nelipac (Ivaniš Nelipić)

Ivaniš Nelipić was Ban of Croatia and a member of one of the most powerful Croatian noble families at the time. At his greatest power he ruled areas in inner Croatia from the mountain of Velebit to the Cetina river. From 1401 to 1434, he ruled over Klis Fortress, although his main seat was at Knin...

 was Ban of Croatia

Ban of Croatia

Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...

 who ruled from mountain Velebit

Velebit

Velebit is the largest though not the highest mountain range in Croatia. Its highest peak is the Vaganski vrh at 1757 m.The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior...

 to Cetina

Cetina

Cetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....

 river.

First marriage and widowhood

In 1401, Jelena married Prince Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić, a most prominent member of the Croatian noble House of Hrvatinić

House of Hrvatinic

Hrvatinić dynasty was a medieval Bosnian/Croatian noble house which ruled over various parts of Bosnia, Croatia and Dalmatia between the 13th century and the 15th century....

, and the strongest of the three main large feudalists of medieval Bosnia, bringing with her a significant dowry

Dowry

A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...

. Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić was Ban

Ban (title)

Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...

 of Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

, Grand Duke of Bosnia

Bosnia (region)

Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...

 and Duke of Split. Two years later, she became Duchess of Split when her husband was created Duke of Split. Jelena was Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

, but her husband was a member of the 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...

.

In 1416, Jelena's husband died. Being a wealthy widow left in charge with her late husband's territories, Jelena immediately became subject of marriage proposals.

Second marriage

Duchess Jelena married King Stephen Ostoja of Bosnia, thus becoming Queen of Bosnia. Her dowry included her first husband's possessions, such as the royal town of 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 this dowry is the reason why Stephen Ostoja, who had divorced his second wife Kujava in 1415, married her. Her second husband was also a member of the 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...

.

Second widowhood

Jelena's second marriage lasted much shorter than her first one. She became a widow again in 1418, after only two years of marriage. Her husband's successor was Stephen Ostojić, his son by his second wife Kujava. As dowager queen, Jelena had neither influence nor power. Kujava, the new king's mother and the second wife of Jelena's second husband, became powerful once again. Jelena's second widowhood was marked by conflicts with Kujava. The conflicts were ended in the summer of 1419, when Queen Jelena was imprisoned by her stepson. Three years later, Queen Jelena died in prison under mysterious circumstances.

Issue

It's possible that Balša Hercegović was Jelena's son from her first marriage, but it's not clear yet. Other than him, who could have been her child, Jelena had no other known children by either of her husbands.