Sophia of Halshany

Sophia of Halshany
Queen consort of Poland
Reign	24 February 1422 - 1 June 1434
Coronation	12 February 1424
Spouse	Jogaila
Issue
Wladislaus III of Poland Casimir IV of Poland
House	Jagiellon dynasty
Father	Andrew of Halshany
Mother	Alexandra Drucka
Born	c. 1405
Died	21 September 1461 Kraków, Poland
Burial	Wawel Cathedral

Sophia of Halshany (Belarusian: Соф'я Гальшанская, Sofja Halšanskaja; Lithuanian: Sofija Alšėniškė; Polish: Zofia Holszańska) (c. 1405-1434), was a Lithuanian princess of Halshany, Queen of Poland from (1422-1461), and the last wife of Jogaila.

Biography

Sophia was a daughter of Andrew of Halshany and Alexandra Drucka. Her uncle, Vytautas the Great, helped arrange the marriage between her and Jogaila, the King of Poland. Jogaila was already at the advanced age of 71 when, on February 24 (or 7), 1422, he married Sophia, his fourth wife, who was then at the approximate age of 17. The marriage took place in the city of Navahrudak and was carried out by Matthias of Trakai, Bishop of Samogitia. Finally, she bore him the male heirs he desired. From previous marriages he had two daughters, one who died as a baby, the other, Hedwig, the last of his children with Piast blood, died in 1431 at 23, amidst rumors of poisoning.

Sophia was crowned Queen of Poland on 12 February 1424 in Krakow Cathedral. She was the mother of:

• Wladislaus III of Poland (1424-1444), King of Poland 1434-1444 and Hungary 1440-1444
• Casimir IV of Poland (1427-1492), Grand Duke of Lithuania 1440-1492, King of Poland 1447-1492

Another son, also named Casimir, died at the age of one. Initially there was resistance from the Polish nobility to recognise Jogaila's and Sophia's sons as the heirs to the Polish throne. Jogaila had to make concessions and grant them new privileges in exchange for this recognition.

Sophia sponsored the translation of the Bible into the Polish language (1453–1461). She was the grandmother of Saint Casimir.

Ancestors

Patronage

Queen Sophia's Chapel (1431-1432) of the Wawel Cathedral, left

Bible of Queen Sophia in Polish (1453-1455) by Andrzej Jaszowic

References

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See also

• Media related to Sophia of Halshany at Wikimedia Commons

• Media related to Queen Sophia's Chapel at Wikimedia Commons
• Wawel Cathedral
• Olshanski