Anne of Bohemia and Hungary

For other Annas of Bohemia, see Anne of Bohemia (disambiguation). For other Annas of Hungary, see Anna of Hungary (disambiguation). For other Annas of Jagello, see Anna Jagello (disambiguation).

Anne of Bohemia and Hungary
Queen consort of the Romans, Bohemia and Hungary
Tenure	1531–1547
Spouse	Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Issue
Elisabeth, Queen of Poland Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor Anna, Duchess of Bavaria Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria Maria, Duchess of Jülich-Cleves-Berg Catherine, Queen of Poland Eleonora, Duchess of Mantua Barbara, Duchess of Ferrara Charles II, Archduke of Austria Joanna, Grand Duchess of Tuscany
House	Jagiellon dynasty
Father	Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary
Mother	Anne de Foix
Born	23 July 1503 Buda, Hungary
Died	January 27, 1547(1547-01-27) (aged 43) Prague, Bohemia

Anna of Bohemia and Hungary, also sometimes known as Anna Jagellonica (Buda (now Budapest), Hungary, 23 July 1503 – Prague, Bohemia, 27 January 1547) was, by marriage to Ferdinand I, King of the Romans and later Holy Roman Emperor, Queen of the Romans.

Family

She was the elder child and only daughter of king Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary (1456–1516) and his third wife Anne of Foix-Candale. She was an older sister of Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia, and his eventual heiress.

Her paternal grandparents were King Casimir IV of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, of the Jagiellon dynasty, and Elisabeth of Austria, one of the heiresses of Bohemia, duchy of Luxembourg and duchy of Kujavia. Her maternal grandparents were Gaston de Foix, Count of Candale and Catherine de Foix, Infanta of the Kingdom of Navarre.

Life

She was born in Buda (now Budapest).

The death of Vladislaus II on 13 March 1516 left both siblings in the care of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. It was arranged that Anna marry his grandson, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, second son of Queen regnant Joanna of Castile and her late husband and co-ruler, Philip I of Castile.

Anna married Ferdinand on 25 May 1521 in Linz, Austria. At the time Ferdinand was governing the Habsburg hereditary lands on behalf of his older brother Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. It was stipulated that Ferdinand should succeed Anne's brother in case he died without male heirs.

Her brother Louis was killed in the Battle of Mohács against Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire on 29 August 1526. This left the thrones of both Bohemia and Hungary vacant. Ferdinand claimed both kingdoms and was elected King of Bohemia on 24 October of the same year, making Anna Queen of Bohemia.

Hungary was a more difficult case. Suleiman had annexed much of its lands. Ferdinand was proclaimed King of Hungary by a group of nobles, but another faction of Hungarian nobles refused to allow a foreign ruler to hold that title and elected John Zápolya as an alternative king. The resulting conflict between the two rivals and their successors lasted until 1571.

In 1531, Ferdinand's older brother Charles V recognised Ferdinand as his successor as Holy Roman Emperor, and Ferdinand was elevated to the title King of the Romans.

Anna and Ferdinand had fifteen children, all of whom were born in Bohemia or Hungary. Both of these kingdoms had suffered for centuries from premature deaths among heirs and a shortage of succession prospects.

Meanwhile Anna served as queen consort of Bohemia and as one of three living queens of Hungary until her death. She died in Prague.

In 1556, Charles V abdicated and Ferdinand succeeded as emperor, nine years after Anna's death.

Children

Name	Pictures	Birth	Death	Notes
Elisabeth of Austria		9 July 1526	15 June 1545	In 1543 she was married to future King Sigismund II Augustus of Poland and Lithuania.
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor		31 July 1527	12 October 1576	Married to his first cousin Maria of Spain and had issue.
Archduchess Anna of Austria		7 July 1528	16 October/17 October 1590	Married Albert V, Duke of Bavaria.
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria		14 June 1529	24 January 1595	Married to Philippine Welser and then married his niece Anne Juliana Gonzaga.
Maria of Austria		15 May 1531	11 December 1581	Consort of Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg.
Magdalena of Austria		14 August 1532	10 September 1590	A nun.
Catharine of Austria		15 September 1533	28 February 1572	In 1553 she was married to king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.
Eleonora of Austria		2 November 1534	5 August 1594	Married William I, Duke of Mantua.
Margaret of Austria		16 February 1536	12 March 1567	A nun.
Johann of Austria		10 April 1538	20 March 1539	Died in childhood.
Barbara of Austria		30 April 1539	19 September 1572	Married Alfonso II d'Este.
Charles II, Archduke of Austria		3 June 1540	10 July 1590	father of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor.
Ursula of Austria		24 July 1541	30 April 1543	Died in childhood.
Helen of Austria		7 January 1543	5 March 1574	A nun.
Johanna of Austria		24 January 1547	10 April 1578	Married Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Ancestors of Charles II of England and Louis XIII of France.

External links

Media related to Anna of Bohemia and Hungary at Wikimedia Commons

References

Anne of Bohemia and Hungary House of Jagellion Born: 23 July 1503 Died: 27 January 1547
Royal titles
Preceded by Isabella of Portugal	Queen consort of the Romans 1531–1547	Succeeded by Maria of Spain
Preceded by Mary of Habsburg	Queen consort of Bohemia and Hungary 1526–1547 As Queen of Hungary in dispute with:Isabella Jagiellon