Barbara Radziwiłł

Common card · No. 314121

Barbara Radziwiłł (Polish: Barbara Radziwiłłówna, Lithuanian: Barbora Radvilaitė; 6 December 1520/1523 – 8 May 1551) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the second wife of Sigismund II Augustus, the last male monarch of the Jagiellon dynasty. Barbara, already widowed and considered a great beauty, became a royal mistress most likely in 1543 and married Sigismund in secret in July or August 1547. The marriage caused a scandal and was vehemently opposed by Polish nobles, including the queen mother, Bona Sforza. Sigismund Augustus, with the support of Barbara's cousin Mikołaj Radziwiłł the Black and her brother Mikołaj Radziwiłł the Red, worked tirelessly to gain recognition for their marriage and to crown Barbara as Queen of Poland. Their efforts succeeded, and her coronation was held on 7 December 1550 at Wawel Cathedral. However, her health was already deteriorating, and she died just five months later. Despite the brevity of her reign, Barbara's marriage propelled the...

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