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Sophia of Halshany
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sophia of Halshany (Belarusian: Соф'я Гальшанская, Sofja Halšanskaja; Lithuanian: Zofija Alšėniškė; Polish: Zofia Holszańska) (c. 1405-1461), was a Lithuanian princess of Halshany, Queen of Poland from (1422-1461), and the last wife of Wladyslaw II Jagiello.
Vytautas the Great helped arrange the marriage between Sophia and Jagiello. Sophia was a daughter of Vytautas's brother-in-law, Andrew of Halshany. Jagiello was already at the advanced age of 71 when, on February 24 (or 7), 1422, he married Sophia, his fourth wife. The marriage took place in the city of Navahrudak. Finally, she bore him the male heirs he desired. From previous marriages he had two daughters, one who died as a baby, the other, Jadwiga of Lithuania, the last of his children with Piast blood, died in 1431 at 23, amidst rumors of poisoning. Sophia 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, Polish: szlachta, to recognise Jagiello's and Sophia's sons as the heirs to the Polish throne. Jagiello 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.