Accession negotiations (1382–84) Jadwiga of Poland

lands ruled or claimed around 1370 jadwiga s father, louis great (or hungarian): hungary , poland colored red, vassal states , kingdom of naples coloured light red

jadwiga s sister, mary, crowned king of hungary 5 days after father s death. ceremony, ambitious mother secured right govern hungary on twelve-year-old daughter s behalf instead of mary s fiancé, sigismund. sigismund not present @ mary s coronation, because louis had sent him poland crush rebellion. after learnt of louis s death, adopted title lord of kingdom of poland , demanding oaths of loyalty towns in lesser poland. on 25 november, nobles of greater poland assembled @ radomsko , decided obey nobody daughter of late king settle in poland. on initiative, noblemen of lesser poland passed similar agreement in wiślica on 12 december. queen elizabeth sent envoys assembled lords , forbade them swear oath of loyalty other 1 of daughters, invalidating oath of loyalty polish noblemen had sworn sigismund on late king louis s demand.

both elizabeth s daughters had been engaged foreign princes (sigismund , william, respectively) unpopular in poland. polish lords opposed foreign monarch regarded members of piast dynasty possible candidates polish throne. queen elizabeth s uncle władysław white had attempted seize poland during louis s reign. however, had taken monastic vows , settled in benedictine abbey in dijon in burgundy. antipope clement vii, whom king louis had refused recognize against pope urban vi, released władysław vows, did not leave monastery. meanwhile, siemowit iv, duke of masovia, appeared more ambitious candidate. popular among nobility , townspeople of greater poland.

queen elizabeth s representatives released poles oath of fidelity representatives had sworn mary @ assembly in sieradz in february 1383. envoys announced willing send jadwiga crowned instead, on condition return buda after coronation live there until twelfth birthday. polish lords accepted proposal, realized thereby interregnum extended further 3 years. @ new meeting in sieradz, noblemen ready elect siemowit of masovia king on 28 march. proposed siemowit should marry jadwiga. member of influential tęczyński family, jan, convinced them postpone siemowit s election. noblemen agreed wait jadwiga until 10 may, stipulating live in poland after coronation. demanded dobrzyń , gniewków (two fiefdoms father had granted vladislaus ii of opole), , ruthenia (that had passed hungary in accordance previous treaty) restored polish crown.

władysław white in dijon, jan matejko: władysław white candidate polish throne after death of jadwiga s father

meanwhile, jan tęczyński , allies, including sędziwój pałuka, seem have started negotiations jogaila, grand duke of lithuania. siemowit s supporters however, tried enter kraków in retinue of bodzanta, archbishop of gniezno, in may, townspeople closed gates of city before arrival. jadwiga had not arrived in poland stipulated date (10 may). mother s envoys stated spring floods had hindered jadwiga s progress on carpathian mountains.

siemowit of mazovia took arms , advanced far kalisz. supporters assembled in sieradz in august in order elect him king, archbishop bodzanta refused perform coronation. in meeting in kassa, queen elizabeth promised delegates of polish provinces send jadwiga poland before november. queen mother , poles agreed if either jadwiga or mary died childless, kingdom pass surviving sister. siemowit having laid siege kalisz, queen elizabeth sent sigismund of luxemburg @ head of improvised army lesser poland. siemowit failed take kalisz, news appalling behaviour of sigismund s soldiers increased sigismund s unpopularity in poland. sędziwój pałuka, castellan of kalisz , starosta of kraków, led delegation zadar in dalmatia negotiate queen elizabeth, had him imprisoned instead. sent hungarian soldiers poland garrison them in wawel castle in kraków, pałuka escaped , obstructed soldiers entering castle.

at general assembly in radomsko in march, delegates of polish provinces , towns decided elect siemowit king, if jadwiga did not come poland within 2 months. set provisional government, stipulating community of lords , citizens had authority administer poland during interregnum. queen elizabeth, informed of decision informal message, realized not longer postpone jadwiga s coronation , sent poland. exact date of jadwiga s arrival unknown, because main source history of poland during period – jan of czarnków s chronicle – ended prior event.