Constance of Austria

Queen of Poland from 1605 to 1631

Not to be confused with Constance of Babenberg.

Constance of Austria

Portrait c. 1603 by Frans Pourbus the Younger

Queen consort of Poland
Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania
Tenure| 11 December 1605 - 10 July 1631
Coronation| 11 December 1605

Born| 24 December 1588
Graz, Duchy of Styria, Holy Roman Empire
Died| 10 July 1631(1631-07-10) (aged 42)
Warsaw, Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Burial|

Wawel Castle, Kraków, Poland

Spouse|

Sigismund III Vasa

(m. 1605)​

Issue
among others...| John II Casimir Vasa
John Albert Vasa
Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Opole
Alexander Charles Vasa
Anna Catherine Constance Vasa
House| Habsburg
Father| Charles II, Archduke of Austria
Mother| Maria Anna of Bavaria
Signature|

Constance of Austria (German: Konstanza; Polish: Konstancja; Lithuanian: Konstancija; 24 December 1588 – 10 July 1631) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the second wife of King-Grand Duke Sigismund III Vasa and the mother of King John II Casimir.[1][2]

## Biography

[edit]

Constance was a daughter of Charles II of Austria and his niece, Maria Anna of Bavaria. Her paternal grandparents were Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (1503-1547). Anna was the only daughter of King Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary and his wife Anne de Foix. Her maternal grandparents were Albert V, Duke of Bavaria and Anne Habsburg of Austria.

Constance was also a younger sister of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, Margaret of Austria, Leopold V of Austria and Anna of Austria.[1]

Her older sister Anna was the first wife of King Sigismund III Vasa. After her death Constance and Sigismund were married on December 11, 1605.[3]

### Queen

[edit]

Queen Constance was an ambitious politician. Immediately after the wedding, she made efforts to influence policy. She built a strong faction of followers by arranging marriages between her handmaidens and powerful nobles. She represented the interests of the Habsburg family in Poland, and influenced the appointments of positions in the court, government and church. Her closest confidant was Urszula Meyerin.

Constance was proficient in Spanish, Latin and Italian. She learned Polish after the wedding but rarely used it. She was very religious and went to Mass twice a day. She also was a patron of clerics, painters and architects. She financed the buildings of several palaces for her children, but she was also described as an economic person.

In 1623 Constance bought Żywiec from Mikołaj Komorowski, which was forbidden by law to the members of the royal family and caused misunderstandings with the Parliament.[4] Some time later (in 1626) she made it forbidden for Jews to settle in the city (de non tolerandis Judaeis).[5]

Constance wished to secure the succession of her own son to the throne rather than the son of her sister, but she did not succeed. She died of a stroke in 1631.

## Issue

[edit]

She had seven children:

1. John Casimir (25 December 1607 – 14 January 1608).
2. John Casimir (22 March 1609 – 16 December 1672), who reigned during 1648–1668 as John II Casimir.
3. John Albert (25 June 1612 – 29 December 1634).
4. Charles Ferdinand (13 October 1613 – 9 May 1655).
5. Alexander Charles (4 November 1614 – 19 November 1634).
6. Anna Constance (26 January 1616 – 24 May 1616).
7. Anna Catherine Constance (7 August 1619 – 8 October 1651).

## Ancestors

[edit]

Ancestors of Constance of Austria

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8\. Philip I of Castile[8][9]

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| 4\. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor[6] (=14)|

|  |  |
| 9\. Joanna of Castile[9]

| 2\. Charles II of Austria|

|  |  |  |  |
| 10\. Vladislas II of Bohemia and Hungary[10]

| 5\. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary[6] (=15)|

|  |  |
| 11\. Anna of Foix-Candale[10]

| 1\. Constance of Austria|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 12\. William IV, Duke of Bavaria[11]

| 6\. Albert V, Duke of Bavaria[7]|

|  |  |
| 13\. Marie of Baden-Sponheim[11]

| 3\. Maria Anna of Bavaria|

|  |  |  |  |
| 14\. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor[12] (= 4)

| 7\. Anna of Austria[7]|

|  |  |
| 15\. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary[12] (= 5)

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## Gallery

[edit]

* Entry of the Wedding Procession of Constance of Austria into Kraków in 1605.

* Constance of Austria in Spanish dress (saya), portraited by the court painter in 1610.

* She enhanced and renovated the Castle in Żywiec, where she resided from 1624.

* Constance of Austria as Queen consort of Poland and Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania.

* Silver-gilt plate, 1605, from Constance's dinner service

## See also

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Constance of Austria.

* Urszula Meyerin
* Golub-Dobrzyń

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Storey, Gabrielle (2021-11-22). Memorialising Premodern Monarchs: Medias of Commemoration and Remembrance. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-030-84130-0.
2. ^ Kjaer, Lars; Strenga, Gustavs (2022-09-08). Gift-Giving and Materiality in Europe, 1300-1600: Gifts as Objects. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-350-18370-4.
3. ^ Skrzypietz, Aleksandra (2021-11-15). Queens within Networks of Family and Court Connections. Böhlau Köln. ISBN 978-3-412-52391-6.
4. ^ Bunt chłopów Archived 2008-05-01 at the Wayback Machine. Bunt, prześladowania i próby wyzwolenia się chłopów na Zywiecczyźnie w XVII wieku.
5. ^ Miasto Żywiec Archived 2007-12-10 at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ a b Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1860). "Habsburg, Karl II. von Steiermark" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 6\. p. 352 - via Wikisource.
7. ^ a b Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Maria von Bayern" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 7\. p. 20 - via Wikisource.
8. ^ Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor at the Encyclopædia Britannica
9. ^ a b Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor at the Encyclopædia Britannica
10. ^ a b Obermayer-Marnach, Eva (1953). "Anna Jagjello". Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German). Vol. 1\. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. p. 299. (full text online).
11. ^ a b Goetz, Walter (1953). "Albrecht V.". Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German). Vol. 1\. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 158–160. (full text online).
12. ^ a b Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1860). "Habsburg, Anna von Oesterreich (1528–1587)" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 6\. p. 151 - via Wikisource.

## External links

[edit]

* The Stockholm Roll Archived 2017-12-14 at the Wayback Machine, Entry of the Wedding Procession of Constance of Austria and Sigismund III into Kraków in 1605.

Constance of Austria

House of Habsburg

Born: 24 December 1588 Died: 10 July 1631

Royal titles
Preceded by

Anna of Austria

|  Queen consort of Poland
Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania
1605–1631  | Succeeded by

Cecilia Renata of Austria

* v
* t
* e

Austrian archduchesses by descent

Generations are numbered by male-line descent from Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor. Later generations are included although Austrian titles of nobility were abolished and outlawed in 1919.

1st generation|

* Kunigunde, Duchess of Bavaria

2nd generation|

* Margaret, Duchess of Savoy

3rd generation|

* Eleanor, Queen of Portugal and France*
* Isabella, Queen of Denmark and Norway*
* Maria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia*
* Catherine, Queen of Portugal*

4th generation|

* Maria, Holy Roman Empress*
* Joanna, Princess of Portugal*
* Elisabeth, Queen of Poland
* Anna, Duchess of Bavaria
* Maria, Duchess of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
* Magdalena
* Catherine, Queen of Poland
* Eleanor, Duchess of Mantua
* Margaret
* Barbara, Duchess of Ferrara
* Helena
* Joanna, Grand Duchess of Tuscany

5th generation|

* Isabella Clara Eugenia, Co-sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands**
* Catalina Micaela, Duchess of Savoy**
* Anna, Queen of Spain
* Elisabeth, Queen of France
* Margaret (1567–1633)
* Maria (1584–1649)
* Anna, Holy Roman Empress
* Anna, Queen of Poland
* Maria Christina, Princess of Transylvania
* Catherine Renata
* Gregoria Maximiliana
* Eleanor (1582–1620)
* Margaret, Queen of Spain
* Constance, Queen of Poland
* Maria Maddalena, Grand Duchess of Tuscany

6th generation|

* Anna, Queen of France**
* María**
* Maria Anna, Holy Roman Empress**
* Margarita**
* Maria Anna, Electress of Bavaria
* Cecilia Renata, Queen of Poland
* Isabella Clara, Duchess of Mantua
* Maria Leopoldine, Holy Roman Empress

7th generation|

* Maria Theresa, Queen of France**
* Margarita Teresa, Holy Roman Empress*
* Maria Anna, Queen of Spain
* Eleanor, Queen of Poland, Duchess of Lorraine
* Maria Anna Josepha, Electoral Princess of the Palatinate
* Claudia Felicitas, Holy Roman Empress

8th generation|

* Maria Antonia, Electress of Bavaria
* Maria Elisabeth
* Maria Anna, Queen of Portugal
* Maria Theresa
* Maria Josepha
* Maria Magdalena

9th generation|

* Maria Josepha, Queen of Poland
* Maria Amalia, Holy Roman Empress
* Maria Theresa
* Princess Maria Anna of Lorraine

10th generation|

* Maria Elisabeth^
* Maria Anna^
* Maria Carolina^
* Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen^
* Maria Elisabeth^
* Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma^
* Johanna^
* Maria Josepha^
* Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples^
* Maria Antonia, Queen of France^

11th generation|

* Maria Theresa
* Maria Theresia, Queen of Saxony^
* Maria Anna^
* Maria Clementina, Duchess of Calabria^
* Maria Amalia^
* Maria Theresa, Queen of Sardinia#
* Maria Leopoldine, Electress of Bavaria#
* Maria Ludovika, Empress of Austria#

12th generation|

* Marie Louise, Empress of the French
* Maria Leopoldina, Empress of Brazil
* Clementina, Princess of Salerno
* Marie Caroline, Crown Princess of Saxony
* Maria Anna
* Maria Luisa^
* Maria Theresa, Queen of Sardinia^
* Maria Theresa, Queen of the Two Sicilies
* Maria Caroline
* Hermine
* Elisabeth Franziska
* Marie Henriette, Queen of the Belgians
* Adelaide, Queen of Sardinia
* Maria Theresa, Countess of Chambord#
* Maria Beatrix, Countess of Montizón#

13th generation|

* Maria Anna
* Princess Auguste Ferdinande of Bavaria^
* Maria Isabella, Countess of Trapani^
* Maria Luisa, Princess of Isenburg-Büdingen^
* Mathilda
* Maria Christina, Queen of Spain
* Maria Dorothea, Duchess of Orléans
* Margaretha Klementine, Princess of Thurn and Taxis
* Maria Theresa, Queen of Bavaria#

14th generation|

* Sophie
* Princess Gisela of Bavaria
* Marie Valerie
* Margarete Sophie, Duchess of Württemberg
* Maria Annunciata
* Princess Elisabeth of Liechtenstein
* Maria Antonietta^
* Luise, Crown Princess of Saxony^
* Maria Theresa^
* Princess Karoline Marie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha^
* Princess Maria Christina of Salm-Salm
* Princess Maria Anna of Bourbon Parma
* Maria Henrietta, Princess of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst
* Princess Isabella of Bavaria
* Eleonora
* Renata, Princess Radziwill
* Mechthildis, Princess Czartoryski

15th generation|

* Elisabeth Marie, Princess of Windisch-Graetz
* Helena, Duchess of Württemberg^
* Rosa, Duchess of Württemberg^
* Dolores^
* Maria Inmaculata^
* Margarita, Marchioness Taliani di Marchio^
* Princess Maria Antonia^
* Assunta^
* Elisabeth, Countess of Waldburg-Zeil^
* Hedwig, Countess of Stolberg-Stolberg^
* Margaret, Princess of Monteleone
* Ilona, Duchess of Mecklenburg

16th generation|

* Adelheid
* Charlotte, Duchess of Mecklenburg
* Princess Elisabeth of Liechtenstein

17th generation|

* Gabriela
* Walburga, Countess Douglas
* Maria-Anna, Princess Piotr Galitzine
* Sophie, Princess of Windisch-Graetz

18th generation|

* Eleonore

* * also an infanta of Spain
* ** also an infanta of Spain and Portugal
* ^ also a princess of Tuscany
* # also a princess of Modena

* v
* t
* e

Royal consorts of Poland

Piast dynasty|

* Doubravka of Bohemia
* Oda of Haldensleben
* Emnilda
* Oda of Meissen
* Richeza of Lotharingia
* Maria Dobroniega of Kiev
* Wyszesława of Kiev
* Judith of Bohemia
* Judith of Swabia
* Zbyslava of Kiev
* Salomea of Berg

Fragmentation
period|

* Agnes of Babenberg
* Viacheslava of Novgorod
* Maria
* Eudoxia of Kiev
* Helena of Znojmo
* Lucia of Rügen
* Grzymisława of Łuck
* Ludmila
* Agafia of Rus
* Hedwig of Silesia
* Anne of Bohemia
* Kinga of Poland
* Gryfina of Halych
* Matilda of Brandenburg
* Richeza of Sweden
* Margaret of Brandenburg

Přemyslid dynasty|

* Judith of Habsburg
* Elizabeth Richeza of Poland
* Viola of Teschen

Restored Piast dynasty|

* Jadwiga of Kalisz
* Aldona of Lithuania
* Adelaide of Hesse
* Hedwig of Sagan

Capet-Anjou dynasty|

* Elizabeth of Bosnia

Jagiellonian dynasty|

* Anna of Cilli
* Elizabeth Granowska
* Sophia of Halshany
* Elizabeth of Austria
* Helena of Moscow
* Barbara Zápolya
* Bona Sforza
* Elizabeth of Austria
* Barbara Radziwiłł
* Catherine of Austria

Elective monarchy|

* Louise of Lorraine
* Anne of Austria
* Constance of Austria
* Cecilia Renata of Austria
* Marie Louise Gonzaga
* Eleonore of Austria
* Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d'Arquien
* Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
* Catherine Opalińska
* Maria Josepha of Austria

First Lady of Poland

* v
* t
* e

Royal consorts of Lithuania

Kingdom of Lithuania|

| House of Mindaugas (1236–1263)|

* Morta

|

Grand Duchy of Lithuania|

| House of Gediminids (1285–1440)|

* Jaunė
* Maria of Vitebsk
* Uliana of Tver
* Jadwiga of Poland
* Birutė
* Anna
* Uliana Olshanska
* Anna of Tver

|

House of Jagiellon (1440–1569)|

* Elizabeth of Austria
* Helena of Moscow
* Barbara Zápolya
* Bona Sforza
* Elizabeth of Austria
* Barbara Radziwiłł
* Catherine of Austria

Polish–Lithuanian
Commonwealth|

| Elected (1569–1795)|

* Louise of Lorraine
* Anne of Austria
* Constance of Austria
* Cecilia Renata of Austria
* Marie Louise Gonzaga
* Eleonore of Austria
* Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d'Arquien
* Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
* Catherine Opalińska
* Maria Josepha of Austria

|

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* 2

National|

* Germany
* Poland

People|

* Deutsche Biographie
* DDB

Other|

* IdRef

*[c.]: circa
*[m.]: married
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