Jadwiga, born in Buda in 1373 or 1374, was the youngest daughter of Louis I of Hungary and Poland and Elizabeth of Bosnia. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and had connections to the Polish Piast dynasty. In 1375, plans were made for her to marry William of Austria, and she lived in Vienna from 1378 to 1380. Following the death of her sister Catherine in 1378, Louis I sought to secure the succession of his daughters. After Louis's death in 1382, Mary was crowned King of Hungary, but the Polish nobility insisted that they would only accept a daughter of Louis as their ruler if she resided in Poland. Elizabeth chose Jadwiga to reign in Poland, leading to her coronation as king in Kraków on 16 October 1384.Jadwiga's reign began amid political turmoil, and she was initially seen as a pawn in the ambitions of her advisers. The Polish nobility opposed her intended marriage to William of Austria, fearing his inability to protect Polish interests. Instead, negotiations began with Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania, who agreed to convert to Catholicism and marry Jadwiga. They married on 15 February 1386, and Jogaila was crowned King of Poland on 4 March 1386, establishing a diarchy. Jadwiga played a role in mediating conflicts and expanding Polish influence, particularly in Ruthenia.After the death of her sister Mary in 1395, Jadwiga and Jogaila claimed Hungary, but faced opposition from Sigismund of Luxembourg. Jadwiga's political power was limited, and she remained passive during her mother's murder in 1387. She continued to work on behalf of her husband's interests and the Polish Crown, but her health declined after giving birth to a daughter, Elizabeth Bonifacia, who died shortly after birth. Jadwiga died on 17 July 1399, making her the last hereditary monarch of Poland. She was buried in Wawel Cathedral, and her death marked the transition of the Polish throne to an elective monarchy.

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Jadwiga of Poland