Can you have a female King? Jadwiga was one. She...wait, I couldn't find out what pronouns she preferred to use...was the first (and last) female monarch of Poland in the 14th century.
According to Civilization VI, she was "well-educated, fluent in five languages and embarrassingly pious". She was 11 years old when she became King in 1384. Sadly, she died in 1399 after she gave birth to a daughter; both mother and child died of complications.
It appears she was much loved by her subjects, particularly because of her holiness. Three miracles are attributed to her and she was canonised as a Saint by the Catholic Church in 1997.
I've read various texts explaining the reasons she became King rather than Queen. It seems that (a) tradition inferred Queens as mere regnal spouses and (b) none of the noblemen wanted the others to be King.
When I was at my (Catholic convent) school there were five girls called Jadwiga. All extremely clever and hardworking. Doubtless influenced by their distinguished patron Saint.
ReplyDeleteShe’s greatly honoured in Poland although little known here apart from the Catholic girls who encountered all those Polish and Hungarian refugees in 1956.