Catherine of Austria, Queen of Poland
| Catherine of Austria | |
|---|---|
 |
|
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Queen consort of Poland Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania |
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| Tenure | 1553–1572 |
| Coronation | 30 July 1553 in Wawel Cathedral |
| Born | 15 or 25 September 1533 Innsbruck or Vienna |
| Died | 28 February 1572 (aged 38) Linz |
| Burial | St. Florian Monastery |
| Spouse |
Francesco III Gonzaga (m. 1549–50; his death) Sigismund II Augustus (m. 1553–72; her death) |
| Issue | None |
| House | House of Habsburg |
| Father | Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor |
| Mother | Anna of Bohemia and Hungary |
Catherine of Austria (Polish: Katarzyna Habsburżanka; 15 or 25 September 1533 – 28 February 1572) was one of the fifteen children of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. In 1553, she married Polish King Sigismund II Augustus and became Queen consort of Poland and Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania. Their marriage was not happy and they had no issue. After a likely miscarriage in 1554 and a bout of illness in 1558, Sigismund became increasingly distant. He tried but failed to obtain a divorce from the pope. In 1565, Catherine returned to Austria and lived in Linz until her death. Sigismund died just a few months after her bringing the Jagiellon dynasty to its end.
Catherine was one of the fifteen children of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. She spent most of her childhood at Hofburg, Innsbruck and received education based on discipline and religion. She leaned Italian and Latin languages. On 17 March 1543, Catherine was betrothed to Francesco III Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Marquess of Montferrat. It reflected her father's desire to strengthen Habsburg influence against France in northern Italy, particularly Milan. Both Catherine and Francesco were 9 and 10 years old at the time. The wedding took place six years later on 22 October 1549. In October 1549, Catherine was escorted by her elder brother Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria from Innsbruck to Mantua. Her dowry was 100,000 Rhine florins. The marriage lasted only four months as Francesco III Gonzaga drowned in the Lake Como on 21 February 1550. Widowed Catherine returned home to Innsbruck. Habsburgs claimed that the marriage was not consummated to increase Catherine's chances for a better second marriage.
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