Catherine of Poděbrady
| Catherine of Poděbrady | |
|---|---|
| Queen consort of Hungary and Croatia | |
Catherine leaving her father and stepmother to live in Hungary
|
|
| Tenure | 1463–1464 |
| Born |
11 November 1449 Poděbrady |
| Died | 8 March 8 March 1464 (aged 14) Buda |
| Spouse | Matthias Corvinus of Hungary |
| House | Poděbrady |
| Father | George of Poděbrady |
| Mother | Kunigunde of Sternberg |
Catherine of Poděbrady (11 November 1449 – 8 March 1464,) was the first wife of Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary.
Catherine and her twin sister Sidonie were born at Poděbrady, to the Bohemian king George of Poděbrady and his first wife, Kunigunde of Šternberk. Kunigunde died from complications of the birth. George of Poděbrady eventually remarried; his second wife, Joanna of Rožmitál, bore George more children, including Ludmila of Poděbrady.
Matthias Corvinus had lost his fiancee, Elisabeth of Cilli, at a young age. On 1 May 1463 he married Catherine at Matthias Church in Buda. Matthias was eighteen, his bride thirteen. The wedding negotiations had begun in 1458 when Catherine was nine years old. It was agreed that George would make Matthias King of Bohemia if he married Catherine. Soon after the marriage, Catherine left her family and went to live in Hungary with her new husband. Janus Pannonius helped teach Catherine Latin.
The queen was very young, so she played little part in the politics of her husband's two kingdoms. She died in childbirth at the age of 14. Her child died soon after birth as well. The event caused Matthias to lose hope of siring a legitimate heir. He eventually married Beatrice of Naples, but that marriage also failed to produce an heir. Matthias's only surviving offspring was an illegitimate son, John Corvinus, by a mistress named Barbara.
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