Elizabeth of Bosnia

Elizabeth of Bosnia
Elizabeth with her daughter Mary in captivity, as imagined by Soma Orlai Petrich
Queen consort of Hungary and Croatia
Tenure	20 June 1353 – 10 September 1382
Queen consort of Poland
Tenure	5 November 1370 – 10 September 1382
Born	c. 1339
Died	January 1387 Novigrad Castle, Novigrad Kingdom of Croatia
Burial	Székesfehérvár Basilica, Hungary (previously St Chrysogonus's Church, Croatia)
Spouse	Louis I, King of Hungary and Poland
Issue Details	Catherine of Hungary Mary, Queen of Hungary Hedwig, Queen of Poland
House	House of Kotromanić
Father	Stephen II, Ban of Bosnia
Mother	Elizabeth of Kuyavia

Elizabeth of Bosnia (c. 1339 – January 1387) was queen consort and later regent of Hungary and Croatia, as well as queen consort of Poland. Daughter of Ban Stephen II of Bosnia, Elizabeth married King Louis I of Hungary in 1353. In 1370, she gave birth to a long-anticipated heir, Catherine, and became Queen of Poland when Louis succeeded his uncle, Casimir III. The royal couple had two more daughters, Mary and Hedwig, but Catherine died in 1378. Initially a powerless consort with no substantial influence, Elizabeth then started surrounding herself with noblemen loyal to her, led by her favourite, Nicholas I Garai. When Louis died in 1382, Mary ascended to the throne of Hungary with Elizabeth as regent. Unable to preserve the personal union of Hungary and Poland, the queen dowager secured the Polish throne for her youngest daughter, Hedwig.

During her regency in Hungary, Elizabeth faced several rebellions led by John Horvat and John of Palisna, who attempted to take advantage of Mary's insecure reign. In 1385, they invited King Charles III of Naples to depose Mary and assume the crown. Elizabeth responded by having Charles murdered two months after his coronation, in 1386. She had the crown restored to her daughter and established herself as regent once more, only to be captured, imprisoned and ultimately strangled by her enemies.