Helena Palaiologina, Despotitsa of Serbia

Helena Palaiologina
Despotess of Serbia
Tenure	24 December 1456 – 20 January 1458
Born	1431 Despotate of the Morea, Byzantine Empire
Died	7 November 1473 (aged 42) Leukas
Spouse	Lazar Branković, Despot of Serbia
Issue	Jelena Brankovic Milica Brankovic Jerina Brankovic
House	Palaiologos Branković
Father	Thomas Palaiologos, Despot of the Morea
Mother	Catherine Zaccaria
Religion	Eastern Orthodoxy

Helena Palaiologina (Greek: Ελένη Παλαιολογίνα, Serbian: Јелена Палеолог/Jelena Paleolog; 1431 – 7 November 1473) was a Byzantine princess who married Serbian Despot Lazar Branković, who ruled from 1456 until his death in 1458. After Smederevo fell to the Ottoman Turks on 20 June 1459, she fled Serbia for the Greek island of Leukas, where she converted to Catholicism. She later became a nun, assuming the name of Hypomone (Хипомона, υπομονή meaning "patience" in Greek).

Helena was born in the Despotate of the Morea in 1431, the eldest daughter and child of Thomas Palaiologos, Despot of the Morea and Catherine Zaccaria of Achaea. She had two younger brothers, Andreas Palaiologos and Manuel Palaiologos, and a sister, Zoe, who would become the wife of Ivan III of Russia. Her maternal grandparents were Centurione II Zaccaria and Creusa Tocco. Her first cousin, also Helena Palaiologina, became Queen consort of Cyprus.

In October 1446 she left Glarentza Peloponnese for Semendria Serbia, where she married Lazar Branković, son of Lord Đurađ Branković that December. On 24 December 1456, Helena became Despotista of Serbia, when Lazar succeeded his father to the despotate. They had three surviving daughters:

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