Constance of Austria

Constance of Austria, depicted in Spanish saya, by Joseph Heintz
Coronation	On December 11, 1605 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland
Coat of Arms
Parents	Charles II of Austria Maria Anna of Bavaria
Consort	Sigismund III Vasa
Date of Birth	December 24, 1588
Place of Birth	Graz, Austria
Date of Death	July 10, 1631
Place of Death	Warsaw, Poland
Place of Burial	Wawel Castle, Kraków, Poland

Archduchess Constance of Austria (Constance Renate of Habsburg, in German Konstanze Renate von Habsburg, Erzherzogin von Österreich, in Polish Konstancja Austriaczka or Konstancja Rakuszanka) (December 24, 1588-July 10, 1631) was a Queen consort of Poland.

Biography

Constance was a daughter of Charles II of Austria and Maria Anna of Bavaria. Her paternal grandparents were Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary(1503–1547). Anne was the only daughter of King Ladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary and his wife Anne de Foix. Her maternal grandparents were Albert V, Duke of Bavaria and Anne Habsburg of Austria.

Constance was also a younger sister of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, Margaret of Austria, Leopold V of Austria and Anna of Austria.

Her older sister Anna was the first wife of king Sigismund III Vasa. After her death Constance and Sigismund III Vasa were married on December 11, 1605. They had seven children:

1. John Casimir (25 Dec 1607-14 Jan 1608)
2. John Casimir (1609-1672), (reigned 1648-1668 as John Casimir II Vasa of Poland)
3. John Albert (1612-1634)
4. Charles Ferdinand (1613-1655)
5. Alexander Charles (1614-1634)
6. Anna Constance (26 Jan 1616-24 May 1616)
7. Anna Catherine Constance (1619-1651)

She was a great politician. She built a strong faction which consisted of important noblemen married to her handmaidens. She was very religious, and went to Mass twice a day. She also was a great patron of painters and architects.

In 1623 Constance bought Żywiec form Mikołaj Komorowski, which was forbidden by law to the members of the Royal Family and caused misunderstandings with the Parliament. Some time later (in 1626) she forbidden for Jews to settle in the city (de non tolerandis Judaeis).

Ancestors

Gallery

References

See also

• Urszula Mayerin
• Golub-Dobrzyń

External links

• The Stockholm Roll, Entry of the Wedding Procession of Constance of Austria and Sigismund III into Cracow in 1605.