Elizabeth of Pomerania

Elizabeth of Pomerania (1347 – 15 April, 1393) was the fourth and final wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia. Her parents were Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania and Elisabeth of Silesia, (died 1361). Her maternal grandparents were Casimir III, King of Poland and Aldona of Lithuania.

The marriage of Charles and Elizabeth was held on 21 May 1363 in Krakow, only one year after the death of Charles' third wife Anne of Schweidnitz. The bride was only 16 years old while the groom was already 47. Charles married Elizabeth mainly for diplomatic reason, as the marriage helped to break the anti-Czech coalition lead by Duke Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, with Polish and Hungarian kings as participants. On 18 June 1363 in the Bohemian capital Prague Elizabeth was crowned Queen of Bohemia and 5 years later on 1 November 1368 she was also crowned empress in Rome by Pope Urban V.

Elizabeth is reputed to have been a very vigorous, self-confident and physically strong woman. She bore six children to Charles:

* Anne of Bohemia (1366–1394), who was married to Richard II of England
* Sigismund (1368–1437), the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia and Hungary.
* John of Görlitz (1370–1396).
* Charles (13 March 1372–24 July 1373).
* Margaret (1373–1410), who was married to John III, Burgrave of Nuremberg.
* Henry (1377–1378).

After her husband's death at 29 November 1378 in Prague, Elizabeth's stepson Wenceslaus IV, son of Charles's previous wife, ascended the throne. Elizabeth then cared for her own two sons, mainly the older Sigismund, whom she supported in his efforts to become the king of Hungary.

Elizabeth outlived Charles IV by 15 years. She died on 14 February 1393 in Hradec Kralove and was buried next to her husband in St. Vitus Cathedral.

References

* J. Fidler, "České královny" [Queens of Bohemia] (Havlíčkův Brod, 2004)

succession box
before=Katharine of Bohemia
title=Margravine of Brandenburg
years=1373–1378
after=Mary of Hungary
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