Elisabeth of Pilica

Elisabeth of Pilica ( _pl. Elżbieta Granowska z Pileckich) (1372-1420) was Queen consort of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania (1417-1420) as the third wife of Jogaila (or Władysław II Jagiełło) who was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, reigning 1387 to 1434.

She was the only child of Voivode of Sandomierz Otton of Pilica and Jadwiga Melsztyńska (godmother of king Jagiełło). When her father died in 1384 she inherited his vast estates, which included Pilica and Łańcut. She allegedly had several husbands before she married Jagiełło: Wiseł Czambor, Jańczyk Jańczykowicz Hińczyński and Wincenty Granowski. Her marriage to Granowski last 13 years, and they had two sons and three daughters. Granowski died on 12 December 1410, widowing Elisabeth.

A few years later, in 1416, when Jagiełło himself became a widower, after the death of Anna of Celje, he took a liking to Elisabeth; they married on 2 May 1417 in Sanok, and she was crowned on 19 May in Wawel castle. This marriage was subject to much criticism, as many thought the 65 year old king, who had only one living daughter from previous marriages, should marry a younger woman than 45 year old Elisabeth in order to have more children.

Around 1419 Elisabeth fell ill, with symptoms of tuberculosis, and died in 1420 in Cracow. She was buried in the Wawel Cathedral.

However some historians believe that two marriages of Elisabeth (to Wiseł and Jańczyk) were fictitious as writers who lived in her times wanted to discredit her as coming from the lower classes. The date of her birth is also discussed. She might have been younger, being born in 1382.

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