Anna of Poland, Countess of Celje

Who was Anna of Poland, Countess of Celje?

Anna of Poland was countess consort of Celje, a medieval Slovenian feudal state within the HRE, and an influential woman in politics of Poland.

She was daughter of King Casimir III of Poland, who was succeeded, not by Anna nor any of Casimir's own descendants, but by Casimir's nephew, King Louis I of Hungary. Anna's mother was Casimir's fourth wife Hedwig of Sagan. Anna's elder half-sisters were already dead though one of them had left children. Anna was the eldest child of that fourth marriage, which did not either produce any sons to King Casimir's dismay.

In 1380 Anna was married to William, Count of Celje, a man chosen by Anna's first cousin, King Louis, from among his vassals in Hungarian south. They had a single surviving child, a daughter known as Anna of Cilli. In 1394 the widowed Anna married Ulrich, Duke of Teck.

Meanwhile, the throne of Poland had passed in 1386 to Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania. When his first wife, Queen Hedwig died in 1399 without surviving children, Jogaila sought a wife among the heirs to the kingdom of Poland, which had been Hedwig's inheritance.