Elizabeth of Luxembourg

Who was Elizabeth of Luxembourg?

Elizabeth of Luxembourg was queen consort of Germany, Hungary and Bohemia.

The only child of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Elizabeth was expected to ascend his thrones along with her husband, Albert of Austria. Her rights were ignored by the nobility when Sigismund died in 1437 and only her husband was accepted as monarch, with Elizabeth as mere consort.

Albert died in 1439, leaving Elizabeth a pregnant dowager with two daughters, Anne and Elizabeth. Bohemian nobility proclaimed an interregnum, while King Vladislaus III of Poland was crowned new king of Hungary in May 1440, three months after Queen Elizabeth delivered a son, Ladislaus the Posthumous. She was determined to contend for her patrimony on her son's behalf, which led to a civil war between hers and Vladislaus' supporters. The conflict ended with the queen's death at the age of 33. Vladislaus himself died in battle in 1444, opening up path for Elizabeth's son to be recognized as king of Hungary.