Adelaide of Hesse
Encyclopedia
Adelaide of Hesse was a daughter of Henry II, Landgrave of Hesse
, and his wife Elisabeth of Thuringia. Adelaide was a member of the House of Hesse
.
and Kunigunde. On 29 September 1341, Adelaide was crowned in Poznań Cathedral. The marriage was very unhappy, Casimir started living separately from Adelaide soon after their marriage.
Casimir continued living with Christine despite complaints by Pope Innocent VI
on behalf of Adelaide. The marriage lasted until 1363/1364 when Casimir again declared himself divorced. They had no children. The marriage to Adelaide was annulled in 1368. Then Casimir married his fourth wife Jadwiga (Hedwig) of Żagań.
This marriage produced another three daughters.
With Adelaide still alive and Christine possibly surviving, the marriage to Jadwiga was also considered bigamous. The legitimacy of the three last daughters was disputed. Casimir managed to have two of his daughters, Anna
and Kunigunde legitimatized by Pope Urban V
on 5 December 1369. Jadwiga the younger was legitimatized by Pope Gregory XI
on 11 October 1371.
. After her ex husband's death, she fought for her property rights. She spent the rest of her life in Hesse until her death in 1371, aged around forty-seven.
Henry II, Landgrave of Hesse
Henry II of Hesse called "the Iron" was Landgrave of Hesse from 1328 - 1376.Henry was the son of Otto I, Landgrave of Hesse and Adelheid of Ravensburg...
, and his wife Elisabeth of Thuringia. Adelaide was a member of the House of Hesse
House of Hesse
The House of Hesse is a European royal dynasty from the region of Hesse, originally and still formally the House of Brabant.-History:The origins of the House of Hesse begin with the marriage of Sophie of Thuringia, daughter of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia and Elizabeth of Hungary with Henry...
.
Unhappy marriage
On 29 September 1341, Adelaide married Casimir III the Great, King of Poland. This was Casimir's second marriage, after the death of his first wife, Aldona of Lithuania. Casimir had no male heir, though he had two daughters, ElizabethElisabeth of Poland (1326–1361)
Elisabeth of Poland was the eldest child of Casimir III of Poland and his first wife Aldona of Lithuania.- Family :Elisabeth had one full-blood sister, Cunigunde of Poland, who married Louis VI the Roman. After Aldona's death, Casimir went on to marry three more times. His second wife was...
and Kunigunde. On 29 September 1341, Adelaide was crowned in Poznań Cathedral. The marriage was very unhappy, Casimir started living separately from Adelaide soon after their marriage.
Annulment
Their loveless marriage lasted until 1356. Casimir separated from Adelaide and married his mistress Christina. Christina was the widow of Miklusz Rokiczani, a wealthy merchant. For bigamy and for his womanizing Casimir got into severe trouble with the clergy.Casimir continued living with Christine despite complaints by Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI , born Étienne Aubert; his father was Adhemar Aubert seigneur de Montel-De-Gelas in Limousin province. His niece was Catherine Aubert, Dame de Boutheon, also the wife of Randon II baron de Joyeuse; she is La Fayette's ancestor...
on behalf of Adelaide. The marriage lasted until 1363/1364 when Casimir again declared himself divorced. They had no children. The marriage to Adelaide was annulled in 1368. Then Casimir married his fourth wife Jadwiga (Hedwig) of Żagań.
This marriage produced another three daughters.
With Adelaide still alive and Christine possibly surviving, the marriage to Jadwiga was also considered bigamous. The legitimacy of the three last daughters was disputed. Casimir managed to have two of his daughters, Anna
Anna of Poland, Countess of Celje
Anna of Poland was countess consort of Celje, a medieval Slovenian feudal state, 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....
and Kunigunde legitimatized by Pope Urban V
Pope Urban V
Pope Urban V , born Guillaume Grimoard, was Pope from 1362 to 1370.-Biography:Grimoard was a native of Grizac in Languedoc . He became a Benedictine and a doctor in Canon Law, teaching at Montpellier and Avignon...
on 5 December 1369. Jadwiga the younger was legitimatized by Pope Gregory XI
Pope Gregory XI
Gregory XI was pope from 1370 until his death.-Biography:He was born Pierre Roger de Beaufort, in Maumont, in the modern commune of Rosiers-d'Égletons, Limousin around 1336. He succeeded Pope Urban V in 1370, and was pope until 1378...
on 11 October 1371.
Later life
After the annulment of her marriage, Adelaide went back home to HesseHesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
. After her ex husband's death, she fought for her property rights. She spent the rest of her life in Hesse until her death in 1371, aged around forty-seven.