Sophia of Masovia (1497 or 1498 - before 11 March 1543) was a Princess of

Masovia Mazovia or Masovia ( pl, Mazowsze) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the unofficial capital and largest city. Throughout the centurie ...

, daughter of

Konrad III Rudy Konrad III Rudy, also known in English as Konrad the Red (1447/48 – 28 October 1503), was a Polish prince and member of the Piast dynasty in the Masovian branch. He was a duke of Czersk, Liw, Warsaw, Nur, Łomża, Ciechanów, Różan, Zakroc ...

, Duke of Masovia and his wife

Anna Radziwiłł Anna Maria Radziwiłł (; 20 April 1939 – 23 January 2009) was a Polish historian, educator, and politician. She was a former member of the Polish Senate and Minister of Education, and was very active in educational reform and the underground ...

. She was a member of the

House of Piast The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great. Branch ...

. On 17 September 1520 in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

, Sophia was married by proxy to

Stephen VII Báthory Stephen VII Báthory ( hu, Báthory István, links=no; died 3 May 1530) was a Hungarian nobleman and commander. His most prestigious position was Palatine of Hungary. Stephen belonged to the Ecsed branch of the Báthory family. His father was A ...

. On 17 January 1521, Sophia and her entourage went to Hungary, where in February there was a formal marriage. The couple had three children: Anna, Stephen and Klara; however, other sources claim that Klara was the couple's only child.Piast 3
/ref> Klara was engaged to Carl, Duke of Münsterberg, but died in 1535, before the marriage took place. After the death of Stephen in 1530, Sophia was married to Croatian magnate Louis Pekry. Sophia's second marriage was childless. She then died sometime before 11 March 1543. Sophia had three siblings: Stanislaus I of Masovia,

Janusz III of Masovia Janusz III of Masovia (pl: ''Janusz III mazowiecki''; ca. 27 September 1502 – 9/10 March 1526), was a Polish prince member of the House of Piast in the Masovian branch. He was a Duke of Czersk, Warsaw, Liw, Zakroczym and Nur during 1503-152 ...

and Anna of Masovia, both her brothers died childless and so Anna and Sophia were the last Masovian Piasts. Soon after Janusz's death, the Duchy of Masovia was annexed into the kingdom of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, despite resistance from some of the Masovian nobility. They tried to retain their independence and argued that the Duchy should be inherited by the female relatives (such as Anna or Sophia). The Polish king refused to recognize their demands. Anna was made titular Duchess of Masovia.

Ancestry

References

{{Authority control Piast dynasty Báthory family 16th-century Polish nobility