Jelena Nelipić ( sr-cyr, Јелена Нелипић; died 1422) was Duchess of

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...

by her first marriage and Queen of Bosnia by her second marriage. By birth, she was a member of the Croatian Nelipić noble family, having estates in Dalmatian Zagora. Jelena was the daughter of Prince Ivan II Nelipić and his wife Margareta. Her father was son of

Ivan I Nelipac Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...

, and her mother Margareta was descended from the noble family Merini of Split. Her brother

Ivan III Nelipac Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...

was

Ban of Croatia Ban of Croatia ( hr, Hrvatski ban) was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) an ...

who ruled from mountain

Velebit Velebit (; it, Alpi Bebie) is the largest, though not the highest, mountain range in Croatia. The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior. Velebit begins in the nor ...

Cetina Cetina () is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . From its source, Cetina descends from an elevation of above sea level to the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia.Naklada Naprijed ...

river.

Duchess of Split

In 1401, Jelena married Prince

Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić (ca. 1350–1416) was a medieval Bosnian nobleman and magnate, Grand Duke of Bosnia, Knyaz of Donji Kraji, and Duke of Split. He was the most prominent member of the Hrvatinić noble family, and one of the major feudal ...

, a most prominent member of the Bosnian

Hrvatinić noble family House of Hrvatinić was a Bosnian medieval noble family that emerged in Donji Kraji county, located in today's territory of western Bosnia and Herzegovina. Principally they were vassals to Kotromanić dynasty of the Banate of Bosnia and Kingdom ...

, and the strongest of the three main large feudalists of medieval Bosnia, bringing with her a significant

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...

.Sveučilište u Zagrebu. Institut za hrvatsku povijest; ''Radovi'', 1987 Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić was Ban of

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

, Grand Duke of

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...

and Duke of Split. Two years later, she became Duchess of Split when her husband was created Duke of Split. Jelena was

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

, but her husband was a member of the

Bosnian Church The Bosnian Church ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=/, Crkva bosanska, Црква Босанска) was a Christian church in medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina that was independent of and considered heretical by both the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox ...

.John Van Antwerp Fine: ''The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest'', University of Michigan Press, 1994 In 1416, Jelena's husband died. Being a wealthy widow left in charge with her late husband's territories, Jelena immediately became subject of marriage proposals.

Queen of Bosnia

Duchess Jelena married King

Stephen Ostoja of Bosnia Stephen OstojaHis name in Bosnian is rendered Stjepan Ostoja (), while in Croatian it's Stjepan Ostoja. In Serbian, he is called Stefan Ostoja (). ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Stjepan Ostoja, Стјепан Остоја; died September 1418 ...

, thus becoming Queen of Bosnia. Her dowry included her first husband's possessions, such as the royal town of

Jajce Jajce (Јајце) is a town and municipality located in the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 2013 census, the town has a population of 7,172 inhabitants, with ...

, and this dowry is the reason why Stephen Ostoja, who had divorced his second wife Kujava in 1415, married her. Her second husband was also a member of the

.John Van Antwerp Fine, Bosnian Institute; ''The Bosnian Church: Its Place in State and Society from the Thirteenth to the Fifteenth Century'', Saqi in association with The Bosnian Institute, 2007

Second widowhood

Jelena's second marriage lasted much shorter than her first one. She became a widow again in 1418, after only two years of marriage. Her husband's successor was

Stephen Ostojić Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

, his son by his second wife Kujava. As dowager queen, Jelena had neither influence nor power. Kujava, the new king's mother and the second wife of Jelena's second husband, became powerful once again. Jelena's second widowhood was marked by conflicts with Kujava.Krunoslav Draganović, ''Poviest hrvatskih zemalja Bosne i Hercegovine'', Hrvatsko kulturno društvo "Napredak", 1942 The conflicts were ended in the summer of 1419, when Queen Jelena was imprisoned by her stepson. Three years later, Queen Jelena died in prison under mysterious circumstances.

Issue

It's possible that

Balša Hercegović }, 1455) was the titular "Duke of St. Sava" (dux sancti Save), as son of Vladislav Hercegović, the ''Duke of Saint Sava'', sprung from the marriage to Byzantine princess Anna Kantakouzene. Historian D. Lovrenović noted that it was possible that ...

was Jelena's son from her first marriage, but it's not clear yet.Dubravko Lovrenović, ''Da li je Jelena Nelipčić bila majka Balše Hercegovica'', Istorijski zbornik 7, Banja Luka, 1986 Other than him, who could have been her child, Jelena had no other known children by either of her husbands.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Nelipcic, Jelena Bosnian queens Medieval Croatian nobility 14th-century births 15th-century deaths 14th-century Croatian nobility 15th-century Croatian nobility Kotromanić dynasty Murdered royalty 14th-century Croatian people 15th-century Croatian people