Z badań nad dworem królowej Zofii Holszańskiej

Abstract

The very article is devoted to a description of the court of queen Zofia Holszańska, the fourth and the last wife of Władysław Jagiełło. In contrast to the courts of his remaining three wives, it differed in both the personnel and the way of nominating the clerks. Zofia outlived her husband and did not get married again, which gave her respect in the society other queens had not been given so far, and, above all, the power others had not had. During her sons’ ruling, first in the period of their minority, and later, at the time of interregnum, after the death of Władysław, her first son, it was her who shaped politics in the country to a large extent. Different principles of nominating court positions (particular clerks were often rotated depending on functions ascribed, their competences were not precisely specified either) and a political situation also influenced the functioning of the court. The article shows how the court of the queen functioned in a clash of two realities — during the life of her husband Władysław Jagiełło and after his death, when she became the queen and widow.