Background
She was the daughter of Prince Vratko Nemanjić (known in Serb epic poetry as Jug Bogdan), who as a great-grandson of Vukan Nemanjić was part of a minor branch of the Nemanjić dynasty.
She was the daughter of Prince Vratko Nemanjić (known in Serb epic poetry as Jug Bogdan), who as a great-grandson of Vukan Nemanjić was part of a minor branch of the Nemanjić dynasty.
Her husband was Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović. She was the fourth cousin once removed of Emperor Dušan of Serbia. At that time, much wisdom and personal courage was needed to reign in a country which was nominally free but always under threat of invading forces, from the East and the West.
lieutenant was difficult to maintain a national spirit without provoking neighbouring kingdoms or pashaluks to raid or plunder.
Milica proved herself an able ruler of the country at a very trying time. She founded the Ljubostinja monastery around 1390 and later took monastic vows at her monastery and became the nun Eugenia (Јевгенија, later abbess Euphrosine, Јефросина) around 1393.
She commissioned the repairing of the bronze horos of Dečani. In later diplomatic negotiations with Sultan Bayezid I, Eugenia and Euphemia, the former Vasilissa of Serres, both travelled to the Sultan"s court in 1398/99.
She was buried in Ljubostinja, her monastery.
Princess Milica was also a writer She wrote several prayers and religious poems. lieutenant appears that her grief and loneliness were captured in her highly lyrical and poetic address to Prince Lazar (Hrebeljanović).
Although conceived as a church hymn, it contains a personal note and lyrical tones unusual for solemn and somber church hymnody.
With Prince Lazar she had the following sons:
Dobrovoj, died after birth
Despot Stefan,
Vuk Lazarević
Jelena Lazarević, whose husband was Đurađ II Balšić and of Grand Duke of Hum Sandalj Hranić Kosača
Mara Lazarević, whose husband was Vuk Branković
Dragana, whose husband was Emperor Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria
Teodora
Olivera "Despina", whose husband was Bayezid I.
