Background
Cecilia Renata was a daughter of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, of the House of Habsburg, and Maria Anna of Bavaria.
Cecilia Renata was a daughter of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, of the House of Habsburg, and Maria Anna of Bavaria.
Born in 1611 in Graz, she was chosen as bride by the Polish nobility. This was the first royal coronation outside of Krakow, the historic, former capital of Poland, and this greatly angered the Polish nobility. A law was instigated to reserve coronations to Krakow in 1638.
Young and energetic, she soon began organising the royal court to her liking.
She was popular, especially for her politeness. One noble wrote in his memoirs that she insisted other women sit with her, even though she was queen.
Cecilia could not remove her husband"s mistress, Hedwig Łuszkowska, by herself, so she arranged a marriage between Hedwig and Starosta Merecki, John Wypyski. In 1638, Cecilia and Władysław visited Vienna.
Her influence was strong for the first 2–3 years of marriage, and she had much to say about the royal nominations for important official positions.
After 1638/1639 when Władysław realised that Habsburgs were prepared to give him little assistance, her power waned, and he started to disregard her advice. She died next day as a consequence of an infection, likely related to her recent childbirth. Following her sudden death, Cecilia Renata was deeply mourned by both Władysław and the Royal Polish court.
She also left a good impression on the public, mostly for her piety and good will.