Mary of Hungary
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Mary of Hungary (c. 1372–1395) (in Hungarian and Slovakian: Mária), Queen of Hungary 1382–1395, was the second of three daughters of Louis I the Great of Hungary. Her father had arranged that Sigismund of Luxemburg would marry one of his daughters (either Mary or Hedwig, who became Queen Jadwiga of Poland.)
Mary became Queen of Hungary as a child after her father's death in 1382 (her elder sister Catherine having died four years earlier). The country was ruled by her mother, the Dowager Queen Elizabeth and by Palatine Miklós Garai. Many noblemen of Hungary were opposed to them and they helped Charles of Durazzo, King of Naples to become King of Hungary in 1385. Queen Elizabeth and Garai had Charles II assassinated in 1386. The supporters of Charles II captured Elizabeth and Mary. On the first anniversary of the death of Charles II, Elizabeth was strangled before Mary's eyes. Charles's heir was his underage son Ladislas of Naples (d. 1414) who attempted all his life to conquer Hungary, but despite some support in the country, did not succeed.
Mary was rescued from captivity by Sigismund of Luxemburg, to whom she was betrothed. Sigismund took revenge on the murderers of Elizabeth. From 1387, Mary and Sigismund were officially joint rulers of Hungary but in fact Sigismund ruled alone. Mary died in 1395, without surviving children. In 1410 (after her death) Sigismund was elected Holy Roman Emperor. He remarried.
Mary's closest heir was her youngest sister, Jadwiga of Poland who, however, also died without surviving children in 1399. Mary's husband Sigismund kept her kingdom, and was eventually succeeded by his issue from his second marriage.
After death of Jadwiga, the heir of Mary's line was their distant cousin Ladislas, the rival claimant. His line went extinct in 1435, after which the succession of these lines went, in principle, to king Charles VII of France, heir-general to the eldest daughter of Charles II of Naples and Mary Arpad of Hungary.
Preceded by: Louis I the Great of Hungary | Queen of Hungary 1382–1385 | Succeeded by: Charles II of Hungary |
Preceded by: Charles II of Hungary | Queen of Hungary 1386–1395 | Succeeded by: Sigismund of Luxemburg (joint from 1387) |