Casimir the Great, as the last King of Poland from the Piast dynasty, is known not only for his political and economic achievements, but also for his turbulent personal life. During his lifetime, he was married four times, and his marriages were filled with dramatic twists, scandals, and tragedies. What do we know about the wives of Casimir the Great?
Aldona Anna
The first wife of Casimir the Great was Aldona Anna. Her father was Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania. As the daughter of a powerful ruler, she grew up in wealth and splendor.
When in 1325 she married Casimir, who was over twenty years old, she became not only his wife but also a valuable ally. This marriage was intended to strengthen political ties between Poland and Lithuania in the face of the threat from the Teutonic Knights.
The beginnings of Aldona and Casimir’s marriage were not easy. Aldona, raised in a pagan country, had to find her place at the Polish court, where Christian culture dominated. Nevertheless, over time the royal couple managed to build a strong bond based on mutual respect and trust.
Anna quickly gained the sympathy of her subjects. She was famous for her kindness, piety, and care for those in need. According to the chronicler Jan Długosz, her private life consisted of participating in entertainment, dancing, and horseback riding. Supposedly, wherever she went, „singers with harps, drums, pipes, songs, and various melodies always walked before her.”
Nothing certain can be said about the couple’s married life. The queen bore Casimir two children – Elizabeth and Kunegunda. The monarch later married off both daughters. Thus Elizabeth went to the court of the Pomeranian Duke Bogusław V, while Kunegunda went to Louis, son of Emperor Louis of Bavaria.
Anna’s coronation took place in 1333. The widow of Władysław the Elbow-high, Jadwiga, was against this enthronement. She believed that as long as she lived, Poland could not have any queen other than herself. Fortunately, the dispute in Casimir the Great’s family was settled in time, and Anna could enjoy the charms of court life. If the sources are to be believed, she supported artists and scholars, contributing to the country’s development. She was also the initiator of the construction of many churches and monasteries.
The reign of Anna Gediminaitė as Queen of Poland was marked by the shadow of her powerful husband, whose constant travels dictated the rhythm of their lives. Despite fulfilling her royal function, Anna remained largely removed from the most important political events.
The year 1339 brought a tragic end to the queen’s short life. An entry in one of the Krakow annals describes her passing as „terrible,” but the exact circumstances of Anna Gediminaitė’s death were forever shrouded in a veil of mystery.
Adelaide of Hesse
After Anna’s death, Casimir the Great married the German princess Adelaide of Hesse. This marriage proved to be a painful experience for both. The lack of offspring, which in those times was an indicator of a successful royal union, became a source of disappointment and constant conflicts between the spouses, who could not communicate with each other.
Shortly after the wedding, Casimir, known for his temperament and fondness for beautiful women, became involved with Cudka, the wife of one of his courtiers. Three children were born from this informal relationship, whom the king later endowed in his will.
A few years later, however, in 1355, Casimir dismissed Adelaide, placing her in the castle at Żarnowiec. As if that were not enough, the ruler additionally engaged in numerous romances, surrounding himself with many concubines. Publicly and openly keeping concubines became the norm for the king, which caused scandal among the clergy and part of the nobility.
Such a situation could not remain without reaction. Adelaide, deeply moved and humiliated by her husband’s behavior, did not remain helpless. She received support from her father and people devoted to her. Archbishop Jarosław Bogoria of Skotniki also stood in her defense, intervening several times with the papal curia. As a result, Pope Clement VI issued a bull ordering Casimir to break with his concubines and return to his betrayed wife.
However, the king disregarded the papal order, which he considered poorly justified. This attitude ultimately sealed the fate of the marriage. In 1356, Adelaide of Hesse left Poland and returned to Hesse. She also lived out her days there. She died in 1371, outliving her husband by several months.
Krystyna Rokiczanka
Even before leaving Poland, Adelaide of Hesse learned about her unfaithful husband’s relationship with Krystyna Rokiczanka. She was a beautiful and attractive woman, the widow of the Prague burgher Mikołaj, who died suddenly in 1346.
When 10 years later Casimir arrived in Prague and saw Krystyna, he fell madly in love with her. He even decided to marry her. The wedding was performed by Abbot Jan of Tyniec, who was most likely unaware of Casimir’s bigamy.
Unfortunately, this misalliance proved extremely short-lived, and the marriage itself ended as quickly as it began. There is much speculation about the reasons for the separation. Jan Długosz claims that Casimir, having learned about the baldness and scabies hidden by Krystyna, angrily dismissed her. Other researchers question the credibility of this story.
Regardless of the reason, the relationship with Rokiczanka was another failed romance in Casimir’s life. The king, changing partners like gloves, once again proved unable to build a lasting and happy relationship, which fell apart like a house of cards.
Rokiczanka plays a significant role in the pages of Józef Ignacy Kraszewski’s novel „The Peasant King.” Portraying Krystyna, he wrote about her wealth, careful education, first marriage to a much older man, and characterized her appearance as follows: „Of moderate height, snow-white complexion, brown hair and eyes, features strangely beautiful and dignified, she indeed had something royal, lordly about her, but also that serious coldness and that majestic indifference to life with which queens adorn themselves. Rarely did a smile, as if forced, open her coral lips, rarely did a glance speak of inner emotion.”
Jadwiga of Żagań
The last wife of Casimir the Great was Jadwiga of Żagań, with whom the king entered into marriage after 1364. The exact date of the wedding remains unknown. The king’s chosen one was the daughter of Duke Henry V of Żagań and Princess Anna of Płock. Jadwiga’s life is shrouded in a veil of mystery, and information about her is scarce. It is only known that she died in 1390, after several years spent at the side of the Piast.
This marriage had a strictly pragmatic character. Casimir, desiring a male heir, whom he had not had with Adelaide of Hesse, hoped that Jadwiga would bear him the desired son. Unfortunately, these hopes did not come true. The king, treating his new wife like a baby-making machine, only had three daughters with her: Kunegunda, Jadwiga, and Anna.
According to Jan Długosz, Jadwiga of Żagań was a beautiful woman, „adorned with many virtues.” Supposedly Casimir loved her sincerely. However, it is difficult to assess the credibility of these reports. What is certain is that from the moment of his marriage to the Silesian princess, the king had no other women at his side – at least contemporary chroniclers are silent about it. Perhaps this resulted from the advanced age of the monarch, who at the time of the marriage was over 50 years old and was then considered an old man.
Until his death in 1370, Casimir strove to legalize his marriage to Jadwiga. In older historiography, there was a conviction that Pope Urban V recognized the union as valid. However, newer research questions this thesis. An argument for the invalidity of the marriage is the act of legitimization of their daughter Anna by the pope in 1369. If the king’s marriage had been previously recognized as valid, such an act would have been unnecessary.
Selected Literature
- Klubówna A., Kazimierz Wielki, Warsaw 1967.
- Rudzki E., Polskie królowe, Żony Piastów i Jagiellonów, Warsaw 1990.
- Śliwiński J., Kazimierz Wielki, Kobiety a polityka, Olsztyn 1994.
- Teler M., Kobiety króla Kazimierza III Wielkiego, Warsaw 2018.
Autor
Marcus Renfell
Marcus Renfell is a historian driven by curiosity and passion. He refuses to accept the “safe,” polished versions of the past. Instead, he brings forgotten, overlooked, and distorted stories back to life. His work blends scholarly precision with the art of storytelling, turning historical narratives into vivid, page-turning experiences.
His mission is simple: to prove that history can be gripping, alive, and deeply personal.
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