Joanna of Bavaria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joanna of Bavaria |
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| Queen consort of Germany and Bohemia | |
| Tenure | 1370–1386 |
| Born | 1356 The Hague (?) |
| Died | 31 December 1386 (aged 30-31) Prague |
| Burial | Prague Castle |
| Spouse |
Wenceslaus, King of Germany and Bohemia
(m. 1370) |
| House | House of Wittelsbach |
| Father | Albert I, Duke of Bavaria |
| Mother | Margaret of Brieg |
Joanna of Bavaria (born 1356 – died 1386) was an important queen in the 14th century. She belonged to the powerful House of Wittelsbach family. Joanna became Queen of Germany in 1376 and Queen of Bohemia in 1378. She gained these titles through her marriage to Wenceslaus, who was a king from the House of Luxembourg family.
Life as a Queen
Joanna was likely born in The Hague. She was the second child of Duke Albert I of Bavaria and his first wife, Margaret of Brieg. Her mother, Margaret, was a daughter of Duke Louis I of Brzeg from the Silesian Piasts family.
Joanna had several siblings, including William VI, Count of Holland and Johanna Sophia of Bavaria. Her grandparents were Emperor Louis IV and Countess Margaret II, Countess of Hainaut.
In August 1370, Joanna traveled to Prague. There, on September 29, 1370, she married Wenceslaus. Wenceslaus was the son and heir of Emperor Charles IV.
The emperor needed special permission from the Pope for the marriage. This was because Joanna and Wenceslaus were closely related.
This marriage helped the Luxembourg rulers become stronger. It created a good connection with the Bavarian duke. The Bavarian duke controlled large areas in the Low Countries.
However, Joanna was not the first person chosen to marry Wenceslaus. Emperor Charles IV had first planned for Wenceslaus to marry Elisabeth of Nuremberg. But that marriage never happened. Elisabeth later married Rupert of the Palatinate instead.
In 1376, Emperor Charles IV had his son Wenceslaus elected as King of the Romans. This title meant he was chosen to be the next Holy Roman Emperor. When Charles IV died in 1378, Wenceslaus also became King of Bohemia. With Wenceslaus becoming king, Joanna became Queen of both Bohemia and Germany. She also became Electress of Brandenburg.
Her Death
Joanna and Wenceslaus were married for sixteen years. Sadly, they did not have any children together. Joanna passed away in 1386. She was about thirty or thirty-one years old. It is said that she died because of an incident involving Wenceslaus's hunting dogs.
Wenceslaus arranged a grand funeral for Joanna. It took place at Žebrák castle. As was the custom, Joanna's body was displayed for a few days in Prague churches. Later, she was buried at Prague Castle.
After Joanna's death, Wenceslaus married her cousin, Sofia of Bavaria. But this marriage also did not result in any children. Wenceslaus was later removed from the throne of Germany in 1400. Rupert, Elisabeth of Nuremberg's husband, became the next king.
