William, Duke of Austria facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William the Courteous
Duke of Austria
Historic portrait by Anton Boys (about 1580)
Duke	1386–1406
Predecessor	Leopold III
Successor	Leopold IV
Born	c. 1370 Vienna, Austria
Died	(1406-07-15)15 July 1406 (age 36) Vienna
Burial	Ducal Crypt in St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna
Spouse	Jadwiga, Queen of Poland (disputed) (m. 1385, div. 1385) Joanna of Durazzo (m. 1401)
House	House of Habsburg
Father	Leopold III, Duke of Austria
Mother	Viridis Visconti

William (born around 1370, died July 15, 1406) was a powerful ruler from the House of Habsburg. He was known as William the Courteous (Wilhelm der Freundliche in German). From 1386, he served as the Duke of Austria.

William also ruled over several other important areas. These included the duchies of Carinthia, Styria, and Carniola. He also governed the County of Tyrol and Further Austria from 1396 until his death.

Early Life and Family Connections

William was born in Vienna, the capital of Austria. His father was Duke Leopold III of Austria. His mother was Viridis Visconti, whose father was a lord from Milan.

Leopold III was already a ruler in Tyrol and other Austrian lands. In 1379, he made an agreement with his brother, Duke Albert III. This agreement, called the Treaty of Neuberg, gave Leopold III control over the Inner Austrian lands.

A Royal Betrothal and Polish Politics

When William was just 8 years old, he was promised in marriage. His future wife was Hedwig (also known as Jadwiga), a princess from the Anjou family. She was the youngest daughter of King Louis I of Hungary, who was also King of Poland.

This marriage was a plan by the Habsburg family to gain more land. King Louis wanted his older daughter, Mary, to rule Hungary. He wanted Jadwiga to rule Poland.

When King Louis died in 1382, Mary became Queen of Hungary. But the Polish nobles did not want Mary or her fiancé, Sigismund. Instead, they chose Jadwiga to be their queen. They also decided to end her engagement to William.

Why Poland Rejected William

Seal of William of Austria

The Polish lords did not want William, who was only 14, as their ruler. They believed he was too young and inexperienced. They also thought his Austrian family could not protect Poland well. Poland needed strong leaders against powerful neighbors like the Luxemburgs. The Luxemburgs controlled Bohemia and Brandenburg and had claims on Hungary.

Because of this, some Polish lords suggested a new husband for Jadwiga. They wanted her to marry Jogaila, the Duke of Lithuania. Jogaila was not yet Christian, which was unusual for a European king.

In January 1385, Jogaila sent his representatives to Kraków to ask for Jadwiga's hand. Jadwiga did not give a direct answer. She said her mother would decide. Jogaila's envoys then met Queen Elizabeth in Hungary. She said she would agree to whatever was best for Poland and Christianity.

Later, Polish nobles met in Kraków. Most of them voted to accept Jogaila's marriage offer.

William's Attempt to Claim His Bride

Dymitr of Goraj by Jan Matejko depicts Jadwiga trying to break the castle gate to join William

In July 1385, William's father, Leopold III, went to Buda. He demanded that William and Jadwiga's marriage be completed quickly. Queen Elizabeth agreed to the earlier plans for the marriage.

William traveled to Kraków in August. However, he was not allowed into Wawel Castle, where Jadwiga lived. Some accounts say Jadwiga and William could only meet in a nearby church building.

Records from that time about William and Jadwiga's marriage are confusing. Some city records mention a celebration for the Queen's marriage in August 1385. But an Austrian record says the Poles tried to harm William before the marriage was fully completed.

Later, a historian named Jan Długosz wrote about the events. He said William was "removed in a shameful way" from the castle. Długosz also mentioned that Jadwiga knew "many people knew that she had for a fortnight shared her bed with Duke William." This part of the story is debated by historians.

Długosz also wrote that Polish noblemen forced William to leave the castle. After this, Jadwiga supposedly tried to break down the castle gate with an axe to join William. But a nobleman named Dymitr of Goraj convinced her to return. Historians are not sure if this dramatic story is entirely true. What is clear is that William was forced to leave Poland.

Ruling Austria and Later Years

In 1386, William's father, Leopold III, died in battle. William and his brother Leopold IV became Dukes of Austria. They ruled together with their uncle, Albert III.

When their uncle Albert III died in 1395, a dispute over who would rule began. Albert III's son, Albert IV, took over. William was his cousin.

An agreement was reached in 1396. William gave up ruling Austria itself to Albert IV. Instead, William became the main ruler of the three Inner Austrian duchies and Tyrol. He made his home in Graz.

In 1401, William married again. His new wife was Princess Joanna of Durazzo. She was a cousin of Jadwiga. William and Joanna did not have any children. William died before Joanna became Queen Joanna II in 1414.

In 1404, his cousin Albert IV died. Albert IV's lands went to his young son, Albert V, who was only seven. William became a temporary ruler for his young nephew. He tried to take control of Albert V's lands, but he died before he could succeed.

William died in 1406 in Vienna without any children to inherit his titles. He was buried in the Ducal Crypt in St. Stephen's Cathedral. After his death, the Habsburg lands were divided again. William's brother Leopold IV became ruler in Austria. His other brothers, Ernest the Iron and Frederick IV, took over the other territories.

Male-line family tree