Source: Wikipedia

Barbara was the daughter of a powerful magnate of the Radziwi�� family, castellan, voivode and hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Jerzy Radziwi��, and Barbara Ko�a.

According to the writings of her contemporaries, Barbara was one of the most beautiful women in Europe. She was tall for her times (162 cm), had a slim, well shaped body, blonde hair and even white teeth. Moreover, Barbara had an interest in fashion and cosmetics; she used perfume and face powder. Her parents had educated her well, and she spoke Lithuanian and Polish, was able to write in both languages, and most likely in Latin as well.

She was married on May 18, 1537, to Stanislovas Goštautas, Voivode of Navahradak and later Voivode of Trakai, who died on December 18, 1542.

Her romance and later marriage in 1547, in Vilnius, to King Sigismund II August, the last king of the Jagiellonian dynasty, greatly increased the power of Radziwi�� family in Poland and Lithuania, as can be seen by the rise to power of Miko�aj "the Black" Radziwi�� and Miko�aj "the Red" Radziwi��.

There was substantial opposition towards her marriage to the King from many of the szlachta (nobles), as the marriage was carried out without regard to the laws governing royal marriages. It was pursued by the King, who seemed to have disregarded the political liabilities and consequences and to be truly in love with Barbara. A divorce was demanded by the Sejm, and many political games took place around the issue of this marriage, and were further inflamed by the machinations of the King's mother Bona Sforza. This resulted in conflicts between the King and many magnates and lesser szlachta. A deadlock lasting two years, ensued. The opposition finally acquiesced, and Barbara was crowned Queen, on December 7, 1550.

She died on May 8, 1551, in Kraków, five months after her coronation. Her death was a severe loss to the King and there was an unproven suspicion that she had been poisoned by the Queen Mother, Bona. It was her wish to be buried in Lithuania, and a funeral cortege took her body to Vilnius. Her crypt is in the Cathedral of Vilnius.

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