Eleonore of Austria, Queen of Poland


Eleonore Maria Josefa of Austria was Queen of Poland by marriage to king Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki and Duchess of Lorraine by marriage to Charles V, Duke of Lorraine.

Family

Born in Regensburg, Eleonore was the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III and Eleanor of Mantua.

Queen of Poland

Eleonore married Michael Korybut Wiśniowiecki, king of Poland and grand duke of Lithuania, on 27 February 1670 in the Jasna Góra Monastery. They had one stillborn son on 29 November 1670. In 1671, she had a miscarriage. The opposition of Michael spread rumors that Michael forced her to fake pregnancies, but this is not considered likely. Queen Eleonore was regarded as a model of goodness, softness and loyalty toward her spouse. She learned Polish, although she preferred Latin, and accompanied Michael on his official journeys around Poland. She was guided in her role as queen by her lady-in-waiting Klara Izabella Pacowa, who became her influential favorite.
King Michael died on 10 November 1673. She remained in Poland for a couple of years after his death.

Duchess of Lorraine

Eleonore married Charles V of Lorraine on 4 February 1678 in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The couple resided in Innsbrück in Austria. They were the parents of six children. She passed to her heirs the inheritance of the Gonzaga of Mantua.
Eleonore died at the age of 44, having outlived both of her husbands and two of her children.

Issue