Princess Milica of Serbia

Milica of Serbia
Милица од Србије
Fresco from the Ljubostinje monastery (1402–1405)
Queen consort of Serbia
Tenure ~1370–1389
Spouse Lazar of Serbia
Issue
Stefan Lazarević
House House of Nemanjić
Father Vratko Nemanjić
Born 1335
Died November 11, 1405
Burial Ljubostinja
Religion Serbian Orthodox

Princess Milica Hrebeljanović née Nemanjić (Serbian: Милица Хребељановић · ca. 1335 – November 11, 1405) also known as Empress (Tsaritsa) Milica, was a royal consort of Serbia, wife of the Serbian Prince Lazar and mother of despot Stefan Lazarević. She is the author of "A Mother's Prayer," a famously moving poem of mourning for her husband, and an equally touching work entitled "Who Is This?"

She was the daughter of Vratko Nemanjić (known in Serb epic poetry as Jug Bogdan), who as a great-grandson of Vukan Nemanjić was part of a minor branch of the House of Nemanjić. She was the 4th cousin once removed of Emperor Dušan of Serbia.

After the death of her husband at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, she founded the Ljubostinja monastery around 1390 and later took monastic vows at her monastery and became the nun Jevgenija (Јевгенија, later abbess Jefrosina, Јефросина) around 1393.[1]

In 1397 she issued the "A Mother's Prayer" together with her sons at the Dečani monastery.[2] She commissioned the repairing of the bronze horos of Dečani.[1]

In later diplomatic negotiations with Sultan Bayezid I, Jevgenija and Jefimija, the former Vasilissa of Serres, both travelled to the Sultan's court in 1398/99.[3]

In 1403, Jevgenija went to see Sultan Suleiman I at Serres, arguing in favour of her son Stefan in a complicated dispute that had emerged between her two sons and Branković.[1]

She was buried in Ljubostinja, her monastery. She was canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church. Princess Milica was also a writer. She wrote several prayers and religious poems. Some historians think that her children Stefan Lazarević and Jelena Balšić received their literature education from her.

Contents

Family

With Prince Lazar she had following sons:

and following daughters:

Stefan Vuk

See also

References

Sources

  • The geneaology and coats of arms of Serbian dynasties and feudals (Родословне таблице и грбови српских династија и властеле); editors Aleksa Ivić (1928), Dusan Spasić, Aleksandar Plavestra and Dusan Mrdjenović (1987); Bata, Belgrade, p. 20, 75. ISBN 86-7685-007-0 (1928), ISBN 86-7335-050-6 (1987). (Serbian)