Radivoj of Bosnia

Radivoj Ostojić (Bosnian, Cyrillic: Радивој Остојић; died 1463) was anti-king of Bosnia from 1432 until 1435. He was the older of the two illegitimate sons of King Stephen Ostoja of Bosnia, most likely born during his marriage to Kujava Radinović.

Struggle for the crown

In 1432, Radivoj proclaimed himself King of Bosnia, in opposition to his half-uncle, King Stephen Tvrtko II. Radivoj was supported by the Ottomans, but Bosnian nobility supported Tvrtko. Despite great chances, Radivoj was never universally accepted as a monarch. He sought recognition outside the realm more than inside its borders. After his failure to gain the crown, he was forced to flee Bosnia and to live at the Ottoman court.

Brother's reign

In 1443, Tvrtko II died and Radivoj's younger brother, Stephen Thomas, was proclaimed king. In 1445, Thomas was legitimised by Pope Eugene IV; it is not clear if Radivoj was legitimised by the same document.

Marriage and issue

On 2 June 1449, in Buda, he married Catherine of Velika, daughter of Nicholas of Velika, who brought him some land in Slavonia as her dowry. His father-in-law and mother-in-law Margaret left the couple one third of their belongings. Radivoj and his wife hehad three sons:

• Tvrtko (died 1463)
• George (last mentioned in 1455)
• Matthew, installed as puppet king of Bosnia by Mehmed II in 1465

Nephew's reign

Radivoj was a passionate member of the Church of Bosnia before being forced to convert to Roman Catholicism. When his brother died in 1461, it was rumoured that he was poisoned by Radivoj. Radivoj's nephew, Stephen Tomašević, assumed the crown. In June 1463, the Ottomans besieged Bobovac. Hoping to gain Mehmed II's mercy, Radivoj surrendered the keys of the town. However, Mehmed was enraged because Radivoj had abandoned his master and ordered his execution. His eldest son and nephew Tomašević were executed with him. His widow remarried.