Catherine Opalińska

Catherine
Queen consort of Poland
Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania
Tenure 1705–1708
1733–1736
Coronation 4 October 1705
Born (1680-10-13)13 October 1680
Poznań, Poland
Died 19 March 1747(1747-03-19) (aged 66)
Lunéville, France
Burial Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours, Nancy
Spouse Stanisław I
Issue Anna Leszczyńska
Maria, Queen of France
House Opaliński
Father Jan Karol Opaliński
Mother Zofia Czarnkowska

Catherine Opalińska (Polish: Katarzyna Opalińska; 13 October 1680 – 19 March 1747) was Queen consort of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth twice and Duchess consort of Lorraine through her marriage with Stanisław I of Poland.

Biography

Catherine was the daughter of magnate Jan Karol Opaliński and his wife Zofia Czarnkowska. On May 10, 1698 in Kraków she married Stanisław Leszczyński, who became Duke of Lorraine and was, briefly, king of Poland (reigned as Stanisław I). In 1699, she gave birth to Anna Leszczyńska, and in 1703, to Marie Leszczyńska, the future spouse of Louis XV of France.

Queen

In 1704, her spouse was elected King of Poland after having been supported as a candidate by Charles XII of Sweden, who had at the time placed Poland under his occupation. Between November 1704 and July 1705, Charles XII had his headquarters at Rawicz, and the royal couple held court at Rydzyna Castle nearby, were queen Catherine hosted balls and masquerades for the Swedish power holders and welcomed the wives of the Swedish commanders stationed there, such as for example Christina Piper, who visited Carl Piper in Ravicz and were introduced at the Polish court at the same time.[1]

Exile

In 1709, her spouse was deposed when the Swedish army lost the military upper hand in Poland, and the family was by Charles XII granted refuge in the Swedish city of Kristianstad in Scania.[2] In Sweden, the family was welcomed by the Queen Dowager Hedwig Eleonora and became popular members of the society life on the estates of the nobility around Kristianstad: one of their acquaintances among the Swedish nobility were Christina Piper, whom they had met in Ravicz in 1705 and with whom they spent several months in Norrköping in the autumn of 1713.[3] In 1712, they also visited Medevi, the spa of the Queen Dowager.[4] In 1714, Charles XII gave them permission to live in the Swedish province of Zweibrücken in Germany, where they were supported by the income of Zweibrücken: they lived there until the death of Charles XII in 1718[5] Catherine, as well as her daughter queen Marie, maintained a political correspondence with Margareta Gyllenstierna, the spouse of Arvid Horn, with whom she had made the acquaintance during her stay in Sweden.[6]

After the death of Charles XII in 1718, they lived in Wissembourg in Alsace in France. Their lifestyle in Wissembourg was regarded as very below standard for a royal at that time; they lived in a small house, and could not pay the salary of their small retinue from which a few "served as an apology for a guard of honour", and the jewels of Catherine were reportedly held as security by a moneylender.[7]

Catherine Opalińska was described at this point as economical but bitter, and her relationship with Stanislaw was reportedly not happy at this point as she felt disappointment over the loss of a royal position and her exile and blamed this on the actions of Stanislaw, in which she was joined by her mother-in-law Anna Leszczyńska (1660–1727), who lived with them in exile.[7]

France

In 1725, her daughter Marie was chosen to be the queen of France, which made Catherine mother-in-law to Louis XV of France. After the wedding, Catherine and Stanisław resided at the Château de Chambord.[8]

In 1733, Stanislaw again took the throne of Poland during the War of the Polish Succession, making her queen of Poland for the second time. He abdicated the throne in 1736, however.

In 1737, her spouse was made Duke of Lorraine, which made Catherine duchess consort of Lorraine, and she was thereby installed at the Ducal court in Nancy. Until her death, however, she kept her title of Queen. As long as she lived, Stanisław reportedly benefited the Catholic church and the Jesuit order financially.[9] In contrast to Stanisław, Catherine did not adjust to life in France or Lorraine, but felt a certain bitterness over her exile,[10] and continued to long for Poland.[11] Catherine Opalinska was described as homely, pious and charitable, but also as a "dour" personality whom Stanisław regarded to be boring.[12] As soon as they were installed with their court in Lorraine, Stanisław took numerous mistresses, many among her ladies-in-waiting, such as Catherine Ossolińska and Anna Maria Ossolińska, Marie-Louise de Linanges, Madame de Bassompierre and Madame de Cambres, until from 1745 he had a permanent relationship with the marquise de Boufflers, all relationships which Catherine could not prevent.[13]

Death

When his mother-in-law, the spouse of the dethroned king of Poland, died in 1747, Louis XV ordered a commemorative ceremony, in her honour at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The ceremony glorified the deceased who underwent a veritable deification.

Her tomb is in the church of Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours, in Nancy, next to her husband and the heart of their daughter.

Ancestors

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Piotr Opaliński, voivode of Poznań
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Krzysztof Opaliński, voivode of Poznań
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Zofia Kostka
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jan Karol Opaliński, castellan of Poznań
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Adam Sędziwój Czarnkowski, voivode of Łęczyca
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Teresa Konstancja Czarnkowska
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Katarzyna Leszczyńska
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Catherine Opalińska
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kazimierz Franciszek Czarnkowski, castellan of Poznań
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Adam Uriel Czarnkowski
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Princess Konstancja Lubomirska
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Zofia Anna Czarnkowska
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Remigian Zaleski, Castellan of Łęczyca
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Teresa Zaleska
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Anna Miełżyńska
 
 
 
 
 
 

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Catherine Opalińska.

References

  1. Norrhem, Svante, Christina och Carl Piper: en biografi [Christina and Carl Piper: a biography], Historiska media, Lund, 2010 (Swedish)
  2. Lundh-Eriksson, Nanna (1947). Hedvig Eleonora (in Swedish). Wahlström & Widstrand.
  3. Norrhem, Svante, Christina och Carl Piper: en biografi [Christina and Carl Piper: a biography], Historiska media, Lund, 2010 (Swedish)
  4. Lundh-Eriksson, Nanna (1947). Hedvig Eleonora (in Swedish). Wahlström & Widstrand.
  5. Lundh-Eriksson, Nanna (1947). Hedvig Eleonora (in Swedish). Wahlström & Widstrand.
  6. Norrhem, Svante (2007). Kvinnor vid maktens sida : 1632-1772. (Women alongside power: 1632-1772) Lund: Nordic Academic Press. Libris 10428618. ISBN 978-91-89116-91-7 (Swedish)
  7. 1 2 Latour, Louis Therese, Princesses Ladies And Salonnieres of The Reign of Louis XV, 1927
  8. Renata Tyszczuk: The Story of an Architect King: Stanislas Leszczynski in Lorraine 1737-1766
  9. The National Review, Volym 19.W.H. Allen, 1892
  10. Bogdan, Henry: La Lorraine des ducs
  11. Nesta H. Webster: The Chevalier De Boufflers (1916)
  12. Nesta H. Webster: The Chevalier De Boufflers (1916)
  13. Bogdan, Henry: La Lorraine des ducs
  14. Zamek w Sierakowie, Historia Zamku.

Further reading

Catherine Opalińska
Born: 13 October 1680 Died: 19 March 1747
Royal titles
Preceded by
Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Queen consort of Poland
Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania

1705–1708
Succeeded by
Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Preceded by
Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Queen consort of Poland
Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania

1733–1736
Succeeded by
Maria Josepha of Austria
Preceded by
Maria Theresia of Austria
Duchess of Lorraine
1737–1747
Succeeded by
None
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