A princess, a duchess, a queen, a princess - images from magical children's fairy tales, romantic illusions of youth that remain in memory since childhood... Beautiful, kind, often persecuted, but always noble, generous, ready for self-sacrifice... Or on the contrary: treacherous, merciless, full of sinister schemes, leading those caught in their nets to sweet death, yet invariably charming...
In the Greater Poland Chronicle, it is stated that it was not fitting for a ruler to be without a wife; a wife symbolized the appearance of heirs and, consequently, the continuity of power, the preservation of established order. Therefore, marriages and the birth of children were crucial events not only in private but also in the political life of Poland. The ruler represented the central figure of the princely court, however, a significant role in society and the development of medieval statehood belonged to his entourage, family members, and especially the spouse.
This book tells the story of the complicated, sometimes dramatic fates of Polish rulers and their crowned consorts.