The Reconciliation
After the death of King Sigismund I the Old, the General sejm was convened in Piotrków at the end of October 1548, during which fierce disputes erupted over King Sigismund Augustus’s marriage to Barbara Radziwiłł.
The king’s decision to marry without first seeking the counsel of the senators was seen as a violation of the law.
At the conclusion of a stirring oration by the envoy Piotr Boratyński, who spoke passionately against the monarch’s marriage, the assembled nobility knelt before the king, pleading with him to break his union with Barbara Radziwiłł.
Sigismund Augustus, however, did not yield to this dramatic pressure, firmly declaring that he would not break the vow he had given.
"What has been done cannot be undone, and it would be more fitting for you not to ask me to break my marital vow, but rather to ask that I uphold faithfulness toward every soul in this world. I have sworn to my wife, and I shall not forsake her so long as the Lord God grants me life. My vow is dearer to me than all the kingdoms of the world."
The young Jagiellon faced opposition not only from ordinary deputies but also from powerful supporters of his mother, most notably Piotr Kmita, the Grand Marshal of the Crown.
In December, the Sejm concluded with a temporary compromise: the deputies agreed to accept the king’s marriage but opposed any plans to crown Barbara. Nevertheless, Sigismund Augustus remained determined to secure her coronation.
From February 1549, Barbara lived at Wawel Castle, occupying the chambers previously used by Queen Bona. Despite Barbara’s worsening health, the royal couple spent their time happily, though public opinion grew uneasy at the king’s apparent preoccupation with his wife and his neglect of state affairs. Barbara, suffering from bouts of pain that made her temperamental and withdrawn from court life, was often viewed unfavorably—as someone who disregarded courtly etiquette and disrespected her subjects. Even those who were well-disposed toward her feared that her frequent lapses in decorum would alienate not only herself but also the king. The year 1550 brought a significant political event: the reconciliation between the king and his former adversary, Piotr Kmita.
The Grand Marshal invited the royal couple to his castle at Nowy Wiśnicz, where he hosted them with great splendor for several days.
Fully aware that crowning Barbara as Queen of Poland was a political, dynastic, and prestige necessity, Sigismund Augustus pressed ahead with preparations for the ceremony. On Sunday, December 7, 1550, Barbara Radziwiłł was crowned queen in the Wawel Cathedral.
This act marked the triumphant culmination of Sigismund Augustus’s struggle for his marriage, strengthened Barbara’s position as an anointed queen, and secured the rights of any potential offspring. Yet a dark shadow hung over the victory of the royal couple and the Radziwiłł family:
“She was crowned, though ill, by Archbishop Dzierzgowski—and that very illness soon claimed her life.”
The Reconciliation of Kmita with King Sigismund Augustus
1860
Leonard Straszyński
Collection of the Museum of Warsaw ( MHW 2536)