Elizabeth of Luxembourg (1409-1442) was the daughter of Sigismund of Luxembourg and Barbara of Cilli. Instead of a happy childhood, her life changed due to dynastic values: at the age of two she was betrothed, and at the age of 12 she became the wife of Albert I.
On 22 February 1440, Elizabeth, four months after the death of her husband, gave birth to her second son in Komárno, who later became King of Hungary under the name Ladislaus V.
In addition to the birth of her royal descendant, another fateful moment took place in Komárno that night. At the Queen’s command, her lady-in-waiting Helena Kottanner with a few maids had to steal the Holy Crown from Visegrád. The crown was sewn into a pillow, in which she brought it to Komárno. The Queen thus managed to crown her son Ladislaus V. The coronation was entirely proper. The ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Esztergom, Cardinal Dénes Szécsi.
The story of Ladislaus V is well known from Erkel’s opera László Hunyadi and from the ballad by János Arany – V. László. However, only a few people know that Elizabeth died two years after the birth of her son at the age of 33 in Győr.