Catherine of Hungary (1370–1378)

Catherine of Hungary (c. 1370 – c. 1378) was a member of the Angevin dynasty and a titular Queen of Naples and Jerusalem. She was the youngest child of King Louis I of Hungary and Poland and his second wife, Elizabeth of Bosnia.

Catherine's short life was marked by her designation as the heir presumptive to the thrones of Hungary and Poland following the deaths of her older sisters, Mary and Hedwig. While Louis I desired to secure the succession for his lineage, Catherine's eventual death at a young age left her surviving sister, Mary, as the sole heir.

Catherine was betrothed to Louis of France, Duke of Valois, the youngest son of King Charles V of France, in 1374. This alliance was intended to solidify Louis I's diplomatic position and ensure a powerful connection for his future reign. However, the marriage never took place due to Catherine's premature death.

The circumstances surrounding Catherine's death are not entirely clear, but it is generally accepted that she died from an illness around the age of eight. Her death significantly impacted the political landscape of Central and Eastern Europe, ultimately leading to the ascension of her sister, Mary, to the Hungarian and Polish thrones, which then resulted in considerable political instability and challenges to the Angevin succession.