KONTROWERSJE WOKÓŁ OBECNOŚCI KRÓLEWICZA JAKUBA SOBIESKIEGO PRZY ŚMIERCI OJCA I POCZĄTKU JEGO SPORU Z MATKĄ
THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING PRINCE JAKUB SOBIESKI’S PRESENCE AT HIS FATHER’S DEATH AND THE COMMENCEMENT OF HIS DISPUTE WITH HIS MOTHER

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this article is to unravel our knowledge about Jakub Sobieski’s presence at thetime of his father’s death. From the accounts of Kazimierz Sarnecki, who resided at the home ofthe Radziwiłłs, it would appear that the prince was in Wilanów at that time and – like his motherand brothers – reacted very emotionally to the death of Jan III. Then – contrary to what hasbeen established so far – he escorted the king’s body to the Royal Castle, to which the queenreturned only later. Kazimierz Sarnecki did not mention any scenes of the type reported by AndrzejChryzostom Załuski, during which senators sent by Marie Casimire were said to have admonishedthe prince for acting badly and urging him to allow his mother to enter the castle with the coffin.The entire royal family – the sons and the widow – also participated in removing the seals of theMarshal and the Grand Treasurer of the Crown from the treasury, which the Lubomirskis hadaffixed earlier at the request of Jakub Sobieski. Disagreements between the eldest son and thequeen purportedly did not arise until the subject of the division of family property came up. Itshould be emphasized that although the dispute that arose was very unpleasant, and seriouslydamaged the position and name of the Sobieski family, Sarnecki’s account does not confirmthe most shocking and scandalous scenes concerning the prince’s behaviour when he forbadehis mother to bring the coffin of his father – the monarch – into the castle, and it is unlikely thatSarnecki would have omitted such a fact when describing the events following the death of Jan III.

• Details
• Contents