Archduchess Cecilia Renata and King Władysław IV Vasa were married on 12 September 1637.
Since the last decades of the 16th century, the Habsburgs had striven for closer ties with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, hoping to secure themselves against the rising Ottoman threat as well as against ever-rebellious Hungary. A generation earlier, the sisters Anna and Constance — granddaughters of Emperor Ferdinand I and nieces of Emperor Maximilian II — had successively married Sigismund III of Poland. Władysław and his younger brother Johann Casimir were Sigismund’s sons from those two Archduchesses, both of them Cecilia Renata’s aunts. Thus, although sixteen years her senior, Władysław was her first cousin.
Cecilia Renata was said to have gained popularity for her kindness, politeness, and benevolence, which contrasted with her husband’s stubborn and self-centred character. Their relationship, however, largely depended on political circumstances. During the early years of their marriage, when the alliance between Kraków and Vienna was strong, Cecilia Renata exercised considerable influence on affairs of state. When political ties loosened, Władysław grew increasingly indifferent towards his wife.
The marriage produced three children, none of whom survived to adulthood. Cecilia Renata died in childbirth in 1644, at the age of 32. The subsequent death of their seven-year-old son a few years later left Władysław without a legitimate heir. As his second marriage also produced no surviving sons, his brother Johann Casimir eventually succeeded him on the Polish throne.
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