Maria of Staritsa, Queen of Livonia

Maria Vladimirovna of Staritsa (ca 1560, Staritsa – 13 May 1610) was the Queen of Livonia, and a Russian princess. She was the daughter of Prince Vladimir of Staritsa and his wife, Princess Eudoxia Romanovna Odoevskaya, and, through her father, descended from Zoe Palaiologina (being her last known descendant).

On 12 April 1574, in Novgorod, she married Magnus of Livonia. They had two children: Maria of Oldenburg (July 1580–1597). Eudoxia of Oldenburg (January 1581 – 18 March 1589).

Upon her husband's death, Jerome Horsey escorted Maria from the Bishopric of Courland to the court of Boris Godunov. Although Horsey proposed to marry her, Godunov was anxious to get rid of a potential claimant to the throne. As a result, Maria was forced to take the veil and entered a convent adjacent to the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra.

In 1609, she entered into correspondence with her false cousin, False Dmitry II, who had proclaimed himself Tsar. Her subsequent fate is not documented.

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Королева инокиня Марѳа Владиміровна, 13 іюня 1613 или 1614 г. Въ мірѣ Марія дочь князя Владиміра Андреевича Старицкаго бывшая въ супружествѣ за Датскимъ Королевичемъ Магнусомъ, 1583 овдовѣла, 1586 вызвана въ Россію, 1587 пострижена въ монашество въ Подсосенскомъ монастырѣ близъ лавры (Полн Опис Серг лавры Горскаго 1879 ч 1 стр 23 пр 23 стр 89 пр 102 )