Katarina Kosaca as a contention between Croats, Bosniaks, Serbs

One more issue of contention:

Katarina had one son and one daughter who survived the Ottoman conquest. Their ancestors are undoubtably still living today and up until WWII there was an unofficial royal line in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The last unofficial Queen of Bosnia, a Muslim woman named Branka, was killed during WWII at the age of 15. Now this was just one branch of Catherine's ancestry to be sure.

Now, Croatian and Serbian historians say both her children converted to Islam and that her daughter was taken to Istanbul, and that line of the family lives today in Izmir.

Bosnian historians say the daughter converted to Islam and remained in Bosnia, and the son converted to Roman Catholicism and fled to Croatia. Bosnian historians suggest the Dizdarevic family line in Jajce and Travnik are the descendants of Catherine's daughter.

Nadja Dizdarevic is jokingly referred to as the Queen of Bosnia these days, although the links between her family and Jajce or Travnik are weak.

In any event, there's no mechanism in place to revive the Bosnian monarchy but several of Bosnia's wealthiest families in Jajce and Travnik have been battling for the title for years - but it's just like the French family that says they're the descendants of Jesus, everyone just laughs.

Very interesting, Mila. It would seem all three national groups wanted of piece of the action when it came to this lady.

I do wonder, what sort of role were the aristocracy and monarchy able to play in the Balkans after the area had been conquered by the Ottomans? No doubt their ability to wield actual power would have been helped by converting to Islam.

Great thread! 

He did not declare himself a "Serbian" king, he declared himself king of Serbs, big difference. Such as many other monarchs declared themselves king of another kingdom, etc...