Her ancestors rose to wield significant political power in Hungary

The origins of the Báthorys have been traced back to 11th-century Hungarian nobles who emigrated from Swabia (now modern-day Germany). The family would split a few centuries later into two distinct branches, the Ecsed and Somlyo, with Elizabeth’s parents coming from both branches.

The Báthory’s connection with the Order of the Dragon, Elizabeth’s coat of arms and dragons in general can be traced back to the legendary origins of the family. In the year 900, a pious warrior named Vitus is said to have slain a dragon in the swamps of Ecsed and was gifted the name Báthory in recognition. The three dragon talons on the coat of arms are thought to represent the three lance thrusts it took to slay the beast.

The Báthorys would come to hold many religious, military and civil roles in government. A prime example would be Cardinal Andrew Barthory, who would become the Grand Master of the Order of the Dragon. Perhaps the most famous member of the family (Elizabeth not withstanding, of course) is Stephen Báthory, who became king of Poland in 1576. He has been described as the ‘darling of both the Polish public opinion and Polish historians’ and was uncle to Elizabeth through her mother, but probably didn’t factor much in her life. His reign is hailed as one of the strongest in Polish history, where he beat the Habsburg candidate to the throne, defended the borders from Russian incursions and attempted to build a great state from Poland, Muscovy and Transylvania (of which he was count).

These prominent connections across Eastern Europe have been theorised as another reason why Elizabeth was not brought to trial. The embarrassment that the allegations against her could bring to the family name would have been acute, and so the Báthorys used their power and influence to have her imprisoned instead.